Lock and unlock your Nest thermostat

This article applies to the following Google Nest thermostat models in the US and Canada:
Nest Thermostat E	Nest Learning Thermostat
How to tell which Nest thermostat you have

• Locking your Google Nest thermostat prevents people from changing settings or changing the temperature outside of a restricted range with the thermostat.
• Anyone who shares access to your home with the Home or Nest app will still be able to change the temperature and settings or unlock your thermostat with the app.
• You can lock your thermostat in the Settings menu on your thermostat or with the Home or Nest app.
• To unlock a thermostat, you need to enter the 4-digit PIN code on the thermostat or use the app.
• When a Nest thermostat is locked, it will still heat or cool to any temperatures in your schedule, even if they are outside of the locked temperature range. It will also follow your Eco Temperatures.

How it works

Lock your Nest thermostat while in Heat mode or Cool mode

When you lock your Nest thermostat in Heat mode or Cool mode, you'll set a temperature range after you create a 4-digit PIN. Anyone can turn the thermostat's ring to change the temperature within the range you've set, but they won't be able to set the temperature outside of your range or change any of your settings.

Tip: When you lock your thermostat with the Nest or Home app, the smallest temperature range is 5º F (for example, 70-75º F). There is no minimum temperature range if you set the lock directly from the Nest thermostat. So, if you want to set a smaller range or lock the thermostat to a single temperature you'll need to set the lock on the thermostat itself.

Lock your Nest thermostat in Heat•Cool mode

When you set your Nest thermostat to Heat•Cool mode, you can choose a temperature range. Your thermostat will heat or cool to stay within this range. The smallest range you can set on your thermostat is 2º F (for example, 68-70º F).

When you set the lock, you'll create a PIN and then your thermostat will be locked to the range that you've chosen. Unless you enter the PIN and unlock your thermostat, you won't be able to use your thermostat to adjust the temperature or change any settings.

If you need to change your temperature range or settings, you can use the Nest or Home app or unlock your thermostat.

How to lock your Nest thermostat

On your thermostat

Press your thermostat's ring to open the Quick View menu. Turn the ring to Settings and press to select. Turn the ring to find Lock. Press the ring again to confirm that you want to lock your thermostat. Enter a 4-digit PIN that's easy to remember and enter it again to confirm. Tip: If you forget your PIN, you can unlock your thermostat with the Nest or Home app. If you lock your thermostat in Heat•Cool mode, the Lock icon will appear at the bottom of the screen. If you lock your thermostat in Heat mode or Cool mode, you'll need to set a temperature range. Turn the ring to set the minimum and maximum temperatures. Press to continue. Press the thermostat ring to choose Done and lock your thermostat or select Change if you need to make any changes to your lock settings. The Lock icon at the bottom of the screen shows that the thermostat is locked.

With the Nest app

1. Tap the Nest thermostat you'd like to lock.

2. Tap the Settings at the top right corner.

3. Scroll to the bottom of the menu and tap Lock.

4. Enter a PIN that you can easily remember, and enter it again to confirm.

5. If you're locking your thermostat in Heat mode or Cool mode, you'll need to set a temperature range. Drag the slider to set the minimum and maximum temperatures while locked. Tap Lock at the bottom of the screen when you're done.

6. To confirm your thermostat is locked, tap Settings . You should now find the option "Unlock" instead of "Lock."

With the Google Home app

You can lock your thermostat to a single temperature or a temperature range.

1. Open the Google Home app .

2. Tap Home  Climate your thermostat.

3. Tap Settings Lock.

4. Enter a 4-digit PIN.

5. Tap Next.

6. In the "Temperature adjustment" section:

   • To set a single temperature:

     1. Tap Set temperature.

     2. Enter the temperature you want your thermostat to maintain.

     3. Tap Next.

   • To set a temperature range:

     1. Tap Range.

     2. Enter the highest and lowest temperatures you want.

     3. Tap Next.

With a computer

If your thermostat isn't linked to the app and you don't have the PIN, you can manually factory reset it to clear the pin by connecting it to a computer.

Important:

• Compatibility: This process is only supported on the Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen) and Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen).
• Data Loss: This will reset your device to factory defaults. You will lose all equipment configurations, schedules, and learned preferences.
• Action Required: You must set up your thermostat from scratch after it is unlocked.

What you’ll need:

• A personal computer (Windows or macOS,).

• A USB data cable that supports data transfer.

  • Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) requires a USB-C cable.
  • Some USB cables can charge a device but can't transfer data (power only cable). To confirm if the USB data cable works, plug in a different device (like a phone) and check if the computer recognizes it.

Steps to unlock:

1. Connect USB: Remove the thermostat display from its wall base. Plug the USB cable into the port on the back of the display and connect the other end to your computer.
   • For Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen): Press and hold the thermostat display for about 10 seconds until it reboots and you hear an audible beep. This beep confirms the device has entered mass storage mode. The display should remain off.
2. Mount drive: Your computer should recognize the thermostat device as a USB Mass Storage Device typically named "NEST". You can access this drive like any other USB flash drive.
3. Transfer the reset file: Drag or copy the correct reset file into the “NEST” drive.
   • For Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen): Create an empty file named “RESET.txt” and drop it on the drive. On your computer, you can create an empty Google Doc named “RESET” and download it as Plain Text (.txt) format.
   • For Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd gen and earlier models: Download ResetToDefaults.dropbox. Drop the file on the drive and make sure its filename remains "ResetToDefaults.dropbox".
4. Eject safely: After copying the file, you must safely eject the "NEST" drive from your computer's operating system.
5. Reset and installation: Once ejected, the thermostat will be reset to factory default settings and the PIN will be removed. Reattach the display to its base and set up the thermostat again.

If you’ve tried all the steps above but still couldn’t unlock the thermostat, you can contact us for help.

How to unlock your Nest thermostat

On your thermostat

Follow these steps to unlock your Nest thermostat using its ring. You'll need the PIN that was set when the thermostat was locked. If you don't have the PIN, you can still use the Nest or Home app to unlock the thermostat.

Press the thermostat's ring to wake up your thermostat. The Lock icon at the bottom of the screen shows that the thermostat is locked. Press the thermostat's ring again. Enter the PIN to unlock your thermostat. Turn the ring to change the number and press the ring to enter it. If the PIN is correct, the Lock icon will disappear. Your thermostat is now unlocked.

With the Nest app

Anyone who has access to your Nest home can use the Nest app to unlock your Nest thermostat. You won't need the PIN. Tip: To unlock your Nest thermostat with the Nest app, it must be online. If your Nest thermostat is locked, offline, and you don't have the PIN, contact us for help. To unlock your Nest thermostat with the Nest app: Tap the Nest thermostat you'd like to unlock. Tap the Settings in the top right corner. Scroll to the bottom of the menu and tap Unlock.

With the Home app

1. Open the Google Home app .
2. Tap Home  Climate your thermostat.
3. Tap Settings Unlock.
4. Confirm that you want to unlock your thermostat.

How to change the lock code

To change your thermostat's PIN code, you'll need to use the Home or Nest app.

Nest app

To change your thermostat's PIN, you'll need to use the Nest app on your phone or tablet.

1. Open the Nest app.
2. Select the Nest thermostat that has the PIN you want to change.
3. Select Settings Unlock.
4. Once your Nest thermostat has been unlocked, you can select Lock in the Nest thermostat settings to lock it again and set a new PIN.

Home app

1. Open the Google Home app .
2. Tap Home  Climate your thermostat.
3. Tap Settings Unlock.
4. Confirm that you want to unlock your thermostat.
5. Once your Nest thermostat has been unlocked, you can lock it again and set a new PIN.