Can Nest Cameras Be Used As A Webcam?

Using a webcam is now compulsory. You may need one to communicate with your family, school, and workplace, or you may need one to video chat with friends and live stream a video. Either way, you need a device that can easily help you achieve all these tasks. If you own a Nest Cam, you might be wondering, “Can the Nest Cam be used as a webcam?”.

Nest Cameras cannot be used as fully-functioning webcams. However, a Nest camera’s live stream can be shared with others online using a link or embedded in a webpage so they can watch you in real time. 

If you plan to start a professional live stream, make end-to-end video conversations with friends and family, or communicate with business partners, using a Nest Cam would be a bad idea. But if you just want to use your Nest Cam to live-stream something or show someone what happened in your home/office, we will show you how to. 

Nest Cameras Cannot be Used as Webcams

Most webcams are easily integrated with various apps and programs like Skype and Zoom. While Nest cameras cannot be used in this way, they do have some capabilities similar to webcams, such as embedding the camera’s live stream on a webpage. 

Even though you can’t use your Nest Camera as a webcam, you can still hook it up to your computer and work around using it to share your stream with others. There are two ways to do this, but keep in mind you’re putting your privacy at risk.

Having this feature can be handy, especially if you’re taking your Nest Cam on vacation with you. Continue reading to learn how to connect your Nest Cam to your computer and share your stream with others.

How Do I Connect My Nest Camera to My Computer?

Setting up and connecting a Nest Cam to your computer is easy and just requires a few steps you can take. You can use Windows or Mac to carry out these steps:

First, plug the Nest Cam into your computer with the USB cable provided. You’ll then see a window to follow some prompts to install the Nest Camera App on your computer.

After clicking on the icon, the Nest Camera App will launch, and go through the prompts to set it up:

1. Create a free account on the Nest app, or if you already have one, sign in. 
2. Select the wireless network you want your Nest Cam to connect to, enter the Wi-Fi password, and confirm. 
3. Pick a name for your camera (you can use one based on the location of the cam). 
4. Go through the final customizations, and add the page as a bookmark so it can be easily accessed anytime. 

Once everything is set up, you can start streaming and sharing recorded videos with others.

How Can I Share my Nest Camera Access?

Even though you can’t use the Nest Cam as a webcam with applications such as Zoom and Skype, you can tweak it to perform live streaming. 

To use your Nest Cam as an External Camera, you have to use it solely for live stream features. If you are still using the Nest app to access your camera, you can grant up to nine people full access to your account. Keep in mind that sharing access gives shared users access to all other devices connected to your account and the ability to change your device settings.

There are two live stream sharing options you can choose from:

1. Share publicly: Anyone with the link to your webcam can view its live stream anytime the camera is on. Keep in mind that you have no control over who is watching your camera stream with public sharing. Anyone can view and share it. If you want to embed your camera’s stream on a webpage, you must share the camera publicly.
2. Share with password: You can control exactly who can view your camera’s stream. When others click on the shared link, they will be required to enter a password you created. Up to nine people can view a password-protected live stream at one time, and you can change the password anytime. 

You can also grant a few people access to view your camera through your account. Remember that you’re also putting your privacy at risk each time you send this information out. Continue reading to learn how to do these different sharing options.

How to Live Stream with Nest Cam

To live stream through your Nest Cam, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to your Nest Cam account on your computer and select the camera. 
2. Go to settings, and click on camera sharing. 
3. Select the sharing option you are good with, and click on share. 
4. If you select the private share option, you will have to create a password. 
5. Copy the link, and share it with whomever you want to share it with. 

You can stop sharing anytime by going to Settings and selecting “stop sharing camera.”

How to Share Recorded Video on the Nest Cam

You can create customizable video clips from a Nest camera’s recorded videos and share them on social media or elsewhere with a link.

You can download and share video clips of up to 2.5 minutes on a phone or tablet. You can share video clips of up to one hour on a computer and create time lapses. 

It’s fairly easy to download and share recorded videos using a phone, tablet, or computer. 

How to Share your Nest Camera Access

In addition to the other sharing options, you can also grant people access to your cameras through the app. Follow these steps to give someone full access through the Nest app:

1. Select the Settings icon.
2. Select Family.
3. Select Add a person.
4. Enter the person’s name and click Continue.
5. Enter the person’s email address.
6. Tap Send.

To grant full access to others using the Google Home app, you must add them to your Google account as a “home member.” You can add up to five home members. 

Conclusion

Nest Cams are an excellent addition to any home to improve security; however, they do lack the ability to be used as a camera for video calls and conversations. Even though they may look like a webcam, it doesn’t mean they can function like one, but there are several ways to be able to share your videos and streams with others.