Your Google Nest Camera Won’t Charge? (6 Easy Fix!)

We understand your frustration and concern whenever the Google Nest camera won’t charge.
Don’t worry–we got you covered!
The Google Nest camera charging process may be interrupted due to many things ranging from the battery temperature, charging equipment, and software status.
This quick guide will walk you through everything you should try!
Google Nest Camera Won’t Charge – 6 Easy Ways To Fix!
Note: Have you tried connecting the camera to the charger and waiting for 3–5 minutes to see whether the charging process will resume on its own?
1. Charge Your Nest Camera Inside

Note: Skip this method if you are using an indoor Nest camera!
The main problem with the charging of Nest cameras occurs on outdoor units. This is due to the internal battery’s operational temperatures and its impacts on the hardware.
Whenever the battery of your Google Nest camera is too hot/too cold, the device will continue to work, but the charging will come to a halt.
- The minimum temperature for battery charging is -4 °F (-20 °C).
- The maximum temperature for battery charging is 104 °F (40 °C).
Well, if it’s freezing outside or your Google Nest camera is exposed to direct sunlight during the summer season, you may need to bring the device inside for charging.
- Don’t worry, the extreme temperatures may not lethally impact the battery, but only halt the charging process temporarily.
Tip: Bring your camera to a room’s temperature for 15–20 minutes and then re-try the charging.
2. Restart the Google Nest Camera

A quick thing to try before going further into the guide is to restart the Google Nest camera, by pressing the Restart button on the back for 5 seconds.
To reveal the button you may need to dismount the camera from the wall/stand, and if you are dealing with a software-related issue, a restart will help.
If restarting the camera won’t help and the unit is not charging, continue reading the guide…
3. Inspect the Nest Charging Cable
The charging cable is often the reason why your Google Nest camera is not charging.
There are a few points of interest that you need to inspect, and possibly detect where the issue comes from.

Let’s take a quick look at the potential breaking points:
- The camera pin connector: You need to inspect the cable connector and camera port to identify any bent or missing pins, that may be causing the problem.
- The USB-A end of the cable: The USB-A connector of the charging cable plugs into a power adapter, which on its own may be the defective piece in your equipment.
- The electrical outlet (socket): The final thing to check, or possibly change is the power outlet used for charging the Google Nest camera.
Important: Third-Party Connectors!
We strongly recommend plugging the power adapter of your Google Nest camera directly into the outlet without any third-party connectors like dividers, extenders, or smart plugs.
Note: If you can’t visually identify which component is defective, we recommend trying with a different power adapter and switching the electrical outlet.
4. Jump-Start the Camera Electronics

If your Google Nest camera’s battery has been fully depleted and stayed this way for a week or more, you may need to jump-start the electronics.
Single pressing the “RESET” button of the camera, (typically used for a factory reset) can jump-start the battery charging.
So, with the charging cable connected, use a pointy tool to reach inside the reset button pinhole and single-tap the “RESET” button without holding it.
Well, if the charging light on the front of the camera lights up, this means that the Nest camera is finally charging, and the problem is solved.
Note: The pinhole is sometimes on the rounded back of the camera, but on some models can also be on the front.
5. Clean the Charging Cable and Port

Another important factor to check is whether the pin connector of the charging cable is dirty or if the pins are obstructed by something.
For many users, cleaning the pins using a Q-Tip restores the charging, so it’s worth taking the time to clean the pin connector as well as the camera port.
It’s crucial to ensure that the connector is clean and that the port on the camera is not covered by any dust, debris, or external particles.
Note: Another important factor to check is whether the camera, connector, or port is soaking wet, which may be another reason for charging insufficiency.
6. Factory Reset the Google Nest Camera
If nothing helps and your Google Nest camera won’t charge, regardless of what you try, you may need to perform a factory reset.
This method will unpair your camera from the application, and disconnect the device from your network, but will tackle potential software charging issues.
The Nest camera may go offline during the process, but the charging issue will be resolved.

- To factory reset your Nest camera, you still need to have at least a bit of battery charge left, as the restoration will not begin if your battery is dead.
So, if your camera is working, use a pointy tool to reach within the RESET pinhole and press the reset button for 10–15 seconds.
The Nest camera status light should blink in yellow 4 times, and you will hear a countdown tone.
Note: When your camera is reset, reconnect the charging cable and check if it’s now charging!
Nest Camera Charging Cable Replacement:
If nothing works and your Google Nest camera won’t charge, you may need to purchase a new Nest camera charging cable.
It’s cheap, and it’s quick, so why not try a replacement before drawing conclusions–Best of luck!

Finn Wheatley, a Master’s graduate in Computer Science from UCL, London, honed his skills at small data science consultancies. There, he helped large corporations enhance their data capabilities by deploying cutting-edge machine learning analytics and resolving technical hurdles.