Manage homes and products with the Nest app

Note: This article is for Nest users who have not migrated to a Google Account. Learn how to migrate your Nest Account to a Google Account in our FAQs about accounts.

If you sign in to the Nest app with a Google Account, learn how to protect your account with 2-step verification.

You can use the Nest app to add more Nest products to your home, and create another home and add products to it. You can also move products to a new home, or between rooms in a home. Here’s how.

Home and product basics

First, some basics:

  • You can have up to three homes in total in the Nest app at any given time. For instance, you can add a vacation home or your business as a second and third homes.
  • You can be the Owner of one or all homes in the app (such as your main residence and a vacation home).
  • You can be invited to access one or all homes in the app. When you accept an invitation from someone to access their Nest home, that home will automatically be added to the app.
  • Don’t assign Nest products to the same home in the app if they’re physically installed in different homes. This can cause problems with Home/Away Assist, which depends on your products being able to sense whether someone’s home.
  • If you need access to more than the total number of homes allowed in an account, you’ll need to sign into the Nest app with a different email address. You can sign in with as many different email addresses as you like. You can then create or accept invitations for up to three homes for each email address.

How to switch between homes with the Nest app

You can only view and control products in one home at a time with the Nest app. So if you have another home in the app, you’ll need to switch between them. Here’s how:

  1. Tap the menu Arrow pointing down icon in the top left corner of the app home screen.
  2. Tap the home you want to switch to.

  3. You’ll be taken back to the app home screen where you can see the Nest products you have in the home you’ve selected.

Note: If you don’t have another home already in the app, see the section below about adding a home to the app.

How many products you can have in the Nest app

There’s a maximum number of Nest products that you can have in each Nest home.

Nest thermostats 

Maximum of 20 per home

Nest Temperature Sensors 

Maximum of 6 per thermostat
Maximum of 18 per home

Nest Protects

Maximum of 18 per home

Nest cameras, video doorbells and Dropcams

Maximum of 10 per home (video quality depends on your internet bandwidth)

Nest Secure

Maximum 1 Guard per home
Maximum 30 Detects per home
Maximum 10 Tags per person

Nest × Yale Lock

Maximum of 10 per home

Nest Connect

Maximum of 4 per home

How to create another home in the Nest app

You can add your business, vacation home or other building to the Nest app so you can install and use Nest products in more than one location.

Note: You can only add another home if you’re the Owner of the Nest home. If you are invited to share access to a home with a Family Account, that home also counts toward your home limit.

1. Tap the menu Arrow pointing down icon in the top left corner of the app home screen.

2. Next, tap the add Plus icon icon in the top right corner.

3. Tap Continue.

4. Give your home a name, and tap Next.

5. Enter your new home's address, and tap Next when you're finished.

6. Choose if you want to use your phone’s location to help with Home/Away Assist for your new home.

7. If you want to share access to your new home, you can invite other people now. If you don’t, you can always invite them later.

Once you’re done adding your new home to the app, you can add Nest products to it.

How to add another Nest product to a home

You can add new Nest products to any home in the app, whether you’re the Owner or you’ve been invited to share access to a home.

  1. Tap the menu Arrow pointing down icon in the top left corner of the app home screen.
  2. Select the home you want to add the product to.
  3. Tap Settings Nest settings icon in the top right corner.
  4. Select Add product Plus icon .

For details about each Nest product, see the sections below.

Adding a Nest thermostat

 

You’ll need to get an entry key from the thermostat, and enter it into the Nest app. See the article below for details:

How to add your Nest thermostat to the app >

Adding a Nest camera, doorbell, or Dropcam

Scan the QR code on the back of the camera. Then follow the directions in the Nest app.

How to set up a Nest camera >

How to set up a Nest Hello video doorbell >

Adding Nest Secure products including Nest Guard, Nest Detect, and Nest Tag

Nest Guard

You can only have one Guard per home, so you cannot add any additional ones, but you can install a Nest Secure alarm system, including a Guard, in another home in the app.

How to set up and install Nest Secure >

Nest Detect

You can add more Detects whenever and wherever you need them. The app will walk you through a simple setup and installation.

How to set up and install Nest Detect >

Nest Tag

If you have Nest Secure and want more people to share access to your home, you can give them Tags for easy entry and exit without sharing your passcode.

How to set up Nest Tag >

Adding a Nest x Yale Lock

See the following article for complete details:

How to install and set up Nest × Yale Lock >

Adding a Nest Protect smoke and CO alarm

Scan the QR code printed on the back of your Protect. The app will show you how to connect your Protect and install it. Check the article below for more information:

How to set up Nest Protect with the Nest app > 

How to move a Nest product to another home

If you have another home, you can move your Nest products between them. When you physically move them to their new home, you’ll also need to move them in the app.

The steps are different for each product. Select the one you’re moving below.

Nest thermostat

In Europe:

  1. Make sure that the system in your new home is compatible.
  2. Reset your thermostat to defaults.
  3. Remove your thermostat from the Nest app.
  4. Because Heat Link is connected to high voltage wires, you should contact a Nest Pro to uninstall your thermostat and re-install it in the other home.
  5. Add your Nest thermostat back to the Nest app in the other home. Make sure you select the new home in the app before you re-add your thermostat.

Everywhere else:

  1. Make sure that the system in your new home is compatible.
  2. Reset your thermostat to defaults. This is necessary because your thermostat will need to learn about your new home’s system and how quickly the home heats or cools.
  3. Remove your thermostat from the Nest app.
  4. Uninstall your thermostat.
  5. Re-install and set it up in the new home. Make sure you select the new home in the app before you re-add your thermostat.

If you prefer, you can contact a Nest Pro to re-install your thermostat for you.

Nest cameras, video doorbells, and Dropcams

If your camera doesn’t have a Nest Aware subscription, the steps are simple:

  1. Remove your camera from the Nest app
  2. Uninstall it.
  3. Install it in its new home
  4. Select the new home in the Nest app.
  5. Set it up again with the Nest app.

If your camera has a Nest Aware subscription:

You must do a few extra things. This is because subscriptions are not only attached to your camera, they’re also attached to the home it’s in.

  1. Create clips or timelapses of any footage you want to save from your camera.
    Important: The next step will delete your camera’s video history and settings so you must do this beforehand to preserve any memories you want to keep.
  2. Cancel the Nest Aware subscription for the camera. This step will delete your camera’s video history and settings.
  3. Remove the camera from the Nest app and uninstall it.
  4. Install your camera in its new home.
  5. Set up your camera again with the Nest app. Make sure you select the camera’s new home in the app before you begin setup.
  6. Purchase a new subscription for your camera. Keep in mind that the first Nest Aware subscription for each home is full price, and only additional subscriptions in the same home receive a discount. So you won’t receive a discount if there’s only one camera in each of your homes.

Important: If you purchased a pre-owned Nest camera and you receive a message that it's already in use by another account, see the following article for detailed instructions:

What to do if your camera is already connected to another account >

Nest Secure including Nest Guard, Nest Detect, and Nest Tag

Follow these steps to move Nest Secure products to another home:

  1. Disarm Nest Secure.
  2. Remove Detects from the Nest app:
    1. Select the product on the app home screen.
    2. Tap Settings Nest settings icon .
    3. Scroll down to the bottom and select Remove [product name]
  3. Then remove Nest Guard from the app the same way.
  4. Reset Guard and all Detects to factory defaults.
  5. Unplug and uninstall Guard and any Detects.
  6. Now you’re ready to move everything to your other home. Start by adding your Guard to the Nest app. Make sure you select the new home in the app before you re-add it to the Nest app.
  7. Add Nest Detects to the Nest app again.
  8. Install your Detects where you want them.

Nest Protect

Make sure you comply with all local regulations when installing Protect in its new home.

  1. Remove Nest Protect from the Nest app.
  2. Reset your Protect and uninstall it.
  3. Install your Nest Protect in its new home.
  4. Add your Protect back to the Nest app. Make sure you select the new home in the app before re-adding it.

Nest x Yale Lock

First, make sure the new door is compatible with your lock.

  • Door thickness:

    • 1 3/8 inches or
    • 1 3/4 inches or
    • 2 to 2 1/4 inches

  • Lock hole center distance from the edge of the door:

    • 2 3/8 inches or
    • 2 3/4 inches

Then you can move your lock to its new home.

  1. Remove the Nest × Yale Lock from the Nest app.
  2. Reset your lock to factory defaults.

  3. Uninstall your lock from the door.

    Tip: You can follow the steps for physically installing your lock in reverse.

  4. Install your lock in its new home, including adding it back to the Nest app.

How to remove a home from the Nest app

 

If you have more than one home in the Nest app, you can remove one of them. If you’re the Owner, removing a home from the app will also remove it for anyone else who has access.

  1. Tap the Menu Arrow pointing down icon in the top left corner of the app home screen.
  2. Select the home that you want to remove.
  3. Tap Settings Nest settings icon in the top right corner.
  4. Select Home info.
  5. Tap Leave home.
  6. Tap Leave to confirm.

Note: If you’re the Owner of a Nest home, any Nest products that have been added to this home will be removed from the app and from the apps of anyone you’ve invited to share access.

Any Nest Aware subscriptions that you have for cameras in that home will remain active, and will need to be cancelled separately. When you cancel a subscription, you’ll be issued a prorated refund or credit based on how much time has passed since your last billing cycle. To learn more about cancelling your Nest Aware subscription, see the following article:

How to cancel your Nest Aware subscription >

If you're moving and leaving a Nest product behind

If you’re moving to a new home and leaving a Nest product behind for the new homeowners, simply remove the product from the Nest app and reset it to factory defaults. This will delete all of your personal information from the product and let the new homeowners add the product to the Nest app on their own phones.

First, remove the product from the Nest app:

How to remove a Nest product from the app >

Then, reset your product to factory defaults. See the links below:

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