PSA: Your Nest Thermostat may lose all smart features tomorrow

If you own an older Google Nest Learning Thermostat, prepare for disappointing news: its full smart capabilities will cease in just one day.

In May, the company disclosed plans to discontinue support for legacy Nest thermostats, with the cutoff date set for 25 October, this Saturday.

As of this date, Google has announced that both the 1st and 2nd generation Nest Thermostats “will no longer connect with or function in the Google Nest app or Google Home app”.

Consequently, after 25 October, older Nest thermostats will be disconnected and deleted from your Nest and Home apps—without any option for user intervention. Interaction with third-party assistants and other features like Home/Away Assist and Nest Protect connectivity will also be disabled.

This restriction means you will lose remote control and monitoring of your Nest thermostat. The only remaining option will be direct control of the device itself, similar to conventional non-smart thermostats, allowing you to adjust temperature settings and modify schedules.

Here’s the complete roster of Nest Thermostats facing decommissioning. Note that the Nest Thermostat (2020) remains unaffected as it is not categorized as a ‘learning’ model.

• Nest Learning Thermostat (1st gen, 2011)
• Nest Learning Thermostat (2nd gen, 2012)
• Nest Learning Thermostat (2nd gen, European version, 2014)

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Available Options for Nest Users

This situation primarily leaves the Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd gen as the main Google smart thermostat for most users, including those in the UK. Introduced in September 2015, it’s now a decade old. Additionally, the Nest Thermostat E is still available while supplies last, but Google has ceased to sell either model in the UK or Europe’s official store.

You can also get a 50% discount on the Tado Smart Thermostat X – Starter Kit. Ensure to check what is included without a subscription, as Tado has restricted various features behind a paywall, which may limit functionality if you choose not to subscribe.

The successor, the Nest Thermostat 4th gen (shown above), was launched just over a year ago. However, it has yet to be released outside North America where older-generation users can receive a $130 discount to help facilitate the transition.

We reached out for comments from Google on the future availability of its current thermostat models, but their silence regarding this matter does not raise our hopes for wider accessibility.

Moreover, Google has indicated on a help page that it will “no longer release new Nest thermostats in Europe”, referencing “unique” and “challenging” heating systems; this may extend to the UK as well. This information is quite telling.

Considering the Nest Thermostat gen 3 was only three years newer than the now-obsolete gen 2, there are concerns over the future availability of smart Google thermostats for many users. We also reached out to Google regarding continued support for the Nest Learning Thermostat gen 3 and will update if we receive a response.

The aforementioned help page states that the Thermostat E and the 3rd gen Thermostat “will continue to receive security updates and can be controlled via the Nest and Home apps”. However, it does not specify for how long this will continue. Presumably, it won’t be indefinite.

On the bright side for Google Home users, Gemini is on the horizon, along with new products such as the Home Speaker and potentially a new Nest Hub.