Earlier this week Google announced that the Works with Nest program would be ending on August 31, 2019. As a member of the Works with Nest program we know that we have customers who will be affected by this. We are working closely with Google to understand how we can continue our partnership and still deliver the same product experience our customers expect.

August remains committed to integrating customer feedback. As part of that, we’ll be reaching out to those August customers who use the Nest integration to understand what features of the integration are most important to their daily lives.

August and Google will continue to work together as part of the Works with Google Assistant program and there is no change to those integrations. We will continue to keep our customers updated as we get closer to August 31st.

AN UPDATE:

This morning Google announced an updated plan for the Works with Nest program sunset. The updated plan addresses many of the concerns customers and partners have had, and most importantly, Google has stated:

Your existing devices and integrations will continue working with your Nest Account, however you won’t have access to new features that will be available with a Google Account. If we make changes to the existing WWN connections available to you with your Nest Account, we will make sure to keep you informed.

We’ll stop accepting new WWN connections on August 31, 2019. Once your WWN functionality is available on the WWGA platform you can migrate with minimal disruption from a Nest Account to a Google Account.

Here’s the TLDR from the August team: If you are an August customer and currently have a Nest account and rely on the integration, you should hold off on switching to a Google account until the new features are finalized. The August 31 deadline is now when new WWN connections will no longer be possible. There is no published timeline for current WWN functionality to be removed.

We are continuing to work closely with Google and will continue to update you with any changes.

We recently began shipping the August View, our first battery-powered doorbell camera. While we remain excited to bring this product to more customers, we are aware of some performance challenges in specific user environments. When you purchase an August product, you trust us with the most important parts of your life: your home and your family. We value your trust greatly and it is our top priority. In order to fully evaluate the user feedback, implement critical improvements, run further testing, and keep our commitment to you, we are pausing shipping of the August View.

Today is the day we’ve all been waiting for — our wire-free doorbell camera, the August View, is now available! By adding View to your entryway, you’ll be able to set up a virtual window to your front door and make it smarter and more secure. With View, you can simply open up the August app and see exactly what’s in front of your entryway: catch every visit from houseguests, delivery folks, unwanted porch pirates, and more — nothing and nobody will get past you anymore.

August View allows you to stream crisp, realistic video of your doorstep directly on your phone and enjoy two-way audio that allows you to have real-time conversations with guests as if you were there in person. The August View also features instant motion alerts, on-demand live video streaming, zoomable video, 8 different interchangeable faceplate designs, and much more. And since View pairs with all August and Connected by August smart locks, you’ll be able to see who’s at your doorstep and also let them in — from anywhere.

We understand that our customers have varying needs and requirements for their doorbell cameras, so will be offering 3 separate subscription plans to support the scalable levels in which our August View will be used. With the Basic Plan, customers will be able to watch live video from their doorbell, have real-time 2-way audio conversations with guests and access to previews. In order to watch full video recordings, customers will need to upgrade to Premium ($2.99/month) and Premium Plus ($4.99/month) plans, which will allow them to watch full videos for up to 15 days or 30 days, respectively. Our current Doorbell Cam Pro customers will be able to keep their existing subscription plan.

 Running late and have friends or family at your door? Curious about how many times your in-laws are stopping by each week? Wonder whether your package will still be on your doorstep when you get home?

Now you can be home even when you’re not, with August View, the new wire-free doorbell camera that makes your front door smarter and more secure. August View streams crisp, realistic video of your doorstep right to your phone — thanks to our best-in-class sensor that provides 1440p resolution (providing 33% more pixels than full 1080p HD). View’s two-way audio capability lets you have real-time conversations with guests just as if you were home. Its slim and sleek design means that it can fit in almost any entryway and with eight different interchangeable faceplate designs to choose from, you’re bound to find one that matches your home’s aesthetic.

View pairs with all August and Connected by August smart locks, so you’ll not only be able to see who’s at your doorstep, but also let them in — from anywhere. This integration is another example of the seamless and cohesive smart home ecosystem we’re proud to deliver to our customers.

But it doesn’t stop there. August View comes equipped with a number of additional features you’re bound to be delighted by, including:

• Instant motion alerts anytime someone approaches the doorstep
• On-demand live video streaming
• Minimal fisheye distortion to provide the most realistic view of your doorstep of any battery-powered doorbell
• Zoomable video to identify package thieves and unwanted visitors
• Access to videos for up to 15 or 30 days with our Gold and Platinum subscription plans.
• Eight different faceplates: 4 metal faceplates (satin nickel, oil-rubbed bronze, satin brass, midnight gray) and 4 colored faceplates (black - out of the box, red, blue, and white)

What seals the deal is that the August View comes ready to use right out of the box and is designed for simple DIY installation. You’ll get a video doorbell, wireless chime, rechargeable battery, Micro-USB cable, and August app, and will be able to get it all set up by yourself in no time. No wires to worry about means there’s no need to hire an electrician. As always, August remains committed to offering platform agnostic products, and is working with Google and Amazon to have integrations with the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa live once the View is available for purchase, and continuing to explore opportunities with Apple. 

Are you ready to make your front door smarter, more secure and work for your life? Sign up to be notified when the August View goes on sale at august.com.

When I first started August in 2012, it was prompted by a very personal experience I had where I was traveling and had a friend staying at my house. She had lost the key and was locked out, with no way to get back in. From that day, I was committed to helping people avoid situations like those. I knew there had to be a better way for people to give others access to their homes, without having to worry about keys being lost or stolen.

While that concept is a simple one, there are a lot of complexities that surround it. Your home is a private place — one where you should feel safe, secure and in control. And while you want to be able to grant access to those you trust, you also want to make sure that the products enabling it aren't going to take and distribute your personal information in a way you don’t approve.

As a company that creates products that manage access to your homes, August understands the importance of this and takes privacy seriously. Security is at the core of who we are as a company and how our smart locks and doorbell cameras were created. We understand that you are placing your trust in us and do not take that for granted. We are committed to protecting our customers’ data in all the most secure ways possible.

To put your mind at ease, here’s some of the ways in which we’ve always safeguarded your data since day one —

• We require a two-factor authentication process and owners must authenticate their identity with a validated email address, phone number, and password.
• Data/videos are always encrypted in transport and we use TLS in our mobile applications. Information about videos is restricted to the accounts that own the doorbell cameras.
• An August Doorbell Cam uses Amazon S3 to store videos and videos are automatically deleted 30 days after they’ve been uploaded by the doorbell.
• We always ask for permission before accessing our customers’ video content. Access to this data is limited to an extremely restricted set of employees who require it to provide support.
• We do not share or sell any data to third parties — ever. Our business is 100% focused on providing the best access control services - with no other motives.  
• Complying with law enforcement or judicial authorities — Our customer’s data belongs to our customers and will only be shared with legal authorities when we are forced by court order or warrant.

This year, we’re taking it one step further and will be GDPR compliant by April 2019. This means that there will be an option in our software where you will be able to automatically request that your data be deleted or downloaded. Today, that’s done on an on-demand basis.

On behalf of August, I thank you for trusting us with your home. We will continue to do everything in our power to deserve it.

Jason Johnson

CEO and Co-founder, August