Why is the Nest Camera Blinking? 

Connected devices and IoT (Internet of Things) has been touted as the next logical big step for consumer technology to move towards. Many big companies and brand have jumped into the race to build their ecosystem of connected technology devices and gadgets which work seamlessly with each other. According to many analysts, the companies who will master this will come out on top in the technology race soon. Google has been known to always bet on the future market of technology and, in a not-so-surprising move, decided to buy the manufacturer of most popular connected devices at the time- Nest.

Nest has been known for manufacturing good quality connected home control and security systems long before the arms race for the Internet of Things started. Since their buyout by Google, they have also improved in terms of the software, and their devices now work seamlessly using Android devices. Many of their products are way ahead of what competitors like Apple and Samsung are providing and work well within the Google ecosystem. The availability of smart AI services like Google Assistant makes the Nest devices one of the best in their categories.

One of the most popular devices from Google Nest has been the series of Nest Cams. These devices can be used indoors or outdoors for many different purposes. They can work as a doorbell camera, security camera outside the house, and even like a baby monitor by using the function of the speaker in the camera. People also use these devices to keep tabs on their pets and talk to them when they must leave them at home alone.

With such a wide array of uses, these cameras have quickly become popular in the developed world and continue to sell like hotcakes. But the lack of a screen in the device means it is difficult to show the error messages or working status of the device. For this purpose, the company uses a multi-colored LED light in some devices while other devices get more than one light. In this article, we will talk about what these different blinking lights mean and how to solve the errors denoted by the lights.

What Do Different Colors of Nest Camera LED Warning Light Means?

Every Nest camera, either indoor or outdoor, comes with a warning light, placed just above the camera lens. As discussed earlier, the primary purpose of the light is to give warnings in case something is wrong with the device which the user needs to investigate. The LED lamp can light up and showing different colors based on which we can determine what is wrong with the device.

But not many people are aware of this, mainly if someone is not used to reading the manuals which come with these devices. In this article, we will explain what each color means when the Nest Camera light is blinking.

Solid Green Light

The green light, when it is not blinking, means that everything is working fine, without any problems. It means that the camera is recording correctly, is connected to the internet, and can be used for streaming live video feed whenever needed.

Blinking Blue Light

Blinking blue light on a Nest cam can mean two things:

Someone is accessing the Nest camera feed using the nest app or speaking remotely through the speaker. This is applicable only when the camera is blinking in normal usage.

If the light is blinking blue during the setup of the Nest camera, it means the device is either trying to connect to a Wi-Fi network or trying to complete the setup process using Bluetooth. After everything is set up, it usually turns solid Green.

Solid Blue Light

The light showing a solid blue color can also have multiple reasons:

Either the camera is starting up or rebooting. This can be while setup, after plugging in the camera to a power socket, after turning ON the power for the camera or while the Nest Cam is automatically starting up because of a power failure.

The solid blue light can also be seen when the device is waiting for a Nest account to be added.

Blinking Green Light

The blinking green light is visible when someone is watching a live video stream remotely using the nest website or by using the Nest application.

Solid Yellow Light

Solid yellow light denotes that the Nest device is having trouble connecting to the Wi-Fi network automatically. Try connecting the device manually or check if the password has been changed. If it is safe, changing back the password with which the device was setup is the fastest way to solve the problem.

Solid Red Light

If the status LED light is of solid Red color, it means that the light is not working correctly. Customer care needs to be contacted to solve this problem.

Blinking Lights in a Nest Cam IQ

Nest Camera IQ is a more premium device with more features as compared to an essential Nest Cam. Because of the sophisticated design and a more significant number of error messages possible, it has two warning LED lights – A big light ring surrounding the lens and A small status light a little below the camera lens. The lighting of both lights together and separately can mean different things about the status of the Nest Cam IQ.

The LED status light in Solid Green: Solid green status light in Nest Cam IQ, just the regular Nest Cam, means that everything is beautiful, the camera is working, connected to the Wi-Fi, and can be used for streaming live video feed.

LED status light blinking Green Slowly: Slowly blinking green light means typically that the camera is being used for viewing the live video feed remotely, either using the Nest website of using the Nest mobile application.

LED status light Blinking Green Faster: If the green status LED light starts blinking faster than usual, it means that the device is having difficulties in connecting to the Wi-Fi network. The most common reason behind this is that the router is switched off, or the password of the router has been changed. Both problems can be easily solved at home. If the light is still blinking, contact the Nest customer care.

Light Ring Blinking Blue and Status Light Solid Blue: This combination is seen when the video is being streamed, and someone is speaking remotely using the speaker on the nest cam.

Only Light Ring Blinking Blue: Light ring blinking blue can mean many things but is usually related to the restart of the device. It can blink blue when the Nest Cam IQ is plugged into the power socket or if the device is restarting after a factory reset. It can also blink blue if the device is waiting to connect to a nest account.

Only Light Ring Blinking Yellow: Light Ring turning yellow means that the Nest Cam IQ is having trouble connecting to the Nest services or is not able to complete the setup process. This usually happens while setting up the camera for the first time. If the problem persists, try contacting a customer care representative for the solution.

Light Ring Blinking Red: If the light ring is blinking red or just blinked once and stopped, it means that the device is plugged in, but it does not have enough power to function correctly. This usually happens because of some problems with the electrical grid.

How to Turn Off the Blinking Lights?

Some people find the lights on the Nest devices too bright at night, and some do not want the device to be visible at night. For such customers, the Nest provides the ability to turn off the lights by using the nest application. Follow the steps below to turn off the lights on the Nest Cam devices:

• Open the Nest app home screen and select the device you want to turn off the lights on.
• Tap the settings icon in the corner of the device page.
• In the settings menu, tap the “Status Light” option.
• Now select the situations in which the light will remain turned off and when it should turn on automatically.

Why Is the Nest Cam Light Not Blinking?

Sometimes, even after turning on the Nest cam, no light lights up. There can be many reasons behind it, but the most common ones are:

The Nest camera device is not getting any power to start up. This can be because of power failure, broken or removed cables, or the outlet not providing enough power for it to function.

The device has been unknowingly turned off and thus is not receiving any power.

The lights have been turned off using the Nest application. Check the mobile application settings to check if that is the problem.

Conclusion

Nest has become useful in terms of AI and software after being brought by Google. The home automation devices produced by Nest work seamlessly on Apple as well as Android devices and hence has become a go-to brand for people looking for a useful and intuitive Home automation system. One of their most popular products has been the series of Nest Cams.

These are high devices that can be used for many purposes, as mention in the article. But they do not come with a screen, and any error message or working status is conveyed using blinking or solid lights on the device. Many people are not usually aware of what the lights mean. In this article, we have explained what different colored lights mean and why the lights on your nest cam were blinking.

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