A factory reset on the Nest Cam (battery) removes it from your Google Home account and clears its Wi-Fi settings, and Google's page on restarting and resetting Nest cameras gives the method: press and hold the reset button on the camera until the camera announces that it is resetting, then wait for the lights to settle. The reset button sits on the back of the camera near the power port, so on a camera on its mount you have to take it off first. Do it when you are selling or giving the camera away, when it will not connect to a new network, or when it has become unresponsive after the simpler steps.
A restart is gentler: unplug the charging cable and, if the camera has been unresponsive, reseat the magnetic mount and wake it. After a reset the camera is blank, and you set it up again in the app. Take care with the order: remove the camera from the Home in the app before you reset it if you can, because that frees it from your account cleanly; a camera reset without removal can leave a ghost device in the app that you then delete by hand.
Differential
Likely causes of “Nest Cam (battery) will not reset or needs to be reset safely”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A new Wi-Fi network or router
What separates it The camera cannot join the new network
How to confirm Factory reset and set it up again
- 2
An unresponsive camera
What separates it The app shows a spinning wheel or nothing
How to confirm Try a restart, then a reset
- 3
Selling or giving it away
What separates it The camera should be wiped
How to confirm Reset and remove it from the Home
- 4
A camera set up elsewhere
What separates it Setup fails
How to confirm Reset it first
- 5
A faulty reset button
What separates it Nothing happens when you press
How to confirm Check the button location and hold it longer
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether the camera responds to the reset button
- The lights on the camera
- Whether it is being sold
- Whether the camera is removed from the Home
Try in this order
0 of 8 completedTake the camera off its mount
ReversibleThe reset button is on the back near the power port.
Press and hold the reset button
ReversibleHold it until the camera announces that it is resetting.
Wait for the lights
ReversibleLeave it for a minute until the indicator settles.
Remove it from your Home
ReversibleIn Google Home, open the camera, Settings, Remove device.
Set it up again
ReversibleFollow the setup steps in the app.
Reattach it to the mount
ReversibleAfter setup, place it where you want it.
Remove the camera from the app first
ReversibleOpen the camera, Settings, Remove device, then reset it.
Check the lights after the reset
ReversibleThe indicator should pulse to show it is ready for setup.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- The reset button
- It sits near the power port on the rear.
- Account removal
- Remove the camera from the Home when selling it.
- Ghost devices
- A reset camera may remain listed until you remove it.
- Ready for setup
- Pulsing lights show the camera is waiting for setup.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the camera never announces the reset after several tries, contact Google Nest support
- !If the button is stuck, ask for a replacement
- !The camera should be removed from the account if sold
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
How do I factory reset a Nest Cam battery?+
Press and hold the reset button on the back until it announces the reset.
Will a reset delete my video history?+
History stays with your account subscription.
Where is the reset button?+
On the back, near the power port.
How long do I hold it?+
Until the camera announces that it is resetting.
Why is my reset camera still in the app?+
Remove it manually.
How do I know it is ready?+
The indicator pulses.