Google opens sign-ups for new Nest Aware subscription plans

Abner Li | May 12 2020 - 1:24 pm PT

At Made by Google 2019 in October, Google Nest announced a revamp of its subscription services program that was set to launch in “early 2020.” The new Nest Aware is rolling out this week with sign-ups now open.

The biggest aspect of this new Nest Aware is a fixed pricing model that covers all Nest products in your home. There are two tiers primarily differentiated by how long (30 vs. 60 days) event-based recordings — which start capturing when activity is detected by Nest Cams — are stored. The latter also features 24/7 video history for 10 days.

Nest Aware: 30 days of event video history, at $6 per month (or $60 for an annual subscription)
Nest Aware Plus: 60 days of event video history and 10 days of 24/7 video history, at $12 per month (or $120 for an annual subscription).

New features — only available in the US — for both tiers include emergency calling from Nest speakers and Smart Displays, as well as sound detection for smoke/carbon monoxide alarms. Other functionality from the original service includes Intelligent alerts, Activity Zones, saving/share clips, Nest Hello package detection, and person/familiar face detection.

Early 2020 has come and gone, with the Google Store listing still talking about the old per-device subscription model. However, hitting the big blue “Subscribe” button in the top-right corner now takes you to a page “introducing the new Nest Aware.”

You can then “Choose your plan” — monthly or annual billing — with the first month free as part of a trial. We managed to successfully sign-up for the new Nest Aware online and receive the following confirmation detailing the next steps:

Video history under your new plan starts right away. Use the Nest app to view your
video history
To set up intelligent alerts for your Nest cameras, use the Nest app. To set up sound
detection for and emergency calling for your Nest speakers and displays, use the
Google Home app.

The new Nest Aware is rolling out starting this week to 19 countries. Users have the option to stick with their old plan, with the new subscription requiring that they migrate to a Google Account.