At temperatures below freezing, the lithium-ion battery in your Google Nest camera or doorbell won’t be able to charge. Many devices, including popular models of doorbell cameras and cell phones, use lithium-ion batteries for their high power and long life, but these batteries are also affected by temperatures below freezing.
The batteries in Nest Cam (battery) and Nest Doorbell (battery) have the following minimum temperature requirements:
- Minimum operating temperature: -4°F (-20°C)
- Minimum charging temperature: 32°F (0°C)
At temperatures between -4°F (-20°C) and 32°F (0°C), the battery can still power your device, but it won’t charge. It may also drain more quickly than usual. At temperatures close to -4°F (-20°C), your battery may have less than half the life that it has in warm weather.
Note: The battery can still be charged at 104°F (40°C), the hottest operating temperature for Nest Cam (battery) and Nest Doorbell (battery).
Charge your battery indoors in cold weather
If the temperature is below 32°F (0°C) and the battery is low, bring it inside to a warm place, preferably at room temperature. The battery can start to charge slowly once its temperature rises past 32°F (0°C). It will charge faster when it warms up.
While the battery is still cold, the Home app will show “Charging paused” or “Charging slowly” and a long estimated charge time. The estimated charge time will get shorter as the battery warms up.
Cold weather behavior with wired installation
Nest Doorbell (battery)
If you’ve connected your Nest Doorbell (battery) to your existing doorbell wiring, the wires don’t directly power the doorbell. Instead, the battery is trickle charged by the power that comes through the wires, and the doorbell runs off the battery charge. At temperatures between -4°F (-20°C) and 32°F (0°C), the doorbell can continue to work, but the battery will drain because it can’t be charged. If the battery drains completely, the doorbell will shut down, and you’ll need to bring it inside to be charged.
Nest Cam (battery)
Nest Cam (battery) works differently than Nest Doorbell (battery). For wired installation setups with a Nest Cam (battery), the wires power the camera directly. At temperatures below freezing, the battery won’t charge, but as long as the wired power source is available, the camera can operate in temperatures down to -4°F (-20°C).
If you’ve connected your Nest Cam (battery) to the Wasserstein Solar Panel, the panel doesn’t directly power the camera. Instead, the battery is trickle charged by the panel, and the camera runs off the battery charge. At temperatures between -4°F (-20°C) and 32°F (0°C), the camera will continue to work, but the battery will drain because it can’t be charged. If the battery drains completely, the camera will shut down.