It’s essential to monitor babies all the time to provide them with the best care. However, busy parents cannot spend all day monitoring their babies, and they need a monitoring device for this task.
If you have a Google Home Nest, why not use it to monitor the babies? The Nest has a microphone and built-in processors, allowing you to listen to the baby from another room.
So, can you use Google Home as a baby monitor? I will discuss the answer in detail. Now, let’s continue reading to find out!
Table of Contents
Can You Use Google Home To Monitor Your Baby?
The answer is Yes. You can use the Google Home nest to keep an eye on babies.
Since the Nest has an integrated microphone and a speaker, you can use it to communicate and listen to your baby from another room.
The Potential Utilities Of Google Home
Through the device microphone, you can know when the baby cries and longs for its parents. You can work in a separate room and keep an eye on your baby through the Google Home Nest.
You can play soothing music or talk to your baby via the Google Home nest’s built-in microphone. You must place the Nest next to your baby’s sleeping cot.
Besides, you can use the other devices that work with Google Home to monitor your baby better. For example, Google Home cameras can help parents monitor their babies more closely.
Through the camera, you can check what the child is doing and whether it’s sleeping or crying through the phone’s display.
You can also set up the baby’s sleeping place with more smart Google Devices, such as lighting, thermometers, or speakers. It creates a comfortable place for your baby and helps you care for it better.
There Is A Minor Inconvenience
All smart devices can be controlled via the Google Home app, including the Google Nest and camera. You can use the app to interact with your baby from another room via your smartphone.
However, there is a minor inconvenience when using this method. To monitor your baby and listen to its sound via the Google Home nest, you have to unlock your phone and open the Google Home app.
When parents turn off the phone and close the app, it’s impossible to listen to the baby’s sound or monitor it through the camera. Therefore, Google Home may not be the best choice if you want to monitor the baby’s voice all the time.
Most parents have to leave their babies in another room to do the housework or do their jobs. Therefore, it’s inconvenient to turn on the phone regularly so you can listen to the baby.
How To Use Google Home As A Monitor For Your Baby?
The utility of Google Home Nests is limited compared to the other intelligent baby monitors. However, it’s still helpful to check your baby’s condition.
To use Google Home as a smart baby monitor, you just need to place the Google Home nest in their sleeping place. Ensure that the distance between your baby and the device is close enough so you can hear clear audio.
You can also install the Google Nest Cam to keep an eye on your baby via the Nest Cam app on your smartphone. This device is significantly less costly than the other smart baby monitoring cameras.
Google Home As A Monitor
As mentioned above, Google Home speakers are not designed for monitoring purposes. Therefore, the applications and features they can provide are limited compared to the other systems.
You cannot monitor babies via visual images when using the Google Home speaker. The device cannot detect the baby’s crying sounds and movements like the smart monitoring systems.
Here is a list of things you can do with Google Home.
- Turn off or on the smart lighting in your baby’s room.
- Talk to your baby or stream white sound via the smart speakers.
- Adjust the temperature of smart thermostats.
- View images of your baby from the Camera via the Nest Cam app.
- Listen to your baby’s crying sounds (do not detect or send an alert).
Things To Consider Before Using Google Nest As A Baby Monitor
Most users will think of using the Google Home nest as a baby monitor, allowing them to listen to and monitor the baby’s sounds. Here are a few factors you need to consider before doing it.
Limited Features
As mentioned above, the Google Home nest cannot alert users when the baby cries. You have to turn on the phone and leave the Google Home app open to monitor your baby constantly.
In addition, the available features to care for your baby are pretty limited. You cannot check the temperature, adjust the camera angle, or detect crying sounds like using other monitoring systems.
Google Assistant
The application and utility of Google Nest are much more comprehensive than monitoring babies.
Nevertheless, you can install a smart camera with an integrated microphone and speaker in your baby’s room and control it via Google Assistant.
Purchase Cost
The main advantage of using the Nest Cam as an alternative option for other baby monitoring systems lies in its lower price. If you occasionally use this feature, consider using the Nest Cam to save your budget.
Software Subscription
If you want to record and save videos of your baby, you need to subscribe to the Nest Aware function. Besides this subscription fee, basic tasks like mobile or Email alerts are completely free.
Internet Bandwidth
Though the bandwidth usage of Google Nest cam is pretty low, it still requires an Internet connection to operate. You can adjust the settings to lower the bandwidth usage, but it will decrease the video’s quality.
Playing Music And Sounds With Your Google Nest Hub
The Google Nest hub allows users to play music and audio soundtracks from multiple sources like Google Play Music, Youtube, Spotify, Pandora, or TuneIn.
You can command the Google Nest Hub to play music in two ways. The fastest and most convenient way is using voice commands. Say: “Hey, Google,” and tell the name of the artist of the song you like.
The Google Nest Hub allows users to cast music or soundtracks from their phone or tablet’s storage via Bluetooth connection. You just need to connect your phone to the nest hub and play music on your smartphone.
Various sounds help you relax and entertain in your spare time. Try saying: “hey, Google, play white noise,” and the device will turn on its soundtracks.
Can I Use Google Home As A Listening Device?
Though you can use Google Home to listen remotely, it is not recommended. The main purpose of the nest’s built-in microphone is to listen to users’ voice commands and implement actions.
In addition, using Google Home to listen to someone else’s sounds without permission is against its privacy policy. Nevertheless, listening to your baby using Google Home nest is okay.
Should You Purchase A Smart Device Dedicated To Monitoring Babies?
If you want to provide your baby with the best care, consider getting a smart baby monitor explicitly designed for this purpose. It allows users to interact and care for little babies much more efficiently than Google Home speakers.
When the baby is out of your sight, a dedicated baby monitoring device can detect and send you alerts for the child’s movements or crying sounds.
The high-quality and smarter systems feature a combination of helpful features, such as video monitoring, thermal detection, and audio monitoring. Their speakers also allow you to talk with the baby or play soothing music.
The only setback is that these smart systems come at significantly higher prices than a smart Google Home speaker. However, the potential benefits and safety features they bring for your baby are worth the investment.
Cameras That Work Best With Google Home Hub
There are countless camera brands that can combine well with the Google Home Hub. I recommend you invest in a high-quality camera that can produce clear images and connect to the internet.
Some excellent camera brands to consider are MikiPro, Eufy, Nanit, and Owlet. Ensure that their products support wifi and Bluetooth connection, which can pair well with Google Assistant.
Things To Note When Choosing A Smart Baby Monitor?
A high-quality and intelligent baby monitor should have many helpful features that help you care for the babies better. Here are some qualities you should prioritize when choosing a monitoring product.
Sound And Motion Detection
Sound and motion detection is an indispensable feature of any baby monitoring system. Ensure that your chosen method can detect your child’s smallest voices or movements and send you alerts via phone.
Two-Way Talk Audio
A system with two-way audio features allows users to talk and interact with their babies via a smart speaker. You can also play songs and soothing music to calm the child down when she cries.
Range
Consider choosing the device’s working range based on the size of the baby’s room. If you still move to a far distance from your baby, prioritize devices with higher operating ranges.
Connectivity
Intelligent monitoring systems support various connecting modes. Choose systems that support Bluetooth and wifi connection to diversify your connecting options.
Night Vision
Most parents will want to monitor their babies via cameras during the night, which is impossible if the camera doesn’t support night vision. Therefore, ensure that the system can produce clear and bright images even without lightning.
Security
Ensure that the system can be protected from being hacked or taken advantage of by people with insufficient attention. All the videos and information about your baby should be well-stored and protected.
Extra Features
You may need additional features, like thermal monitoring and adjusting. Some systems can play white noise through their smart speakers and put your baby to sleep.
FAQs
The following sections will introduce more helpful tips and information about Google Home. Check them out and learn to care for your baby better using the Google Home system.
Can Google Home Listen Remotely?
Yes, the Google Home nest allows you to listen remotely, but only when you enable this function. If you disable the auto-recording feature of the device, it won’t listen to the surround sounds.
Can Google Home Work With Owlet?
The answer is no. Google Home cannot interact with Owlet directly, but you can still use it to host private projects. You can still set up Google Home or Alexa with an owlet device.
Can Your Google Nest Listen For Baby Crying?
Yes, you can listen to the sounds of your baby using Google Nest, but it won’t alert you when the baby cries. If you want to make this function available, consider choosing a video baby monitor.
How Long Should You Leave white Noise On For Babies?
You should turn on the white noise from the speakers when your baby cries for around five to ten minutes. The volume of the white noise should be level with the baby’s crying sound to achieve the highest results.
Is Google Home Capable Of Playing White Noise For Baby?
Yes, you can command Google Assistant to play a variety of ambient sounds via the smart speakers or Google Home nest. Some available sounds are rain, a fireplace, white noise, and the ocean.
Final Thoughts
In summary, you can use Google Home and other smart devices in the Google ecosystem to monitor your baby. You can find out when the baby cries and interact with it better from another room.
However, the features of Google Home are not as diversified and helpful as the other baby monitoring devices. You have to constantly check your phone, which is quite inconvenient for busy parents.
If you regularly leave the baby’s room to do your daily tasks, consider getting a specific baby monitor system to provide it with optimal care.
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