How to turn off the status light on your nest cam
Google has notified existing Nest camera, Nest Hello doorbell and Dropcam owners that they can no longer disable their devices’ status light. The company told customers the update in an email, according to 9toGoogle, which also found Google Support discussions on the topic by displeased customers. It was previously possible to switch off those security devices’ status lights to prevent them from being spotted in a dark room, keeping them hidden from, say, home invaders.
However, as the publication notes, Google previously promised a “clear visual indicator when. Nest cameras are on and sending video and audio to Nest” as part of its commitment to privacy. (Google published its privacy promise a month before a Wirecutter report revealed that a user was “still able to access images from [their] old camera” after selling it.) The update could help prevent unscrupulous individuals from using Nest products to secretly film guests, for instance, or for any other underhanded purpose.
“Recently, we shared our commitment to privacy to outline how our products work in your home. As part of that commitment, we explained that you will always see a clear visual indicator when your Nest cameras are on and sending video and audio to Nest.
So we’re changing how the status lights function on Nest cameras, Dropcam, and Nest Hello. You will be able to dim the light on your camera, but it will always be on when the camera is on. We’re doing this to make sure you, and those around your camera, are aware when the camera is on and recording.
Starting today, we’re rolling out the following changes: – In Settings for all Nest cameras and Nest Hello, the ability to turn off the status light will be removed. Instead, you’ll be able to dim the status light. When the camera is on, the status light will glow green. – For Dropcam, the setting to turn off the status light will be removed. When the camera is on, the status light will glow blue. – On Nest Cam, Dropcam, and Nest Hello, the status light will blink when the camera’s live video is streamed from the Nest app. The setting to turn this off will be removed.”
Owners using the devices for legitimate security purposes are understandably upset, especially since the changes will be applied retroactively. It sounds like they’ll at least be able to dim the status lights, but they’ll have to rely on good ole tape if they want to block them out completely.
Britta O'Boyle, Features editor
(Pocket-lint) – Google Nest is removing the ability to turn the status light off on its Nest Cams, Nest Hello and Dropcam devices when they are recording video or audio.
In the past – and still on our Nest devices at the time of writing – it was possible to enable or disable the status light on each of our Nest Cams, as well as our Nest Hello. You could enable or disable the status light for capturing video, as well as when someone was watching the camera.
Google announced a new privacy statement in May that said it would offer a “clear visual indicator when your Nest cameras are on and sending video and audio to Nest” however, and as a result, the decision to remove the ability to disable the status light has been put in place.
According to 9to5Google, Nest has emailed existing owners of Nest Cam devices and Dropcam devices about the decision to remove the disabling of the light, and the rollout has already started.
The site reports that the email says to “make sure you are aware when the camera is on and recording”, all Nest Cams, Nest Hello and Dropcams will have the status light on when the cameras are active.
It’s claimed those with the newer Nest Cams and Nest Hello will be able to dim the status light when the changes take affect and the status light will still blink when someone is watching live footage through the Nest app. Dropcam devices are said to lack the dimming ability though.
You can read our Nest Cam tips and tricks and our Nest Hello tips and tricks for how to see if you still have the ability to turn the status light on your device on or off. If the ability is still there, be prepared that it won’t be for much longer.
Google made key changes to Nest accounts following security issues earlier in the year. As part of a broader privacy push the search giant outlined after I/O 2019, Google is now getting rid of the option to disable the status light on Nest and Dropcam cameras.
Whenever a Nest camera, Dropcam, or Nest Hello camera is on and recording, you’ll see a visual indicatior. When a live video is being streamed from the camera to the Nest app, the status light will blink. From Google:
Recently, we shared our commitment to privacy to outline how our products work in your home. As part of that commitment, we explained that you will always see a clear visual indicator when your Nest cameras are on and sending video and audio to Nest.
So we’re changing how the status lights function on Nest cameras, Dropcam, and Nest Hello. You will be able to dim the light on your camera, but it will always be on when the camera is on. We’re doing this to make sure you, and those around your camera, are aware when the camera is on and recording.
Starting today, we’re rolling out the following changes: – In Settings for all Nest cameras and Nest Hello, the ability to turn off the status light will be removed. Instead, you’ll be able to dim the status light. When the camera is on, the status light will glow green. – For Dropcam, the setting to turn off the status light will be removed. When the camera is on, the status light will glow blue. – On Nest Cam, Dropcam, and Nest Hello, the status light will blink when the camera’s live video is streamed from the Nest app. The setting to turn this off will be removed.
We’re making these changes for greater transparency and privacy in your home.
The move is great from a privacy point of view as it prevents nefarious use of the security cameras, but the Nest community is predictably outraged at Google for taking away a key feature and making the cameras more prominent:
This is an absurd update and an invasion of my rights as a consumer. Google is directly attempting to change the way the product I have bought – and how it was advertised at the time – functions. The camera’s ability to turn off its status light was a feature which Google is now retroactively removing.
Privacy laws do not exist on private property such as my home, where I get to dictate which light remains on. We have spent thousands on 8+ cameras, Nest Guard and Nest Sense products, and spend $40/month on Nest Aware. For me – as a consumer – to have my rights violated without an option to keep the status lights off is a major move backwards.
Nest users, what are your thoughts on the latest update? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Check out this awesome Microsoft Surface Duo 2 review from Windows Central
The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 is now available for purchase and our friends at Windows Central share why you should consider picking one up.
Here are the best shows on Peacock right now
NBC’s Peacock streaming service offers subscribers access to a ton of free and premium content. With so much to choose from, we’ve rounded up a list of the best Peacock shows available for your viewing pleasure this weekend!
Every country and carrier that supports Google RCS
RCS has modernized messaging on Android with chat features reminiscent of standalone chat apps and the iPhone-only iMessage app.
Here are the best accessories you can get so far for the Nest Doorbell
Thinking of picking up the new Nest Doorbell? While it’s early days yet, there are already some great accessories you can get that will work perfectly with the device.
At I/O 2019, the “Google Nest” brand was introduced alongside a new customer privacy commitment. Google today announced that it is removing the ability to disable the status lights on Nest cameras, Nest Hello, and Dropcam.
Back in May, Google’s “commitment to privacy” promised a “clear visual indicator when your Nest cameras are on and sending video and audio to Nest.” This was on display with the Nest Hub Max, but Google is now applying this policy to its dedicated security products. The company emailed existing owners about the decision this afternoon, with these changes rolling out starting today.
When your camera is turned on and sending video footage to Google, we will provide a clear visual indicator (such as a green light on your device).
All Nest Cams, Nest Hello, and Dropcam devices will have their status light on when the camera is active. This is to “make sure you, and those around your camera, are aware when the camera is on and recording.”
In the past, all cameras and doorbells featured the ability to disable the status light. This soon-to-be deprecated preference was touted as allowing owners to make a camera “less noticeable, or if the status light is too bright at night.”
Newer Nest cameras and Nest Hellos can now only dim the green visual indicator. If live video is streamed from the Nest app, the light will blink. On older Dropcams, the light is blue, with those units lacking this dimming ability.
This is good from a privacy standpoint, but many existing owners are irate over this change to the Google Nest camera light. They [1, 2] question whether this will make potential burglars aware when the camera is active.
Just received an email about the new policy on always having the status light on. This is a TERRIBLE idea. All that does is make my cameras an easy mark for an observant thief, and basically renders them useless as a covert security tool.
This is an absurd update and an invasion of my rights as a consumer. Google is directly attempting to change the way the product I have bought – and how it was advertised at the time – functions. The camera’s ability to turn off its status light was a feature which Google is now retroactively removing.
No more stashing your Nest security cameras in the bushes to catch burglars unaware: Google informed users on Wednesday that it’s removing the option to turn off the status light that indicates when your Nest camera is recording.
You can still dim the light that shows when Google’s Nest, Dropcam, and Nest Hello cameras are on and sending video and audio to Nest, Google said, but you can’t make it go away on new cameras. If the camera is on, it’s going to tell people that it’s on – with its green status light in Nest and Nest Home and the blue status light in Dropcam – in furtherance of Google’s newest commitment to privacy.
Google introduced its new privacy commitment at its I/O 2019 developers conference in May, in order to explain how its connected home devices and services work.
The setting that enabled users to turn off the status light is being removed on all new cameras. When the cameras’ live video is streamed from the Nest app, the status light will blink. The update will be done over-the-air for all Nest cams: Google’s update notice said that the company was rolling out the changes as of Wednesday, 14 August 2019.
An “absurd” update
The change is a plus for the privacy-aware: say, people who are wary of their Airbnb hosts secretly filming them in the shower or bedroom.
On the other end of the spectrum, it’s an outrage to some users who say they’ve spent big bucks on cameras that can stay hidden. One comment on Google’s update notice called it “an absurd update and an invasion of my rights as a consumer” – more of a “post-purchase middle finger” to customers than a privacy plus. More from that incensed user:
Privacy laws do not exist on private property such as my home, where I get to dictate which light remains on. We have spent thousands on 8+ cameras, Nest Guard and Nest Sense products, and spend $40/month on Nest Aware. For me – as a consumer – to have my rights violated without an option to keep the status lights off is a major move backwards.
The whole point of exterior cameras is to remain hidden and out of sight of potential burglars. But yes, let’s forcibly keep the light on so that everyone can see and avoid being recorded. God forbid that some criminal’s privacy rights are violated.
A simple, sticky workaround
That comment above was upvoted by 129 others. One of the replies suggested that the user would be turning to another technology that we often reference when talking about webcams that can be hijacked; one that Facebook kingpin Mark Zuckerberg himself has seen fit to deploy, though in this case, the technology will be applied to the status light and not the lens.
Now I have to cover it with a piece of electrical tape.
Follow @NakedSecurity on Twitter for the latest computer security news.
Follow @NakedSecurity on Instagram for exclusive pics, gifs, vids and LOLs!
At its annual Google I/O developer conference today, Google announced a new set of privacy commitments for its in-home Nest security cameras, which include disabling the feature that lets users turn recording indicator lights on and off. The change will affect cameras like the Nest Cam IQ, and the newly announced Nest Hub Max, a larger, Nest-branded version of the Google Home Hub smart display.
Previously, Nest cameras had an option for users to turn off the light that indicates the camera is recording. Disabling that feature seems like a no-brainer now, but it was available for various situations, such as for parents who wanted security cameras in their children’s rooms to keep an eye on nannies and babysitters. “It’s not just our commitment to the owner that we’re making,” Rishi Chandra, VP of product at Nest told The Verge. “We’re making commitment to anyone who walks in the house.”
Nest Hub Max: hands-on with Google’s first smart display with a camera
Nest is striving to be more mindful of its customers’ privacy and security — it recently sent out emails reminding owners to enable two-factor authentication for their passwords and to protect their home networks. The company is also thinking about where its data is going, working to keep features like its Face Match facial recognition tech restricted to the device, rather than sending that information to the cloud.
Google's 'commitment to privacy' means the status light becomes a clear visual indicator you can't turn off on Nest cameras, Nest Hello, or Dropcams.
Google has succeeded in annoying Nest camera, Nest Hello, and Dropcam owners by deciding to disable the ability to turn off the status light on these home security devices.
As 9To5Google reports, until now it’s been possible to turn the status light off in the settings of these security devices. It’s a great feature as it makes them less noticeable, especially at night. However, Google made a “commitment to privacy” back in May and that has resulted in the decision to ensure there’s always a status light visible when these devices are recording.
On the one hand, it’s good to know when you’re being recorded. On the other hand, would you really want the person breaking into your home to be made aware there’s a device recording them? It’s likely they’ll just grab the device, making it harder to later identify them. Nest camera owners are not happy, as is reflected in posts on the Google Nest Community page.
Rather than disabling the status light, Google will now only allow it to be dimmed, but that’s only possible on Nest cameras ($99.99 at Google Store) and the Nest Hello ($229.00 at Google Store) devices. Dropcams can’t be dimmed, meaning they can’t fail to be seen when recording at night.
I suspect as well as reacting angrily to the change on forums, Nest and Dropcam device owners will be purchasing a lot of Duct Tape this weekend and cutting tiny pieces of it to place over the status light on their device.
By Alan Martin Contact via Twitter Contact via linkedin August 15, 2019 7:52 am BST
Google has irked many of its Nest Camera owners by making the previously optional status light compulsory.
In an email sent out to owners of the Nest camera , Nest Hello doorbell and Dropcam, seen by 9to5Google , the company explained that customers would no longer be able to disable the device’s status light.
In the email, Google explains that the change comes thanks to the company’s “commitment to privacy” and recent promise that “you will always see a clear visual indicator when your Nest cameras are on and sending video and audio to Nest.”
In other words, it’s about making sure that people are aware they’re being filmed, to prevent underhand usage. “ You will be able to dim the light on your camera, but it will always be on when the camera is on,” the email continued. “We’re doing this to make sure you, and those around your camera, are aware when the camera is on and recording.”
It’s pretty clear why Google wants to do this, given the frequent stories about Airbnb owners keeping secret cameras in their properties . Doubly so when Google Nest has been on the wrong side of privacy stories lately, firstly with the undocumented microphone in Nest Secure , and then with a now-fixed bug that meant former owners could still spy on pre-owned units .
But that doesn’t mean it’s a change that’s welcomed by legitimate users. Some people just don’t want a distracting light on in their house at all times, as this growing thread on the Google Nest support page shows .
“ Google is directly attempting to change the way the product I have bought – and how it was advertised at the time – functions,” the original poster writes. “The camera’s ability to turn off its status light was a feature which Google is now retroactively removing.
“The whole point of exterior cameras is to remain hidden and out of sight of potential burglars. But yes, let’s forcibly keep the light on so that everyone can see and avoid being recorded. God forbid that some criminal’s privacy rights are violated.
“This isn’t about privacy, this is a flat-out post-purchase middle finger to us – your customers.”
At the time of writing, 26 supporting comments are underneath – and it’s only been up for six hours. It could be a long day for people on the Nest support desk.
Is Google right to put privacy first, or should customers be allowed to decide how they use the product they’ve paid for? Let us know what you think on Twitter: @TrustedReviews.
Recently, we shared our commitment to privacy to outline how our products work in your home. As part of that commitment, we explained that you will always see a clear visual indicator when your Nest cameras are on and sending video and audio to Nest.
So we’re changing how the status lights function on Nest cameras, Dropcam, and Nest Hello. You will be able to dim the light on your camera, but it will always be on when the camera is on. We’re doing this to make sure you, and those around your camera, are aware when the camera is on and recording.
Starting today, we’re rolling out the following changes:
• In Settings for all Nest cameras and Nest Hello, the ability to turn off the status light will be removed. Instead, you’ll be able to dim the status light. When the camera is on, the status light will glow green.
• For Dropcam, the setting to turn off the status light will be removed. When the camera is on, the status light will glow blue.
• On Nest Cam, Dropcam, and Nest Hello, the status light will blink when the camera’s live video is streamed from the Nest app. The setting to turn this off will be removed.
We’re making these changes for greater transparency and privacy in your home. You can learn more about the status light updates here.
If you have questions or need additional details, please contact support.
