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Google just announced the availability of new smart cameras under its Nest smart home brand, but those aren’t the only options available in a rather crowded market. When it comes to security cameras and video doorbells, Arlo’s name is there, especially when it comes to integrating Google’s own smart home platform. Demonstrating once again its strong connection to Google, Arlo has just updated its motion detection system to allow Nest Hub and other Google Assistant speakers or devices to audibly warn homeowners when a person or a package has been detected.
Smart home security cameras have gone from being just passive eyes that you have to check every once in a while, to more responsive guards that can alert you when and where something is going on. Most often, these involve a motion detection capability, which triggers an alert sent to a user’s phone. Sometimes that phone might not be at hand, potentially causing you to miss an important event.
If you have a Google Assistant speaker or smart screen at home, that won’t be a problem anymore. Arlo now opens the door to a connection with Google Assistant that will allow the disembodied voice to speak when an Arlo camera detects movement in its field of view. In particular, Google Assistant will announce if the camera detects people, packages, animals, or vehicles, as configured in the Arlo app.
This gateway between Arlo and Google Assistant has a few caveats, however. For one thing, it only works with Arlo Pro3, Pro4, and Essential series cameras. Of course, you need to sync your Arlo account with Google Home and enable voice notifications for Arlo cameras in the Google Home app. Arlo lists Google Home Mini, Nest Hub, Nest Hub Max, and Chromecast devices as supported, but it can also work with other smart speakers that work similarly.
Arlo notes that the Arlo app notification settings are reflected on the Google Assistant device. Therefore, if you turn off camera notifications in the Arlo app, you won’t hear anything from Google Assistant either. Arlo’s video doorbell, unfortunately, does not support this motion detection announcement, but doorbell presses are announced by Google Assistant anyway.
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