Prepare your camera on a computer

You should utilise the Nest app on your phone to set your camera and connect it to Wi-Fi. If you take difficulty or get an error in the mobile app, y'all can set up upwards some older Google Nest photographic camera models on a computer, instead.

You tin use a Mac or Windows computer to gear up up the post-obit Nest cameras:

  • Nest Cam Indoor
  • Nest Cam Outdoor
  • Dropcam Pro, Dropcam Hd

For these cameras, follow the steps below to connect your camera to the app.

Important: Newer models (such equally Nest Cam battery, Nest Doorbell bombardment, Nest Cam IQ, etc.) not listed abovecannot exist prepare on a computer and must exist set up with the Google Abode app or Nest app.

Before you lot begin

  1. If y'all haven't already done and so, you should outset set up your camera with a phone or tablet.
  2. For setup on a Windows computer, yous demand to be signed in as an Ambassador. To learn most Administrator rights, visit Microsoft's support site.
  3. Bring your camera and your computer to the spot in your habitation where you lot want to fix your camera:
    • Nest Cam Indoor, Dropcam Pro, Dropcam Hard disk drive: Place your camera on a tabular array or on another convenient surface near where you want to mount information technology.
    • Nest Cam Outdoor: Get-go inside your home, near your Wi-Fi router and an indoor power outlet. Later, you should go outside to test your Wi-Fi connection and mount your camera.

Set up your camera

1. Plug your camera into your computer

Use the included USB cablevision to plug your photographic camera directly into a USB port on your estimator.

Of import:

  • Don't use third party cables as they may non evangelize enough ability.
  • Don't plug your camera into an external USB hub that'due south continued to your computer.
  • Try a unlike USB port if you meet an result during setup.

The light on the forepart of your photographic camera should glow blue (xanthous on Dropcam), to bespeak that the camera is starting upwards. Later a moment, the light should begin to blink.

2. Double click on the icon

One time your camera finishes its start upward, a window should pop up on your estimator with Nest Cam or Dropcam setup icons for both Mac Bone and Windows. Double click on the icon for the OS your figurer uses.

Nest cam and drop cam icons

Important: Go on your camera plugged into your computer until prompted.

iii. Follow the instructions to cease setup

After you double click the Nest or Dropcam icon, an app should launch and guide you lot through the following steps:

  1. Create an account, or sign in if yous already take one.
  2. Connect your camera to Wi-Fi. Your camera should scan for nearby networks automatically. Wait a moment for the list of Wi-Fi networks to appear, and then choose the network y'all'd similar your camera to utilise. Be sure to connect only to a wireless network that you lot trust. You may also be asked to enter the network's countersign.

    It tin take a little while to find and connect to your Wi-Fi network. If you can't discover your network or your camera fails to connect, refer to the following articles to help troubleshoot:

    Wi-Fi network doesn't show up during Nest Cam setup
    Troubleshoot Nest camera and doorbell error codes and letters

  3. Pick a name for your camera that matches its location. You tin choose a location from the listing or selectCustom at the bottom of the list to type in your ain name. The Nest app uses this location to tell yous where alerts happen and group any other Nest products that match this location.
  4. Cease setup. The Nest app should guide you through some last customization steps, including checking that your camera can stream video on your Wi-Fi network.

If you can't find your photographic camera's video stream when you sign in to the Nest spider web app, follow the troubleshooting suggestions in this article:

What to do if you can't watch Nest Cam video on a Mac or Windows estimator

4. Bookmark the Nest spider web app and sign in to the Nest app on your phone

Add a bookmark for the Nest web app to your browser so yous can apace get to your Nest camera video stream and manage your camera's settings. If you have any other Nest products, you tin also manage them here.

Note: Once your camera is gear up, you should sign in to the Nest app on your phone to watch video, become alerts, and manage camera settings.

Was this helpful?

How can we better it?