Google Home's latest fix solves a major headache for Tapo camera owners

Aug 4, 2026 — 3:23 AM ET

• TP-Link Tapo smart cameras are now showing live video feeds directly on camera tiles in the Google Home app.
• The update resolves a bug introduced during Google’s 2025 Public Preview rollout that broke in-app third-party live streams.
• User reports confirm feeds on the Tapo C210, C220, C500, TC82, and TD-25 Doorbell, though a few models remain pending.

For years, Google Home has promised to become the center of your smart home, but the experience hasn’t always matched that vision. While Google continues expanding support for third-party devices, one frustrating gap has lingered: many Tapo cameras could be added to the Google Home app but wouldn’t actually display a live feed. That finally appears to be changing, with users now reporting that live streams are once again working for a growing list of Tapo cameras.

A recent Reddit thread is filling up with success stories from Tapo owners who say the Google Home app has started displaying live video directly from the camera tile after months — and for some, years — of showing only connection errors.

Reports so far cover a wide range of models, including the Tapo C500, C220, C260, C210, C225, C230, C530, C400, and C200C. Other users have also confirmed the feature is working on the Tapo C410, C120, C246D, C520WS, and the Tapo TD25 doorbell, although compatibility still appears inconsistent. Some users say models such as the C125, C121, C510W, and even certain C520WS units are still unable to stream, suggesting the rollout may be happening in phases.

The reports line up with what both Google and TP-Link have been saying for months. Google’s own Public Preview documentation notes that access to live streams for Works with Google cameras is still under development and isn’t available for every camera brand. TP-Link echoed that explanation last year, saying it was working closely with Google after a previous implementation stopped functioning for Tapo cameras.

Earlier this year, TP-Link clarified that Tapo cameras continued to support Chromecast and Nest Hub streaming, but live viewing inside the Google Home app depended on Google’s still-evolving Public Preview feature. The company blamed subsequent Google Home changes for breaking the experience and said it was pushing Google to resolve the issue. That fix appears to have finally arrived.

While neither Google nor TP-Link has officially announced the fix, the growing number of reports strongly suggests something has changed. It’s still unclear whether the improvement is rolling out through a Google Home app update or a server-side change, but if you own a supported Tapo camera, it may be worth checking for app updates and opening the Google Home app. You might finally be greeted with a working live feed instead of another loading spinner.