Nest's Hello doorbell can now tell you when a package is delivered
Let your Nest video doorbell alert you when a package is delivered -- or picked up.
Your Nest doorbell now has a package detection feature.
Nest on Tuesday added the ability to detect package deliveries to its Nest Hello doorbell, as long as you have a Nest Aware subscription in the US. Google's smart home company shared the news in a blog post.
The Nest Hello is Google's $229 smart doorbell. This hardwired buzzer has a lot of the same functionality as Nest's IQ line of security cameras, including free person alerts and facial recognition, with an Aware subscription. The Hello is our favorite smart doorbell to date because of its impressive lineup of features.
Nest Aware, the smart home company's optional cloud subscription service, unlocks additional features, such as facial recognition and the new package detection feature. It starts at $5 a month.
We haven't tested out this new functionality yet, but here's how Nest's new package detection feature should work. Whenever a package is delivered -- or picked up -- Nest Aware customers with a Nest Hello doorbell should receive an alert and be able to review the saved clip. As always, you can customize what alerts you receive in the app.
I have questions about how the doorbell will be able to detect a package, especially at certain angles, depending on how the deliverer carries it. For example, the Nest Hello at the CNET Smart Home mainly captures faces and isn't angled to see something left near the front door.
Nest says a wedge baseplate is included with your Hello doorbell purchase to account for this. I guess we'll just have to see for ourselves when we test it out.
This update will roll out to Nest Hello customers with Nest Aware subscriptions on Tuesday.
