Users are once again voicing their concerns, but Google has yet to respond.
What you should know:
– Owners of an older, first-generation Nest doorbell and camera have begun reporting issues with their transition to the Google Home app.
– Users express that these issues have persisted for some time, as the app is recognizing their devices as “offline,” disabling numerous features.
– Reports indicate that the doorbell cannot properly play its ringer through their connected speaker due to this issue, and live video feeds are impossible.
– A federal class action lawsuit has recently surfaced, with participants seeking justice for Google’s neglect regarding the voice command issues affecting various Home models.
Concerns among Google Home users are escalating as reports emphasize challenges with several of the company’s older Nest devices. Participants on the Nest community forums have continually reported “offline” issues with Google Home and their Nest devices. Per the original post (OP), the user owns a doorbell and two cameras; nonetheless, they cannot access their live video feeds via the Google Home app. The user confirms that the green lights are illuminated, indicating the devices are connected correctly. Notifications are reportedly arriving on their phone as anticipated, and they can view recorded clips.
The sole issue is that the Home app is identifying its connected devices as though they’re offline. This began “since I transferred the doorbell from Nest to Home,” according to the report. The report further mentions that this disparity between the app and their doorbell (in this case) is impacting their speaker as well, resulting in no sound when guests ring the doorbell.
The user mentions that this has been ongoing for a considerable time, yet they cannot find a solution. One user indicates they have faced this problem ever since Google began transitioning users from its old Nest app to the Home app. Their cameras “showed offline immediately after migrating, but I went through and hard reset everything, and they worked for a couple of days, but now they’re all showing offline again.” Another user has been dealing with these persistent issues for over a month now.
Exasperated & Annoyed:
Users are becoming increasingly exasperated with the problems affecting their Nest devices in the Google Home app. According to user reports on the forum, Google has not yet addressed their pleas regarding the issue. Furthermore, a Google representative has not replied to the ongoing community thread.
The timing of these Nest doorbell and camera problems coinciding with the Home app’s increasing prominence is striking. Recently, it became public knowledge that a federal class action lawsuit was filed against Google because of the deteriorating and “malfunctioning” state of Google’s smart home devices. Specifically, attorneys from Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, and Kaplan Gore, LLP are advocating for consumers who may own a Google Nest Hub, Google Nest Hub Max, Google Nest Mini, or Google Nest Audio.
According to the argument, these devices have progressively become less capable of processing users’ voice commands over the years. Darren Kaplan from Kaplan Gore remarked, “However, rather than becoming ‘smarter’ and better over time, these Google ‘smart’ home devices get worse at their core function…”
User reports began to surface more frequently early this year, yet Google has not provided a suitable solution. Google had promised a fix back in July, though indications suggested it would not be delivered until the fall. Nevertheless, as these issues persist, it appears the company has more work ahead than initially estimated.
