4 ways to use Google Nest when you’re away from home

Smart homes are becoming more and more common these days, and Google Nest is one of the leading smart home hubs on the market right now. While it’s nice to use your Google Nest at home to control lights or play music, you can also use your Google Nest a lot when you’re away from home.

Since Google Nest lets you control everything from a mobile device, you’re always in control of your smart home features, no matter where you are. You can adjust your thermostat while you’re away to save on your utility bill, for example. You can also view camera feeds to monitor your family members and pets on the go.

Google Nest also has lesser-known features, like the ability to lock or unlock doors remotely to keep your home secure or let visitors in if you’re running late. You can even chat with delivery drivers to make sure they drop off your packages in the right place. Here are some of the best ways to use Google Nest when you’re away from home.

To get the most out of Google Nest when you’re away from home, you’ll first need to set up Home/Away. This feature automatically detects when you are home and when you leave, adjusting your smart devices accordingly.

You can manage Home/Away settings in the Nest app or Google Home app. In the Google Home app, tap Home or Away in the search bar at the top left to manually choose your mode. In the Nest app, simply tap Home, then select Home or Away. The app settings will help you configure everything to your liking.

To automate Home/Away, open the Nest app and go to the settings menu. Next, tap Home/Away Function. The app can either use your phone’s location to know when you’ve left the house or monitor activity sensors on certain Nest products. If things aren’t working correctly, check the App Activity History section to see what your Nest products are detecting.

Google Nest supports both indoor and outdoor cameras, and new generations of cameras include sophisticated features like 2K resolution and support for Google’s Gemini AI. All of this can be managed from the Google Home app with notifications sent directly to your phone for important events.

Once your camera is set up, you can view the live Google Nest camera feed from the Google Home app. The latest Nest cameras have a wide field of view to capture large rooms and have built-in smart alerts when people or vehicles are spotted. If you use a camera outdoors, it can even detect animals in your yard.

However, some Nest Camera features require a Google Home Premium subscription. You will be able to view live streams and video previews of events for free, but a subscription is required for continuous video history and full recordings of the event. Even then, these event recordings are only kept for 60 days, while 24/7 video history is only visible for up to 10 days.

The Nest Thermostat is one of the first Google Nest products, and it has only gotten more and more features over the years. You can control the temperature in your home from your mobile device, and the most advanced Google Nest models have learning features that can adjust the temperature on the fly based on external factors like humidity and outdoor weather.

Once you’ve set up a Nest thermostat in your home, you can control the temperature manually from the Google Home app. Simply open the app, tap Favorites or Devices, then select Climate. You will see your thermostat listed here. In this menu, you can set the Nest thermostat to heating or cooling mode and adjust the temperature by pressing the plus and minus icons.

In the Google Home app’s climate settings, you can also set up schedules so your thermostat can change the temperature based on different scenarios, like being away from home or surviving the summer heat. Nest thermostats also work with smart humidifiers, and you can also find humidifier settings in the Climate section of the app.

Security is one of the main reasons people start investing in smart home technology, and Google Nest goes even further with its security features than cameras. You can control locks remotely from your phone with Google Nest, letting nearby family in or locking out intruders with just a few clicks.

You can also automate your front door security in the Google Home app. If you’re expecting someone like a plumber or electrician, you can schedule guest access so they can enter. The door will be unlocked during the specified window, then it will automatically lock afterwards.

You can also create personalized passcodes for your friends, family and trusted guests. Assigning names to each code will allow you to see exactly who is coming and going in real time. You can manage access from the household menu in the app, including temporary guests who need to enter your home for any reason.

With a Google Nest Doorbell, you can track all your incoming packages and deliveries to make sure they arrive safe and sound. You can customize your doorbell alerts to show you packages and delivery drivers, and you can also set specific activity zones so you don’t get notified when random people or cars pass by.

When you receive a delivery notification, you can open the Google Home app to talk to them from your phone. Simply open the Google Home app, tap Home, then select All Devices. Tap your camera, then tap the microphone and turn it on. The doorbell will chime to let the person know you are connected. You can also talk to them from a Google Nest Hub if you’re at home as well.

Nest doorbells also record video footage, just like Nest cameras, so you can see exactly where your delivery person left your package or if an opportunistic thief broke onto your porch. However, you will need a Google Home Premium subscription to get full video recordings and 24/7 video history. Otherwise, you’ll end up with 10-second previews of recorded events.