Nest App Improves Cam Notifications, Adds Android Shortcuts

Nest has announced an update to its Nest app that brings a bunch of improvements, including app shortcuts for those using the Android version. Nest Cam owners in particular are blessed by this update, which improves notifications for Nest Aware customers via things like automatic door detection. As well, Nest Cam owners will get better alerts from Nest Protect, namely an automatic live video feed from your Nest Cam if carbon monoxide or smoke is detected.

Assuming you have a Nest Aware subscription, the Nest app will, following the update, feature automatic door detection for both the Nest Cam Indoor and the Nest Cam Outdoor. Nest Aware, according to the company, will be able to recognize your home's doors over time, then create 'Activity Zones' around them. If any motion happens in those Activity Zones, you'll get a notification about the motion.

This is more convenient, obviously, than the previously available option for manually drawing Activity Zones around any areas of particular interest. The feature is made possible thanks in part to deep learning technology, as well as the hardware's sensors that detect motion. The app will alert you when it creates an Activity Zone, after which point you can choose to keep it or remove it.

As well, Nest says that Nest Cam owners with devices running iOS 10 or Android 7 will be able to see an animated preview of the camera's video clip without opening the app, a convenient feature for quickly assessing notifications. Finally, if you have Android, you'll be able to press and hold the Nest app's icon to get a certain Nest product, or you can drag and drop shortcuts for them onto the Android screen for fast access.