Michael Hession/NYT WirecutterBest for…This camera sends video to the cloud, and it can be set to record 24/7 or just motion-triggered events. Face detection can even identify people.Compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Google HomeIf you don’t want to deal with batteries and have a nearby outdoor outlet, the Google Nest Cam Outdoor (Wired, 2nd Gen) is the best smart security camera. It has an integrated 18-foot weatherproof cord, so you never have to worry about recharging batteries. In my testing, the Nest Cam never missed a recording, and it accurately identified whether the motion came from a person, an animal, or a vehicle. The Nest Cam is our only pick that offers free cloud storage, though that’s limited to 10-second clips that auto-delete after six hours (which isn’t terribly useful if you don’t catch the motion event). This makes a subscription essential, especially since that increases storage and adds face recognition and the ability to record to the cloud 24/7.It captures the most useful recordings. The Google Nest was the best model we tested at identifying types of motion (person, animal, vehicle). It captures 2K-resolution clips that last up to five minutes, longer than what you can get from any of our other picks. (Both Tapo models and the Ring camera max out at three minutes each, and the Eufy floodlight camera records one-minute clips.) All of these cameras create a new clip immediately after hitting their clip limit, so long as the motion trigger continues.The Nest Cam Outdoor has an expansive, 152-degree field of view, the widest of any standalone outdoor cameras we recommend (the floodlight is an exception, in that it can pan and tilt). If you prefer a closer look, you can zoom in and crop the live field of view, so you always have an up-close view and recording of a specific area. For instance, I cropped the field of view to focus specifically on my car in the driveway.You can tell it what to record (and what to ignore). The Google Home app allows you to select areas within the camera’s view and label them as Activity Zones. Then you can choose what type of activity the camera should record and when you want to receive smartphone alerts, both within the field and outside of it. For instance, I monitored my driveway for people, animals, and vehicles, but I received alerts only when a person was within the frame. Users can create up to four Activity Zones per camera.For those with a bit of FOMO, the Nest Cam also allows you to choose what the camera will record and notify you about outside of those Activity Zones. For instance, maybe you want to get vehicle recordings but don’t need to be notified about every one that passes. Rachel Cericola and Erica Solano/NYT WirecutterA subscription is essential. The Nest Cam does include free cloud storage, but without a plan, clips are limited to 10 seconds and auto-delete six hours after they are captured, which makes them of questionable value. If you want access to clips for a longer duration, a Google Home Premium Standard subscription lets you store recordings for up to 30 days ($10 per month or $100 per year), and it includes an unlimited number of Nest cameras.It offers advanced features, for a price. If you have a Google Home Premium subscription, the camera gains the ability to monitor garage door status and alert you to emergency sounds, such as if smoke and carbon monoxide detectors go off (which probably won’t matter to you if you’re using this camera outside). A subscription also enables Familiar Face Detection, which allows you to tag visitors, family members, and regular guests by name. It’s a nice feature, especially if you have a Google Nest smart speaker, which can be set to announce whenever someone tagged as “Familiar” comes by. Like most facial recognition cameras, the Nest has to get a particularly good look at a person’s face for it to be successful. (You can help the software by periodically checking on the list of familiar faces and correcting them.)The subscription also adds access to Gemini, Google’s AI platform, which enables advanced features, such as the ability to search video history using keywords and to receive more descriptive alerts. In ongoing tests I’ve found that it consistently makes errors, and as a result its usefulness is a mixed bag. I did like being able to easily create Automations using the Ask Home bar in the Google Home app, which is part of the Standard subscription plan. However, the descriptive notifications and event descriptions were often inaccurate, needlessly detailed, and definitely not worth the $20-per-month Advanced subscription tier.You can have it record motion only or everything in view. A Google Home Premium Advanced subscription offers 24/7 recording to the cloud ($20 per month or $200 per year), which allows you to go back and check the footage to see if the camera missed someone or something stealing your packages. Even without that option, in my tests it never missed any motion — and, more importantly, it never sent any false alerts.You can manage it without having to use a smartphone. Although the Google Home app is needed for the initial setup, and for most of us it’s the best option for daily use, you can access and view your entire video history, customize recorded clips, and download clips by using a web browser to access Google Home for web. Not only can you call up past events, but you can view and listen to live action and even talk through the camera using the web browser interface.Flaws but not dealbreakersGemini is a work in progress. A Google Home Premium subscription includes access to Google Gemini, the company’s AI platform. I found many of the AI-enhanced descriptions of what the camera sees to be long-winded and consistently inaccurate, so I can’t recommend turning on those features for now. Google told us Gemini is still “in beta” and so we hope it will continue to improve. Smartphone notifications are selective. Google Nest cameras don’t generate an alert for every single instance of someone or something walking by, especially if the motion occurs in quick succession. In my testing I would get alerts about every 10 minutes, and never more frequently. I asked Google for an explanation, and a company representative said the system was intended to prevent too many notifications. They also confirmed there was no specific delay interval, and no setting to adjust the frequency of notifications. (Note that regardless of whether you get a notification, you will still get a recording.) The lack of alerts can be a good thing when a neighbor is mowing their lawn, for example, but I had an incident where I went outside to the trash can, and a package was delivered two minutes later — and although I had a recording of the latter event, I didn’t get an alert for it. If you don’t pay attention to multiple notifications (and if anecdotal evidence from Wirecutter staffers is any indication, many people don’t), you probably won’t notice, but it could mean that you miss the exact moment a new person, pet, or vehicle makes an appearance.You aren’t in control of clips. The Google Home app doesn’t allow you to delete single clips, and that may be concerning if you walk in front of cameras in pajamas as much as I do. (And, yes, I do that outside, too.) If you have the free plan, this shouldn’t be a concern since it auto-deletes. Otherwise, you can only delete full video history.Privacy and security snapshotVideo is encrypted in transit and at rest but not while in use.Familiar Face data is stored locally in the camera’s internal memory, which is encrypted. For security reasons, the internal memory is not accessible or removable.Google shares data only with approved partners, such as a home-security provider. They will also share audio recordings, video footage, device sensor data, or Wi-Fi network performance data with third-party apps if you give permission.Recordings cannot be accessed without permission, except when required by law, such as via a valid subpoena or court order, and then only by limited personnel.Two-factor authentication is available but not required.For more details, read Google’s privacy statement.
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