Learn about package alerts
Google Nest doorbells and select Google Nest cameras can learn to detect packages left within its view. When a package is detected, the activity is recorded and saved to the cloud, and a notification is sent to your device.
Package alerts are available at no additional cost for Nest Doorbell (battery), Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen) and Nest Doorbell (wired, 3rd gen). If you have a different camera or doorbell that supports package alerts, you need to purchase a Google Home Premium subscription to get alerts.
For better performance, place packages within your camera's view. The package should remain still for a short time to improve detection accuracy. This helps confirm when a delivery occurs or an item is retrieved.
Packages require a minimum size of 8.5”x11x1” inches (21.5x25.4x2.5 cm) for proper detection. If multiple packages arrive around the same time, you might receive only one notification for the first package.
Google Home app
- Open the Google Home app 👁 Image
. - Tap Home 👁 Image
👁 and then
Cameras 👁 Image
👁 and then
your doorbell. - Tap More 👁 More menu
👁 and then
Settings 👁 settings icon
👁 and then
Notifications. - Turn Packages on or off. If you want to turn on alerts and package events are turned off, the app will ask you to turn on package events first.
Nest app
- Open the Nest app 👁 Nest app
- Tap Settings 👁 Nest settings icon
. - Select your doorbell 👁 Image
Notifications. - Turn Packages on or off.
To have continuous package detection, even when you're home, turn off Home/Away Assist or presence-based automations for your doorbell camera. You can turn off this setting in the Google Home app or Nest app.
Google Home app
- Open the Google Home app 👁 Image
. - Tap Automations 👁 Image
. - Under “Your automations,” tap Home or Away.
- Select your doorbell or camera.
- To remove this device from your presence-based automations, tap Remove Action 👁 Image
👁 Image
Save.
If you manually set your home to Home, the camera doesn’t turn off. So, you can still receive package alerts if they’re turned on.
Nest app
- Open the Nest app 👁 Nest app
. - On the home screen, tap Settings 👁 Nest settings icon
. - Select your doorbell.
- Select Home/Away Assist.
- Under “Automatically turn the camera on and off," turn the switch off.
Each person with shared access to your Nest home can choose whether they can get package alerts all the time or only when no one’s home.
For instance, if alerts are set to “No one’s home” on your phone, you can’t get package notifications when you’re at home. If people share access to your Nest home, you can only get a package notification when everyone with shared access is away from home.
When you turn on package alerts for Activity Zones with the app, notifications include the corresponding zone the package was seen in, or if it's no longer seen. To learn more, refer to Set up and use Activity Zones.
A notification is sent when a package is seen or no longer seen, but you can also check package events in the video history in the app. Like other activity events, a package event includes a snapshot and timestamp of the activity detected. To check the event, tap the notification.
Video history in the Google Home app
Video history in the Nest app
You can also find package events in the Home app’s Feed and History.
Important: When it’s dark outside, the distance your doorbell or camera can detect a package may be shorter due to low lighting conditions.
Nest cameras and doorbells help show you what's going on at home, but the technology isn't perfect. We try to make our camera events as accurate as possible, but these can happen:
- A picture can be confused with a real event. For example, a t-shirt with a picture of a dog might trigger an animal detection event.
- A person crawling on the ground can be misidentified as a pet.
- Close relatives can be misidentified.