A helpful home is a private home

Our commitment to privacy in the home — outlined in this guide — applies to our connected home devices and services that use Google Accounts and carry the Google Nest, Google Home, Nest, Google Wifi, or Chromecast brand. This means it will also apply to people who migrate from Nest Accounts to Google Accounts. In addition, Google’s Privacy Policy also applies to the devices and services listed above; for example, it describes how we use service providers, how we may share non-personally identifiable information, and how and when we may store and share your information for legal reasons — none of which are affected by the commitments below. Also, note that you can use many other Google services with your connected home devices, such as YouTube, Google Maps, and Google Duo. When you use these other Google services, what data those services collect and how that data is used are determined by the terms of those individual services and Google’s Privacy Policy.

We want you, your family, and your guests to feel comfortable using these devices and services, since their purpose is to help and to provide peace of mind. We also recognize that we’re a guest in your home, and we respect and appreciate that invitation. Technology in the home is dynamic and evolving, so we’ll approach our work with humility, a commitment to seeking out many points of view, and an eagerness to learn and adapt.

If someone outside of Google discovers a security vulnerability in one of our devices, we want to know about it. To qualify for a monetary award, the researcher must wait for Google to patch the vulnerability before disclosing it to anyone else. This program creates an incentive for security researchers around the world to help us make our devices more secure.

We have dedicated security teams that analyze the hardware and software of each device before it’s available to the public, and we do our best to make sure our devices are secure. After the initial verification is performed, we also continue to analyze risks and security threats after devices are introduced and provide automatic, critical security updates for at least 5 years.

Google looks for activity that seems like it isn’t being performed by you. For example, if there’s an attempt to sign into your account from an unrecognized device.

2-step verification makes it harder for someone to sign into your account, even if they have your password. When 2-step verification is enabled, anyone signing in to your account will need to complete a second step, or “factor,” before signing in. You can choose from multiple second factors, including a text message, a code from the Google Authenticator app, or a notification from an installed Google app.

Migrating to a Google Account gives you new benefits, like:


• Automatic security protections such as suspicious activity detection, 2-step verification, and Security Checkup.
• Your Google Nest devices and services work together. For example, if you have a Nest Cam and a Chromecast, just say, “Hey Google, show me the backyard camera” to cast your camera stream to your TV without any setup.
• One account to sign into both the Nest and Google Home apps.
• Your homes and home members are aligned across the Nest and Google Home apps.
  

Anyone with an existing Nest Account can migrate to a Google Account. To migrate your account, in the Nest app, go to Account settings, and then select Migrate to a Google Account.

We publish a list of Google devices showing the minimum committed date range for critical security updates.

Security updates don’t address vulnerabilities that result from a device being used in a way that it wasn’t intended, or that might compromise its security. For example:

• Devices that aren’t properly factory reset before being given to someone else
  
• Accounts that don’t use 2-step verification
  
• Devices made by other manufacturers that haven't been assessed by Google and may have access to your network and Google Nest devices

First, we cryptographically verify software, making sure it’s signed by Google before it’s installed. Second, our hardware released after 2019 uses Verified Boot to check that it’s running the right software every time the device restarts.

Any time you use your Google Account to sign into a phone, computer, app, or connected home device, they’re connected. Make sure you sign out of devices you don’t own or control, and check your Google Account for devices you don’t recognize.

Sign out of the device or home to revoke access and change your password.