How Nest thermostats learn

With Auto-Schedule, your Nest thermostat learns what temperatures you like at different times of the day. After a few days of learning, your thermostat will prepare a schedule for you.

This article applies to the following Google Nest thermostat models in the US and Canada:
Nest Thermostat E	Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen or earlier)
How to tell which thermostat you have

Notes:

• Nest Thermostat doesn't use Auto-Schedule but you can set a temperature schedule during setup and change it at any time and the thermostat will still learn Time-To-Temperature.
• Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) learns in a different way than earlier models. For details, refer to Use Smart Schedule on your Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen).

Turn on learning

To learn, your thermostat needs to have Auto-Schedule turned on. You can check this setting in the app or on your thermostat.

In the Google Home app:

1. Tap Home   Climate   your thermostat.
2. Tap Settings Temperature preferences Auto-Schedule.

In the Nest app:

1. On the Nest app home screen, select your thermostat Settings Auto-Schedule.

On your thermostat:

1. Go to Settings Nest Sense Auto-Schedule.

Tip: Auto-Schedule learning is on by default, but it's just one option for scheduling temperatures on your Nest thermostat. If you'd like to learn about all the available options, check our article about Nest thermostat temperature schedules.

How your Nest thermostat learns

Note: Nest thermostats learn a different schedule for each temperature mode. For instance, if you currently have your thermostat set to Heat, it'll learn the temperatures that you like for heating your home. If you have both heating and cooling, your thermostat will create separate schedules for Heat, Cool and Heat • Cool.

Learning on day one

Your thermostat can start learning your temperature preferences from the day that you start using it.

Use the app or your thermostat to select a desired temperature. Your thermostat will remember your choice and add it to the schedule that it's building for you.

While your thermostat is learning, the exact behaviour it'll display depends on which model you have:

• Nest Learning Thermostat: When you adjust the temperature on the first day, your Nest thermostat will hold that temperature until someone changes it. For instance, if you set your thermostat to 21ºC (70ºF), it'll stay at that temperature until it's changed.
• Nest Thermostat E: During setup, you'll have the option to choose a pre-programmed schedule that balances energy savings and comfort.
  • If you choose the pre-programmed schedule and also have Auto-Schedule turned on, your thermostat will learn your preferences on top of the pre-programmed schedule. So, your thermostat will hold its current temperature until someone changes it, or the next scheduled temperature change, whichever comes first.
  • If you choose not to use the pre-programmed schedule, your thermostat will hold the temperature until someone changes it.
  • Learn about your options in Nest thermostat temperature schedules.

Note: For Seasonal Change, when you first change the mode, the sensitive learning week will begin again and learn for seven cumulative days in the new mode.

Learning on day two

On day two, your thermostat will continue learning a personalised schedule using any temperatures that you've set. Your thermostat will also try to learn when you're at home or away by how often you adjust the temperature or walk in front of your thermostat.

If you don’t like the temperature that your thermostat learned from day one, simply turn the ring. Any changes that you make will help set your schedule for the following days.

Note: Your Nest thermostat starts a new day at midnight. Adjustments made very late at night may not affect your early-morning schedule.

Learning after a few days

After a few days, your Nest thermostat will have a decent idea about what temperatures you prefer throughout the day. But it will continue to fine-tune the schedule if you make further adjustments.

Learning after about a week and going forwards

After about a week, your thermostat will have learned your temperature preferences and settled on a schedule for you.

It'll never stop learning, but will be less sensitive to each change that you make from now on. From this point onwards, your Nest thermostat will only learn from a pattern of at least two similar changes.

Here are some examples of patterns that your thermostat can learn and how they'll change your temperature schedule:

Pattern of temperature changes	How it changes your thermostat's schedule
Two weekdays in a row, for example, Monday and Tuesday	All weekdays (Monday to Friday)
Same day two weeks in a row, for example, two Mondays in a row	That day of the week (every Monday)
Two weekend days in a row, for example, Saturday and Sunday	All weekend days (Saturday and Sunday)
Two days in a row including a weekday and a weekend day, for example, Friday and Saturday	All seven days of the week (Monday to Sunday)

Other learning features

Here are some things that you might notice when you start teaching your thermostat what temperatures you like:

• The Nest Leaf: When you turn the ring, you might notice a green leaf on the thermostat display. This is the Nest Leaf, which appears when you've chosen a temperature that's more energy efficient. You can use the Nest Leaf as a guide to help save energy.
• Time-to-Temperature: Your thermostat can display an estimate of how long it'll take to adjust the temperature to your liking in your home. To learn more about Time-to-Temperature, visit What you'll see on a Nest thermostat.
• Home and Away: Your thermostat can help save energy by automatically switching to an Eco Temperature when it senses no one's home. This option will take precedence over your normal temperature schedule. Learn how your home automatically switches to Home or Away.
• Meeting your temperature at the scheduled time: Early-On and True Radiant are learning features your Nest thermostat can use from day one. Which one your thermostat uses depends on what type of system you have, but both do essentially the same thing. They can automatically turn on your system early to meet a scheduled temperature. For example, if you schedule your home to be 21ºC (70ºF) at 7.00 a.m., your thermostat might turn on the heat early at 6.00 a.m. so that your home is comfortable when you wake up. Exactly how early it'll turn on depends on what your thermostat has learned about how quickly your home heats and cools, how efficient your system is and the weather.

Important: If you turn off Auto-Schedule, your thermostat will stop learning. With Auto-Schedule off, if you ever turn the ring to select a new temperature, your thermostat will only hold that temperature until the next scheduled change. It won't add your new preference to the schedule, even if you select the new temperature repeatedly.