- Google neglected to mention to Nest users and customers that the Nest Guard and Nest Cam IQ Indoor devices come with built-in microphones, which are designed to be used with Google's Assistant voice assistant, a feature that rolled out in early February.
- Google said it was an "error" that the company didn't mention the microphone in any documentation for Nest devices. This error raises privacy concerns among Nest users.
- Google says the microphone in Nest devices is turned off by default, and you have to enable Google Assistant during setup to turn on the mic.
- If you enabled Google Assistant during setup, you can turn off the microphone in Nest devices after the fact, but that also means you'll turn off the voice functions of Google Assistant.
There's a whole debacle going following a recent revelation that Google's Nest Guard and Nest Cam IQ Indoor devices have had built-in microphones ever since they were released in 2017, but the company neglected to tell anyone .