Troubleshoot Nest Thermostat setup messages

This article only applies to the Nest Thermostat.

How to tell which thermostat you have

“Do you already have Nest devices in this home?”

During setup in the Home app, you may be asked if you have other devices in your Nest home. If you do, Nest Thermostat may be able to communicate with these devices so that they can work together. For example, if you have a gas or oil heater and your Nest Protect detects carbon monoxide, it can tell your thermostat to shut off heating for safety.

How to answer the question

• Answer “Yes” if you have at least one of the following devices in the Nest app:
  • Nest Learning Thermostat (1-3)
  • Nest Learning Thermostat E
  • Nest Temperature Sensor
  • Nest Connect
  • Nest x Yale
  • Nest Protect
  • Nest Cam Indoor
  • Nest Cam Outdoor
  • Nest Cam Indoor IQ
  • Nest Cam Outdoor IQ
• Answer “No” if you don’t control any Nest devices with the Nest app.
  Note: Answer “No” even if you have a Nest device, like Nest Hub, that you control with the Home app.

“Contact the owner”

If you answered “yes” to the question “Do you already have Nest devices in this home?” you may get the message “Contact the owner.” This usually means that your Nest devices were set up on a different account in the Nest app, and that account hasn’t been migrated to a Google Account. In some cases, this message means that the Google Home app isn’t up to date, or you don’t have Nest devices that you control with the Nest app. 

1. Make sure you have the most recent version of the Home app . You can check for updates in Google Play or from the Apple App Store.
2. Check whether you control Nest Protect, Nest cameras, or other Nest thermostats with the Nest app. If you don’t control any of these devices with the Nest app, exit setup in the Home app and start again: 
   1. Tap Devices Add Google Nest or partner device .
   2. When asked “Do you have other Nest devices?” answer “No.”
3. If you’re the Owner of the home in the Nest app, check whether the account you’re using in the Home app is the same account you use in the Nest app. To check, exit setup, then in the top right of the Home app home screen, tap your Account.
   1. If you’re using a different account in the Home app and Nest app, you’ll need to migrate your Nest Account to a Google Account to set up your Nest Thermostat. 
4. If someone else is the Owner of the home in the Nest app, exit setup, then ask them to migrate their Nest Account to a Google Account before you start setup again.

Important: Account migration, once completed, is irreversible.