Two Red Lights on Nest Camera? (Here’s the Quick Fix)

The two red lights on Nest camera mean that the device has engaged the night vision mode via infrared lightning.

This shouldn’t be necessarily considered an issue, except if the two lights are appearing on the camera throughout the day.

However, apart from the engaged night vision, the two red infrared lights may also indicate a battery or a software problem–which is rare, but entirely possible.

Let’s walk you through the things you could try:

Two Red Lights On Nest Camera Won’t Go Away – How to Fix?

There are alternative ways to manage the indicators with the help of your personal preferences for overnight monitoring.

Note: We won’t refer to turning off the red lights as “fixing” because this is a normal function of the camera.

1. Regulate the Ambient Lightning

A simple, yet highly effective thing to try is increasing the levels of lightning in the room as much as possible.

Well, the two red infrared sensors on your Nest camera will only be engaged during nighttime, according to Google’s clock, or whenever the surrounding lighting is too weak.

Try regulating the brightness of all lamps/bulbs in your room to a maximum and check if the red lights are still there. 

Pro Tip: You can shine a light onto the sensors of the camera using your phone’s flashing to check whether this will make the lights go away.

2. Set the “Night Vision” to “Off”

Because of the night vision feature’s extreme convenience and monitoring capabilities, turning it off permanently should be out of the question. 

However, you can temporarily set the feature to “Off” through the Nest or Google Home app and determine if the infrared sensors will power off.

How to Disable Night Vision in Google Home?

1. Open Google Home and tap on “Favorites” or “Devices”.
2. Hold the dashboard of the Nest camera from the menu.
3. Navigate to “More” → “Settings” and then select “Video”.
4. Scroll down to “Night Vision” and set the option to “Off”.

How to Disable Night Vision in the Nest App?

1. Open the Nest app and press on your Nest camera.
2. Go to “Settings” and press “Night Vision” in the tab.
3. Now, select “Off” from the options and exit the menu.

Verify the permanent configuration for the “Night Vision” feature, regardless of the application you use, is “Auto”.

Note: If you’re struggling with configuring the device’s settings, we recommend checking how to transfer Nest camera to Google home.

3. Relocate the Nest Camera

If you’ve placed the camera on a spot that’s more shady throughout the day, the solid red light on Nest camera will probably activate.

Reposition the camera when there’s more ambient light and determine how this would impact the IR sensors.

Tips On the Nest Camera Placement:

• Ensure the camera is at least 7–10 feet high.
• Avoid placements near all reflective surfaces.
• Place the camera in a spot with even lightning.
• If it’s outside, consider weatherproofing cover.

These tips should help your camera stay dry during rainy weather and ensure there are no false activations of the night vision.

Once you’ve picked a better location for your camera, check if the LED indicators will turn solid red without adjusting the ambient lighting.

4. Delete & Re-add the Camera

Perhaps, a misconfiguration of the camera’s profile is causing persistent issues with the night vision.

If that’s the case, we recommend removing and re-adding the camera from the Google Home or Nest app on your smartphone. 

How to Re-add Nest From Google Home?

1. Open the Google Home app and go to “Devices”.
2. Hold the thumbnail of the Nest camera in the tab.
3. Tap “Settings” and scroll to the bottom of the page.
4. Select “Remove device” and confirm the removal.
5. Navigate to the homepage of the Google Home app.
6. Tap “Add Device” and follow the on-screen prompts.

How to Re-add Nest From the Nest App?

1. Launch the app and tap on the “Menu” button.
2. Tap the product you wish to remove (Nest cam).
3. Next, scroll down to “Remove [Nest Camera]”.
4. Confirm the uninstallation of the camera profile.
5. Now, re-add your Nest cam from the homepage.

Warning: All of your Nest camera’s profile settings will be erased after re-adding it. 

5. Unplug the Nest Camera

Whether the camera is indoor or outdoor, it doesn’t matter, as long as it uses a power cord to connect to the outlet.

If so, you can conduct a hard reset that helps with all types of camera sensor bugs, without compromising the functionality of the product.

Note: Battery-operated Nest products are not designed to be disassembled by the user!

So, disconnect the camera’s power cord from the outlet for at least 60 seconds and plug it back in directly, without using external equipment.

If you’re worried about potential electrical problems with the Nest product, try changing the power outlet and check whether the adapter is defective. 

Tip: You can leave the camera unplugged overnight if the IR sensors are bothering you. 

6. Integrate a Smart Plug (Workaround)

We fully understand that the two red lights on your Nest camera shout out loud “Camera here!” but there is no other way of seeing in the dark without Night Vision.

There is no way to remove the lights without deactivating the night vision, which would make your cam useless in the dark.

If the infrared sensors on your Nest camera are bothering you, then using a smart plug is an excellent workaround to operate the power supply 24/7. 

You can configure the smart plug to stop operating at about 10 P.M. (or whenever the sun goes down) and keep the camera off throughout the night.

This workaround may be completely useless for outdoor units, but if your camera is indoors, and you don’t want to see the red lights, just stop the power.

You can automate the entire process via a smart plug that will deactivate and activate the AC supply of the cam as per the schedule.

Note: Smart plugs are cheap and easy to configure!

7. Cover the IR Sensors (Workaround)

Although this is not a permanent solution, it can come in handy until you’ve talked with Google regarding that matter.

If the IR sensors are still there, even with night vision turned off, it’s most likely a factory defect that requires attention from a certified technician or the manufacturer.

You can use a thin layer of tape or a tiny piece of sticker to place over the lights and trick it into thinking that it’s daytime.

If the IR sensors are defective, the sensors may be on, regardless of whether it’s daytime or nighttime outside. 

8. Reset the Camera’s Options

A factory reset must help with two red lights on the Nest camera no matter where the problem comes from.

The Nest camera may have run into a software issue that the previous solutions weren’t able to resolve, so it’s time to reset all settings and start from scratch. 

Warning: The data loss after a factory reset is irreversible!

Here’s how to factory reset the Nest camera:

1. Unscrew the camera counterclockwise from the base.
2. Locate the small “Reset” button on the camera’s neck.
3. Insert a paperclip or a thin instrument into the pinhole.
4. Press and hold the “Reset” button for 10–15 seconds.
5. Release after the camera appears “Offline” in the app.

The camera’s reset process should last for approximately 60 seconds before the unit becomes operational again.

Do not adjust any of the camera’s settings, until the status becomes “Online”.

Note: If you have questions and want to claim your warranty, get in touch with Google customer service or get in touch with the local merchant.