When is Nest Secure coming to the UK?

Just as it did with the humble thermostat and smoke alarm, Nest has worked its magic on a home alarm. The Secure was announced back in September 2017 and went on sale in the US not long after. Our US sister site reviewed the system and concluded that it was sleek but expensive and surprisingly limited.

When is the Nest Secure release date?

Nest said at the original announcement that the Secure would launch in the UK, Europe and Canada “some time next year”, but 2018 came and went with no hint of a release. Now we’re well into 2019 and things aren’t looking any different. 

We asked Nest if it had any updates on a UK launch date and were told that it would be a long while yet and may not launch at all this year.

One possible reason for the delay could be that Nest is still looking for security companies to partner with outside the US. There it offers professional monitoring where a third party will take action and even call the police on your behalf if an alarm is triggered. However, it’s likely there are other reasons behind the decision to delay the launch.

If you’re keen to kit out your home with a smart alarm, there are lots already on sale, including Y-Cam’s Protect, and  Honeywell’s Evohome Secuirty but it could be Nest’s clever touches that persuade you to hand over your cash.

How much is the Nest Secure system?

It’s a modular system, but a starter pack which includes Nest Guard, two Nest Detects and two Nest Tags, costs $499. There’s no official UK price yet, but it could be £499. And that’s a lot.

Extra Nest Detects cost $59 each and Nest Tags are $25. A cellular backup service will be available on nest.com for $5 per month or $50 per year.

What is Nest Secure?

Secure is a system that’s made up of three components: the main unit (Guard) plus sensors (Detect) and Tags.

The Guard is an all-in-one siren, motion detector, keypad and status LED. The Detect sensors combine motion and open/close sensors in one package, so you don’t need to buy and install so many separate sensors.

Tags are used to arm and disarm the system: you simply tap it on the Guard when you get home and you don’t then have to enter a passcode. If someone loses a tag, that specific one can be disabled via the companion app.

If someone does break in, the alarm will go off, you’ll get a notification on your phone and – yep, you guessed it – you’ll see a live video feed if you also have a Nest camera.

The Guard is mains powered, but there’s a battery backup if there’s a power cut. And like the £149.99 Y-Cam Protect, there’s an optional subscription to a cellular service should your router’s Wi-Fi or your broadband connection go down.

Since launch, Nest has added various features including Google Home assistant and ‘Open Tone’ which makes a tone each time a door or window is opened when the system is disarmed.