How to Factory Reset Your Nest Camera

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

How to Factory Reset Your Nest Camera

Resetting your Nest camera to factory settings can help resolve issues and prepare the device for a new user. Follow these steps:

1. Locate the Reset Button:
   • Find the reset button on your Nest camera. It is usually located on the back or bottom of the camera.
2. Press and Hold the Reset Button:
   • Use a paperclip or a similar tool to press and hold the reset button.
   • Continue holding the button for about 10 seconds until the camera's light starts to flash.
3. Wait for the Reset:
   • Release the reset button and wait for the camera to complete the reset process.
   • This may take a few minutes. The camera will reboot and the light will stop flashing when the reset is complete.
4. Reconfigure the Camera:
   • Open the Nest app on your smartphone.
   • Follow the prompts to set up the camera again, including connecting to Wi-Fi and configuring settings.
5. Test the Camera:
   • After setup, test the camera to ensure it’s working correctly by viewing the live feed in the Nest app and checking the motion detection settings.
6. Reconnect with Smart Home Systems:
   • If you had the Nest camera integrated with other smart home systems (e.g., Google Home, Amazon Alexa), you will need to reconnect these integrations.

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1. Introduction: Nest Camera: Factory Reset

If your Nest Camera is not working as intended and you've exhausted all other possible repair steps or you want to give it to someone else, you can reset it to factory defaults.

2. Nest Camera: Factory Reset

Warning: Resetting the device to factory defaults will erase all saved settings and preferences.

Here's how to factory reset your Nest Camera:

Note: This procedure only applies to the Nest Cam IQ Indoor and Nest Cam IQ Outdoor devices.

1. Locate the reset button:
   
2. On the Nest Cam IQ Indoor the reset button is on the bottom side of the camera stand.
   

1. On the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor the reset button is on the front side of the camera, below the Nest logo.
   

1. Plug in your camera so it has power. Keep it plugged in throughout the following steps.
   

1. Using an unfolded small paperclip or other pointed object, press and hold the reset button for several seconds.
2. Keep pressing the button while your camera chimes and its light ring rotates yellow for 5 seconds.
   Note: If you want to cancel the factory reset, release the button while the light ring is rotating yellow.
3. When the light ring starts rotating blue, release the button.
   

1. Now your camera will reset itself to factory defaults. The light ring will rotate blue, and then all lights will turn off. You’ll know the factory reset is complete when your camera chimes and the light ring starts pulsing blue slowly.
2. After the factory reset, your camera will appear as Offline in the Nest app. It will stay this way until you remove it from your Nest Account.
   

3. Nest Camera: Remove From Account

Removing a camera from the Nest Account will revert all its settings to defaults and permanently delete all of its recorded Video History.

The steps for removing a camera from the Nest Account are the same whether you’re using a mobile device or a computer. Here's how to do it:

1. Open the Nest app on your mobile device. If you’re on a computer, go to home.nest.com with your internet browser.
   

1. On the home screen, select the camera that you want to remove.
   

1. Tap the gear icon in the top right corner of the screen to open the cameras' settings.
   

1. Select Remove camera at the bottom of the screen.
   

1. Tap Remove on the confirmation window.
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2. You'll get a confirmation email from Nest, letting you know that the camera has been removed from your Nest Account.