Nest Aware is Dead. Long Live Google Home Premium: Is the AI Upgrade Worth the Price?
Keywords: Google Home Premium vs Nest Aware, Google Home Premium Advanced worth it, Gemini for Home features, Best AI security camera subscription 2025, Google Nest video history plans[1][2]
If you’ve recently picked up a new Google Nest Cam or Doorbell, or if you’ve just checked your bank statement, you might be confused. The "Nest Aware" brand we’ve known for years has officially evolved. As of late 2025, Google has rebranded its smart home subscription to Google Home Premium.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]
But this isn't just a name change. With the integration of Gemini AI, Google promises a "smarter, more helpful home."[1][5][6][10] But with prices sitting at $10 and $20 a month, the big question remains: Is Google Home Premium worth the upgrade, or should you stick to the free tier?[1]
In this guide, we’ll break down the new tiers, the "Gemini for Home" AI features, and whether the new pricing delivers real value for your smart home.
What is Google Home Premium? (Formerly Nest Aware)
Google Home Premium is the direct successor to Nest Aware.[2][4][7][9] It is a subscription service that unlocks the full potential of your Google Nest cameras, doorbells, speakers, and displays.[1][6][8][10]
Without a subscription, your expensive Nest cameras are surprisingly limited—typically offering only 3 hours of event history.[1] If a break-in happened while you were sleeping and you didn't check your phone until morning, that footage could be gone forever.
Google Home Premium fixes this by moving your video storage to the cloud and adding a layer of Gemini AI intelligence that filters out false alarms (like tree branches swaying) and highlights what actually matters (like a person delivering a package).
The Two New Plans for 2025[2][3][7][9][11][12][13][14]
Google has simplified the lineup into two main tiers: Standard and Advanced.[2]
1. Google Home Premium Standard
Best for: Most homeowners who want reliable security coverage.
Price: $10/month or $100/year[6][8][9][12]
Video History: 30 days of event video history (clips only).
AI Features: Intelligent alerts (faces, smoke alarms, glass breaking), Gemini Live (conversational assistant), and "Ask Home" for basic automation help.[1]
Perk: This plan is now included if you subscribe to the Google AI Pro plan for your Pixel or Android device.
2. Google Home Premium Advanced
Best for: Power users and those who need 24/7 continuous recording.
Price: $20/month or $200/year[6][8][9][12][13]
Video History: 60 days of event video history + 10 days of 24/7 continuous video history (wired cameras only).
Exclusive AI Features:
Searchable Video History: Ask things like, "Did the dog go on the couch today?" or "Show me when the red truck arrived."
Home Brief: A daily AI-generated summary of your home’s activity.[4][15]
Detailed AI Descriptions: Notifications that say "Person with a blue backpack detected" instead of just "Person detected."
Perk: Included automatically with the Google AI Ultra subscription.[9]
The "Gemini Factor": New AI Features Explained[2][3][5][12][13][15]
The biggest selling point of the 2025 rebrand is Gemini for Home. But is it a gimmick, or is it actually useful?
1. Searchable Video History (Advanced Only)
This is a game-changer. In the old Nest Aware days, finding a specific event meant scrolling through a timeline for ten minutes.[1] Now, you can type or ask: "Did a package get delivered this morning?" Gemini scans your video history and pulls up the exact clip instantly.
Verdict: Highly useful for busy families.
2. Home Brief Summaries
Instead of bombing your phone with 50 notifications, the Advanced plan creates a "Home Brief"—a paragraph summary of your day. It might read: "The kids arrived home at 3:15 PM. A delivery driver dropped off a package at 4:00 PM, and the dog barked at a squirrel at 5:30 PM."
Verdict: Cool, but early user reports on Reddit suggest it can sometimes be "glitchy" or miss context.[1]
3. Gemini Live
This feature allows for hotword-free, natural conversations with your Nest speakers.[6] You can interrupt the assistant, ask follow-up questions, and speak normally without screaming "Hey Google" every five seconds.
Verdict: A massive quality-of-life improvement for smart home control.
Is Google Home Premium Worth It?
To decide if you should pay, let’s look at the pros and cons based on late 2025 user feedback.
The Pros
Peace of Mind: The 3-hour limit on the free plan is simply not enough for security. 30 days is the sweet spot.
Familiar Face Detection: Knowing who is at the door (e.g., "Grandma is at the front door") vs. someone is there is a feature you won't want to live without once you have it.
The Bundle Value: If you are already paying for Google One AI Pro (2TB storage + Gemini Advanced) for your phone, getting the camera subscription included for free makes this a no-brainer.
24/7 Recording (Advanced): This remains the "killer app" for Google. Competitors like Ring still largely rely on motion-triggered clips. If you want a true CCTV-style timeline where nothing is missed, you need the Advanced plan.
The Cons[11][15]
Price Hike Perception: Long-time users remember when Nest Aware was cheaper. The jump to $200/year for the top tier is steep if you don't care about AI summaries.
No Local Storage: You are fully dependent on the cloud. If your Wi-Fi goes down, your recording stops (though some newer battery cams have limited on-board storage for outages).
AI "Hallucinations": While rare, Gemini can sometimes misidentify objects or summarize events weirdly, which can be annoying for a paid "Premium" service.[1]
Final Verdict: Which Plan Should You Buy?
Stick with the Free Plan IF:
You are home 24/7 and always check notifications immediately.
You only use your camera for live views (like checking who is knocking).
You have a non-Google local storage system (like a separate NVR).
Buy Google Home Premium (Standard - $10/mo) IF:
You want security while you are at work or on vacation.
You want "Familiar Face" alerts to stop your phone from buzzing for family members.
Best Value: You are a standard smart home user with 2-5 cameras.
Buy Google Home Premium (Advanced - $20/mo) IF:
You have wired Nest Cams: The 24/7 continuous recording is the only way to catch events that didn't trigger a motion sensor (like something happening in the background).
You hate scrolling: The natural language search saves hours of time reviewing footage.
You already subscribe to Google AI Ultra for work or creative projects.
The Bottom Line:
The rebrand to Google Home Premium successfully drags home security into the AI era. While the price tag is premium, the ability to "Google Search" your real-life video history is a feature that finally makes smart home cameras feel... smart.
Do you have the new Google Home Premium plan? Let us know in the comments if Gemini has actually been helpful or just a gimmick!
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