Users of Google’s latest Nest Cam lineup have long groused that their cameras couldn’t stream live video feeds to a Chromecast with Google TV dongle plugged into their TVs (or other HDMI-equipped displays), but a fix is finally on the way.
In a post on the Nest blog, Google announced that Nest Cam and Doorbell users–including those with newer 2021 Nest devices–will finally be able to stream live footage from their cameras to Chromecast with Google TV.
The long-awaited feature will arrive “starting this week,” Google said, adding that last year’s Nest Cam (both the wired and battery-powered Nest Cam), the new Nest Doorbell, and the Nest Cam with Floodlight are all supported.
You won’t have to do anything special to enabled Nest Cam support on the Chromecast with Google TV. Instead, you can simply tell Google using the Chromecast Voice Remote to, for example, “show me the front door camera,” and the Chromecast will stream the appropriate live feed.
Another option is to ask Google Assistant on a Nest speaker or display to show you a feed from a specific Nest Cam “on my TV.”
The Google blog post only calls out the Chromecast with Google TV; it’s not yet clear if other Chromecast devices will work with newer Nest Cams.
Chromecast support for the 2021 Nest Cam lineup has been a long time in coming. Users have been able to stream Nest Cam feeds to their Google Nest displays since the cameras first launched last year.
As of last May, you can even stream live Nest Cam footage to your Alexa displays, Fire tablets, and Fire TV devices. The fact that Amazon’s streaming players got support for the new Nest Cams before Google’s Chromecast player did was particularly irksome.
As 9to5Google points out, one of the last missing pieces of Nest Cam streaming support–a desktop client–is due sometime this year.
Author: Ben Patterson, Senior Writer, TechHive
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he has covered everything from smart speakers and soundbars to smart lights and security cameras. Ben's articles have also appeared in PC Magazine, TIME, Wired, CNET, Men's Fitness, Mobile Magazine, and more. Ben holds a master's degree in English literature.