Works with Nest was created in 2014 as a way for connected home products from other manufacturers to take what Nest knows and personalize your experience, such as turning off the lights when you’re away. The connected home has evolved significantly since then, and how people interact with and manage their devices has changed as well. Voice, smart displays, and whole-home automated routines are at the center of today’s connected home, and the Google Assistant has evolved into a leading platform to deliver these experiences.
Moving to Works with Hey Google
Works with Nest (WWN) was the original way that third-party partners could access and control your Nest products. They were fully integrated with a Nest product and could check and change its status. Works with Nest connections will continue to work for those users who have a non-migrated Nest Account in the Nest app for as long as our partners support them.
Today, third-party partner devices that carry the Works with Google Home badge, or older Works with Hey Google and Works with Google Assistant badges, can be connected to Google Home, so you can configure and control them anywhere you interact with Google: on phones and tablets through the Google Home app and Android home controls, on Nest speakers and displays, and of course using your voice on any device with the Google Assistant. You can use the Google Home app to create Routines to automate your homes and devices, including with Home & Away Routines.
Nest users will be invited by email to migrate their Nest Account to a Google Account when their account is ready. Moving to a Google Account will give Nest users the benefit of a single account, seamless experiences, and the ability to align homes and home members across the Nest and Google Home apps.
Note: Nest Account migration to a Google Account is optional, and once completed, is not reversible. During the migration process, you will need to remove and disconnect all your WWN third-party product connections (also not reversible). We recommend reading this entire article and referencing the FAQs about accounts for the Nest app to determine if account migration is right for you at this time. When you’re ready, you can choose to migrate your Nest Account and associated data to a Google Account anytime in the future. However, we strongly encourage you to migrate only when you've received your email invitation.
Once your Nest Account is migrated to a Google Account, Routines can be created from the Google Home or Assistant apps with other smart home partner products you already own. But some partner devices, connections, services, and features you had working via WWN may not be available on WWGH, such as having your smart light bulbs automatically turn off when you leave your home. These Home/Away status-based features are being developed for WWGH, but won’t be available until early 2020.
We understand you may not want to migrate until more smart home devices and features are supported through WWGH routines. We're committed to minimizing disruptions during this transition. Here's our plan:
- We’ll send you an email invitation letting you know when your Nest Account is ready for migration. Migrating from a Nest Account to a Google Account is optional, and once completed, is not reversible.
- If you choose to migrate your account, all WWN device connections you have today will no longer work after migration.
- If you choose not to migrate your Nest Account, your existing WWN device connections will continue working with your Nest Account and Nest app uninterrupted. But you won't have access to new features that will be available with a Google Account, the Google Home app, and the WWGH program. If we make changes to the existing WWN connections available to you with your Nest Account, we will make sure to keep you informed.
- After August 31, 2019, you will no longer be able to create new WWN connections, but your existing connections will continue to work with your Nest Account.
- Once similar WWN features are available on the WWGH platform, such as automated routines based on Home/Away status, you will receive an email invitation to migrate with minimal disruption from a Nest Account to a Google Account. Once migrated, you will need to add and connect the WWGH partner devices using the Google Home app and set up new Assistant Routines that allow you to customize how your smart devices work together based on simple triggers – whether you’re leaving home or going to bed.
We know we can't build a one-size-fits-all solution, so we're moving quickly to work with our most popular developers to create and support helpful interactions that give you the best of Google Nest, and minimize disruption as best as we can. Our goal remains to give you the tools you need to make your home helpful in the ways that matter most to you.
We recognize you may want your Nest devices to continue to work with other connected ecosystems, such as Amazon Alexa, that use Works with Nest. The current Nest Smart Home Skill for Alexa and other partner ecosystem integrations will not work with migrated Google Accounts. However, we’re exploring with Amazon and a few other ecosystem partners the possibility of creating Nest device connections that are compatible with migrated and new Google Accounts.
There are a few things you should keep in mind regarding Works with Nest, your Nest Account migration, and relinking Nest devices with approved ecosystem partners after migration:
Amazon Alexa and Google Nest- We have a new Google Nest skill that will replace the current Works with Nest skill for Alexa. The new skill will let you control your Nest thermostat and view your Nest camera livestream via Amazon Alexa.
- If you choose to migrate your account, you will be required to disconnect your current Alexa connection with Nest (this is not reversible).
- If you have other Works with Nest connections in addition to your Alexa connection, we recommend that you do not migrate your Nest account until you receive an email invitation letting you know your Nest Account is ready for migration. However, Nest Account migration is optional, and you may choose to migrate to a Google Account at any time.
- You can choose to delay migration and continue using your existing Works with Nest skill with Alexa.
- If you have any other existing Works with Nest partner connections, you can migrate to a Google Account, but as part of doing that, you must remove and disconnect your existing Works with Nest connections (this is not reversible).
- After moving to a Google Account, you can explore alternative connections available to you with the Works with Hey Google platform. Because Works with Hey Google functions differently, the way your Nest and third-party smart home products work together will be different. All triggered routines of Nest, Google, and partner devices will be set up and managed from the Google Home app using Assistant Routines. Some of your existing devices and connections may not be supported by Works with Hey Google. Please visit Works with Hey Google (Smart Home) to see if your smart home partner device is supported.
- One of the most popular Works with Nest features is to automatically trigger routines based on Nest’s Home/Away status. We are working to bring that same functionality to the Google Assistant and provide more device options for you to choose from. Works with Hey Google already works with over 3,500 partners and 30,000 devices, and integrates seamlessly with Assistant Routines. Routines allow anyone to quickly customize how their smart devices work together based on simple triggers – whether you’re leaving home or going to bed.
If you have enabled data access for any third party connections, you can choose which data you share with Google Nest partners by using our Partner Connections tool.
About Works with Nest
What is Works with Nest?|
Your Nest products use sensors and algorithms to learn about you and The more products you have in your home, the more your home can start to |
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Here are a couple examples of Works with Nest connections and what they can do.
When it works with Nest, it just works.
Note: In the examples below, you'll need to have an active account in the Nest app, your home will need to have working Wi-Fi internet service, and your Nest products and your other products must be connected to Wi-Fi.
Example: When everyone's away from home (Home/Away/Assist)
Your Works with Nest products can do the right thing automatically based on whether you're home or away. We call this Home/Away Assist. For example, when you're away, your Works with nest products can do things like:
- Automatically turn on smart lighting systems to make it look like somebody's home.
- Switch your smart water heater to an energy efficient mode.
- Close your motorized window shades to help keep your home comfortable and secure.
- Send a notification if your connected stove or oven is still on, with an option to turn it off.
For more information about Home/Away Assist, visit the following articles:
How Home/Away Assist decides to switch your home to Home or Away
Example: When Nest Protect is sounding an alarm
When your Google Nest Protect smoke and CO alarm notices high levels of smoke or CO and triggers an alarm, the Works with Nest connection can do things like:
- Flash your smart lighting system to help alert your family to the alarm.
- Turn on your connected yard irrigation system to help prevent the spread of a fire.
- Tell your connected phone system to call you from home.
Our list of Works with Nest partners is growing. You might even own a product or two that works with nest already. Look for the Works with Nest badge on your product's packaging.
Work with Nest connections require a Nest Account to be set up prior to August 19, 2019. These connections will stop working if you migrate your Nest Account to a Google Account.
(1) New Works with Nest connections cannot be set up after August 31, 2019, but your existing connections will continue to work with your Nest Account.
(2) Generally speaking, you only need one Nest product already added to your account in the Nest app and another third-party app or device to use a WWN connection. However, each WWN connection has different requirements.
For instance, you’ll need a Nest Protect to use a WWN connection that makes your Wi-Fi lighting system flash when carbon monoxide or smoke is detected.
You’ll also need a third-party device that you’ll connect your Nest products to. This could be anything from remote controlled lights to a fitness tracker.
If you are sharing access to your Nest home with Family Accounts, keep in mind that both the owner of the Nest home and anybody with shared access can set up a WWN connection. After the WWN connection is set up, everybody in the Nest home can also use, manage, or remove the WWN connection. For more information about what people can do when you invite them to share access to your Nest home, see the following article:
Learn about Family Accounts and how to share access to your home
Works with Nest connections require a Nest Account to be set up prior to August 19, 2019. New Works with Nest connections cannot be set up after August 31, 2019, but your existing connections will continue to work with your Nest Account.
To set up a new Works with Nest connection, follow the instructions on the Works with Nest developers’ websites and on product packaging (look for the Works with Nest logo). Setup is done securely without any personal information (such as your email address) exchanged between Nest and the Works with Nest connection developer. To start, use the Works with Nest partner app or website to initiate the OAuth process and grant permission for the connection to access Nest device data. Once authorized, your Works with Nest connection will be automatically enabled.
You can easily view basic information about your Works with Nest (WWN) connections, see when they were last used, and review the permissions you granted to access your data in the Nest app.
- On the Nest app home screen, tap Settings
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- Tap Works with Nest
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- Here you can see all of the WWN connections that you currently have set up. To see more detailed information, click or tap on a connection you want to view.
- You'll see the permissions you've granted to the connection so it can access data from your Nest products.
Next to Last used, you’ll see the last time a WWN connection was active. This is helpful if you want to make sure the connection is working and can help with troubleshooting.
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.Keep in mind, both the Owner of the Nest home and anybody with shared access can set up, use, manage, and remove WWN connections. So if you’ve invited anybody to share access to your home, you may also see their activity here.
If you have trouble getting your WWN connection to work, visit the following article:
How to troubleshoot a Works with Nest connection
To remove a connection you don't want to use anymore, see the section below.
If you want to stop using a Works with Nest connection, you can easily remove it at any time. After you remove a connection, the WWN product will continue to work as it did before you enabled the connection.
- Tap Settings
- Select Works with Nest
- Pick the Works with Nest connection you want to remove from the list.
- Tap Remove connection at the bottom of the screen.
- Next, confirm your choice.
Note: If you have more than one home in your account, and the connection is active in both, you’ll also need to choose whether you want to remove it for the other home as well.
To switch to another home, tap the Menu 
No matter which Works with Nest connections you use, you’re in control over what data is shared. You’ll always know what will be shared before you choose to grant access to your data. And if you ever change your mind, you can always choose to remove a connection.
Every Works with Nest developer that we work with is also required to follow a list of guidelines that limit how it can use the information you’ve agreed to share. No personally identifiable information – such as your email address – is shared by Nest. Depending on the connection, it may request access to basic home and device data such as HVAC system specs, smoke and CO status, Home and Away states, or Rush Hour Reward events. For more detailed information visit the following pages:
Data that is shared between Nest and Works with Nest developers
The Nest developer program is transitioning to Actions on Google Smart Home. Learn more about the Google Assistant Developer Community Program.