Dropcam and macOS = Nope. Chris Coyier

blog

December 2, 2020

I think it went like this:

  • Dropcam started in 2009 and made a nice WiFi camera thing.
  • Nest started in 2010, and acquired Dropcam in 2014
  • Google acquired Nest also in 2014, so maybe those things happened at the same time?

Anyway, I happen to have a Dropcam camera, and now it’s a paperweight because:

  • In order to manage it, you have to use the Nest app.
  • The Nest app will not recognize the QR code on the back of the Dropcam.
  • The Google Home app tells you to use Nest app.
  • The Nest app tells you to connect over USB. I can do that, but the installer Dropcam Setup (Macintosh).app will not run on macOS as of (I think) Catalina.

So the only way to set it up anymore would be from a desktop computer running an older operating system than I have access to. So I literally have to give it to someone and make all these caveats clear, or just throw it away (i.e. take it to our E-Waste drop off).

I kinda get why Google has washed their hands of this since it’s a product two acquisitions deep, but it’s made for at least hundreds of unhappy people, me included.

🤘

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