How to change the ringtone of your Nest doorbell so everyone can hear the Christmas cheer
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Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Every year, for just a couple of weeks, Nest video doorbells get a couple of extra features. During holidays like Christmas, Halloween, and New Year’s Eve, you can change your Nest Video Doorbell to play different sounds when someone presses it.
If you have the Nest Doorbell (wired), formerly known as Nest Hello, you must do so through the Nest app and you will only have access to the different themes at specific times of the year. The Nest Doorbell (battery) and the newer Nest Doorbell (wired) in the US are a little different, offering access to different ringtones throughout the year, plus special ringtones during Christmas and Halloween.
We’ve covered how to change the ringtone for all Nest video doorbells below, so whether you have the Nest Doorbell (wired), Nest Doorbell (battery-powered), or the old Nest Hello video doorbell, here We show you how to add some festive fun to your doorbell this Christmas.
what you will need
- A Nest video doorbell
- The Google Home or Nest app
- Your smartphone or tablet
The short version of the Nest Doorbell (wired), formerly Nest Hello
- Open the Nest app.
- touch your nest doorbell.
- Touch the configuration gear in the upper right corner.
- Scroll down to Doorbell theme.
- Choose Christmas.
- Open the Google Home app.
- touch your nest bell.
- Touch Settings.
- Touch Doorbell.
- Select Doorbell theme.
- Choose Christmas.
How to make your Nest doorbell play festive Christmas sounds
Google first launched special ringtones on its Nest Hello doorbell in 2019. They arrived in mid-October and lasted until November, allowing you to change the ringtone to a laughing witch, ghost, vampire, or a scary monster in time for Halloween, but Christmas ringtones took over during November and December.
Since then, Google has announced the Nest Doorbell (battery-powered) and the new Nest Doorbell (wired), both of which are controlled through the Google Home app and allow for different ringtones throughout the year.
Nest Hello is still available to purchase in some regions and can be controlled through the Nest app or Google Home app, but you can’t change its ringtone all the time; that privilege is only granted during special holidays like Christmas. You should also change the ringtone through the Nest app, rather than the Google Home app. Don’t ask us why, it’s baffling.
We’ve covered how to change the ringtone on both the Nest Hello via the Nest app and the other Nest video doorbells via the Google Home app below, so whichever one you have, we’ve got you covered. The Nest app is shown on the left and the Google Home app on the right; The steps below cover both.
Time needed: 5 minutes
- Open the Nest app or Google Home app and find your doorbell
First things first, open the Nest app or Google Home app and ring your Nest doorbell. You’ll need to tap your doorbell’s video feed in the Nest app, while in the Google Home app you’ll find a card with your doorbell’s name in the Devices tab.
- Go to your doorbell settings
For Nest Hello in the Nest app, once you’ve rung the doorbell from the feed, tap the video feed at the top once to bring up the settings gear icon in the top right corner. Tap it to access your Nest Hello settings. In the Google Home app, tap the three dots in the top right corner above the video and tap “Settings” in the pop-up menu at the bottom.
- Select the ringtone theme
For Nest Hello, there’s just one more step left. Scroll down the settings menu until you see “Ring Theme.” From here, tap it and select “Christmas” from the menu. For Nest doorbells on Google Home, you’ll need to tap “Doorbell,” followed by “Doorbell Theme,” then “Christmas” to select holiday sounds.
That’s it: you should have Christmas tunes until they end on January 5, 2025. If you have a Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max and you turn on Visitor Announcements, you’ll also hear holiday tunes on those smart displays.
Frequently asked questions
Only during certain holidays, such as Christmas, is it possible to change the ringtone of your Nest Hello. The Nest Doorbell (battery-powered) and new Nest Doorbell (wired) let you change your ringtone year-round through the Google Home app.
Christmas ringtones are usually available from early December to early January. For 2024/2025 they will be eliminated as an option starting January 5.
