Google Nest doorbells are getting a Halloween ringtone update

Google Nest is bringing back seasonal ringtones for its video doorbells, which now include the Nest Doorbell (wired) — previously known as Nest Hello — and the new Nest Doorbell (battery). First up are Halloween-inspired tones, which will stick around through October, then the winter holiday-themed options arrive.

For the past three years Nest has offered them, the ringtones have disappeared following the holidays, leaving you with the standard ding dong. But this year, the new Nest Doorbell will also get six “evergreen” ringtones that are usable year-round. They will arrive with the Halloween options, but Google tells me they aren’t coming to the older Nest Doorbell (wired).

The spooky-themed ringtones should arrive on October 1st and will be available on both buzzers through October 31st. Fortunately, you don’t need a paid Nest Aware subscription to greet your guests with one of the tones, which include an evil laugh, a skeleton dance, a spooky raven, a boo from a ghost, a howling werewolf, a cackling witch, and more.

The tones will ring both from the doorbell itself and on any Google Nest speakers or smart displays you have in your home. You can select the ringtone you want in the settings of the Google Home App for Nest Doorbell (battery) or the Nest App for the Nest Doorbell (wired).

If you want to get spookier, Google Nest speakers and displays can also play an hour-long playlist of Halloween-themed sounds and music. Just say, “Hey Google, let’s get spooky.” And you can play a Halloween-themed game on a Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max. Say, “Hey Google, tell me a Halloween riddle,” and enter a Riddle Room adventure with a spooky twist.

After Halloween is over on November 1st, your doorbell will automatically go back to the default tone. You can go into the app and choose a new seasonal theme until the end of December, or if you have the Nest Hello (battery) you can pick one of the new year-round options.

Last year the holiday-themed options included a dozen or so tones related to Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s, and Kwanzaa. It seems likely that we can expect to see similar options this year.