Nest Doorbell Not Recording Events? (Try These Easy Fixes!)

When your Nest doorbell is not recording events, the entire purpose of your security system is thrown away. Don’t worry–we’ve got you covered in this guide.

When your Nest doorbell fails to record events, you won’t be able to take action if something happens near your premises.

The underlying fault could be anything from an outdated app version, a disabled event recording, and unstable internet to an overlapped activity zone.

Keep reading further as ZontSound walks you through the most effective solutions for Nest’s recording fault.

Let’s get started!

How to Fix When Nest Doorbell Not Recording Events?

Note: Have you checked if the doorbell detects motion and sends you push alerts?

1. Check Wi-Fi and Power Connection

The Nest doorbell requires a consistent power and internet connection to operate normally. 

A problem with the doorbell power supply, writing, or charging could prevent the device from functioning properly.

So, the first step is to check both the power and Wi-Fi of the doorbell!

1.1 How to Check the Nest Doorbell Wi-Fi:

1. Open the Google Home or Nest app.
2. Navigate to the second Devices tab.
3. Now, select the Nest Doorbell name.
4. Tap on “…” in the upper-right corner.
5. Press the Settings button (gear icon).
6. Head to Device Information → Wi-Fi.
7. Now, check the signal strength below.
8. If unpaired, reconnect the Nest doorbell.

1.2 How to Check the Nest Doorbell Power:

For wired Nest doorbells, look for a blue ring light:

• If there is a blue light, it means the doorbell power is working.
• If there is no blue light, reset the circuit breaker and adapter.

For battery-powered Nest doorbells, check the battery status:

• If the battery is low, reconnect the USB-C cable and fully recharge Nest.
• Once the doorbell indicator turns solid white, it means it is fully recharged.

Note: If you have a wired Nest doorbell, we advise against accessing and inspecting the wiring yourself. It is recommended to get in touch with a qualified technician. 

2. Activate the “Event Recording” Function

One of the reasons why the Google Nest doorbell is not recording events could be a deactivated Event Recording function within the Nest/Home app.

Although this is a basic requirement for setting up the recording of your doorbell, double-checking ensures your Nest doorbell is allowed to capture and store footage. 

Here’s how to enable Nest doorbell event recording:

1. Open the Google Home or Nest platform.
2. From the Devices tab, tap Nest Doorbell.
3. Tap on “…” and then the Settings button.
4. Tap on the Event tile under Devices features.
5. Make sure Event Recording is set to “On”.
6. If the feature is already active, re-enable it.

Tip: Verify the “DND” and “Airplane” modes of your smartphone are disabled as well.

3. Restart Your Nest Doorbell and Mobile Device

Sometimes, temporary bugs or cached memory glitches restrict the app from issues like recording events, not sending notifications, etc.

To rule out this possibility, restart both your devices, because this process clears all temporary cache files and refreshes the doorbell memory data, internet connection, and power supply.

Here’s how to restart your Nest Doorbell:

3.1 Nest Battery Doorbell:

1. Remove the doorbell from the mount.
2. Locate the Reset button (on the back).
3. Press the button for about ~5 seconds.
4. Hold until the ring LED turns solid white.

3.2 Nest Wired Doorbell:

1. Turn off the power from the circuit breaker.
2. Unplug the Ring doorbell A/C adapter.
3. Wait for 10 seconds while unplugged.
4. Plug the adapter back into the doorbell

Now, proceed with a restart of your phone as well.

After both units power up, relaunch the Nest or Google Home app again to check if the event recording is functional. 

4. Check the Nest Aware Subscription Status

With an inactive Nest Aware subscription, your doorbell will not record any events. Even if the application displays the live feed and sends alerts uninterruptedly, it will not record or save any of the footage.

To record events on your doorbell, the Nest Aware subscription is active!

Here’s how to check Nest Aware subscription status:

1. Open a web browser and visit the Google subscription page.
2. Sign in with the Google account linked to your Nest devices.
3. Head to the Subscriptions tab and find the Nest Aware tile.
4. Finally, check if the subscription is active, paused, or expired.

If the subscription has expired, renew it by following the instructions so that your Nest doorbell can start recording events again.

Make sure your payment details are correct by pressing the “Update…” button.

You will be prompted to re-enter your card’s CVV number to renew.

5. Reinstall the Google Home or Nest App

The Nest doorbell events recording service requires the latest application OS. Even if the app is updated, temporary bugs still disrupt the doorbell-to-app communication.

This is why the next step is to delete and install the Nest or Google Home app again for a clean reconfiguration.

Here are the steps to reinstall the Google Home or Nest app:

1. Launch the app store on your mobile device.
2. Search “Nest” or “Google Home” in the field.
3. Tap the Uninstall button next to the platform.
4. Tip: Restart your phone after deleting the app.
5. Launch the Google Play or App Store again.
6. Reinstall the app you were using and sign in.
7. Register the Nest doorbell and try recording.

Note: Reapply all of the recording settings we have discussed earlier after reinstalling the app.

6. Delete & Recreate Activity Zones

When configuring the Activity Zone feature in the app, you allow the Nest Doorbell to know in which areas of the POV to detect motion.

In some cases, a glitch or incorrect zone placement could cause the activity zone to overlap, which prevents Nest from initiating a recording. 

Here’s how to delete and set up new Activity Zones:

1. Open the Google Home or Nest app.
2. Tap on Nest Doorbell from Devices.
3. Tap “…” and then the Settings page.
4. Now, go to Events → Activity Zones.
5. Delete all of the existing activity zones.
6. Tap on + to add and create a new zone.
7. Draw the zone over the area you prefer.
8. Save the changes and test the doorbell.

Now, walk in front of the newly configured motion area and check if the Nest doorbell detects your motion and initiates a recording.

If required, reconfigure the motion zones and keep testing for as long as you have to.

7. Remove and Re-Add the Doorbell to the App

Sometimes devices have trouble syncing due to incompatibility or issues with your Google or Nest account.

To rule out this possibility, we recommend removing and re-adding the doorbell to the app.

Here’s how to remove and re-add the Nest Doorbell:

1. Open the Google Home or Nest application.
2. From Devices, press on your Nest Doorbell.
3. Tap “…” and navigate to the Settings menu.
4. Scroll down and press on “Remove device”.
5. Confirm the removal and wait a few minutes.
6. Then, locate a Reset button on the doorbell.
7. Use a paperclip and push the Reset button.
8. Keep holding the button for about 10 seconds.
9. Now, tap “+” Add button to add your doorbell.
10. Now, follow the steps to reconnect the doorbell.

Note: You can check if the doorbell has established a secure connection by accessing the live feed.

8. Factory Reset the Nest Doorbell

If the Nest doorbell is not recording events after all of the steps so far, as a last resort, reset the doorbell to factory settings.

This procedure erases all app settings and recordings of the doorbell, including any underlying errors that prevent footage initiation. 

Important: You can save all footage from the doorbell by uploading it to your PC over a wired USB connection. 

8.1 How to Factory Reset Nest Doorbell Battery:

1. Locate the reset pinhole on the doorbell’s back.
2. Push and hold the button for about 22 seconds.
3. Wait until the doorbell countdowns and flashes.
4. Release the reset button at a confirmation tone.

8.2 How to Factory Reset Nest Doorbell Wired:

1. Remove the Nest from the base using the release tool.
2. Press the Reset button and the center doorbell button.
3. Next, keep holding both buttons for about 10 seconds.
4. Release both buttons when the doorbell LEDs go blank.
5. After resetting, you need to set up the doorbell from scratch.

For that purpose, open the Google Home app (or Nest app) and navigate to “…” → Settings → Remove doorbell → Confirm.

When ready, re-add the Nest doorbell cleanly by pressing the “+” button, and you are done!

Contact the Google Nest Support team for further assistance if the issue is still there. Your doorbell unit might have endured damage or could no longer work to factory standards.