Google offers a smart home skill for integrating your Nest products with Amazon Alexa’s voice controls. With the Google Nest skill, you can tell Alexa to change the temperature of your home and show your Nest camera video on an Amazon video player. Here’s how to connect your products and control them with your voice using Alexa.
There’s no change to your device functionality with Alexa. With your Nest account, you can continue to use the Alexa integration. Google is working with Amazon to migrate the Nest skill on Amazon Alexa to ensure a smooth transition into Google Nest. Once you’ve migrated to a Google Account, use the Alexa app to enable this new skill and re-link your connections. Look out for an email from Amazon with more instructions after you’ve migrated.
To find out more, visit our updates to Works with Nest blog.
Nest’s Alexa gives you another way to control your Google Nest home while you’re out and when you’re at home. Now, you can speak one of the phrases listed below to tell Alexa what you want your Nest product to do.
Amazon Alexa supports the following Nest products:
- Nest cameras and doorbells
- Nest thermostats
Important: Not all Nest products, Amazon products and smart home skill integrations mentioned in this article are available in all countries. This feature is not currently supported on the Nest Cam (battery) or the Nest Doorbell (battery).
How to connect Amazon Alexa to your Nest products
- Use the Alexa app to select and enable the Google Nest skill.
- Either tap on the button in your Alexa app to discover devices, or ask Alexa to discover your Nest products by saying, 'Alexa, discover my devices'. Amazon has more detailed instructions on their website, if you need them.
If you don’t find the Google Nest skill in the Alexa app, the skill is not available for your particular locale.
Note: You need to be a member of the Nest home to set up the Alexa-Nest connection.
How to connect or disconnect a Nest product from Alexa
Whenever you say 'Alexa, discover my devices', Alexa should automatically look for all the Nest products in your home.
In the future, if you add or remove a Nest product with the Google Home or Nest app, you can simply say the phrase again to sync Alexa with everything that you’re currently using.
Nest thermostat commands
You can control your Nest thermostat when you talk to an Alexa-enabled device. For example, an Amazon Echo, Tap or Dot. Here are some things that you can say:
How to say your thermostat's name
Wherever you find the 'thermostat name' in the examples below, you should say the location assigned to it in the Home or Nest app, like 'Hallway'.
If you don’t say your thermostat’s name when you give a command, Alexa should ask you to say the name of the thermostat that you want to control.
In rare cases, you may have two thermostats with the same location name, like 'Hallway', plus a custom label like 'Downstairs'. If your thermostat has a custom label, you’ll need to say, 'Alexa, set the Hallway Downstairs to ___ degrees'.
Important: Unless the word 'thermostat' is part of your thermostat’s name, don’t say it when you speak to Alexa. Only use the exact location name in the Nest app when speaking your command. For instance, if your thermostat is named Hallway, then say 'Alexa, change the Hallway to ___ degrees', but 'Alexa, change the Hallway thermostat to ___ degrees' will not work.
Ask about the room's temperature or thermostat's target temperature
'Alexa, what's the temperature in [thermostat name]?'
'Alexa, what's the temperature in the house?'
'Alexa, what temperature is my [thermostat name] set to?'
Set a specific target temperature
'Alexa, set the [thermostat name] temperature to ___ degrees.'
'Alexa, change the [thermostat name] to ___ degrees.'
'Alexa, turn my [thermostat name] temperature to ___ degrees.'
Increase or decrease the target temperature
'Alexa, decrease the [thermostat name] temperature.'
'Alexa, increase the [thermostat name] by ___ degrees.'
'Alexa, make my [thermostat name] warmer by ___ degrees.'
If you ask Alexa to change the temperature without specifying by how much, it will change the temperature by 1°C or 2°F.
Alexa will control your Nest thermostat a bit differently when it’s in Heat • Cool mode, which can automatically switch between heating and cooling, as needed. For instance, if you ask Alexa to set the temperature to 22 degrees, both the lower and upper limit of your thermostat’s temperature range should be set to 20–24 degree range.
Note: Alexa won’t be able to control your Nest thermostat if it’s set to an Eco Temperature, is in Off mode, is using emergency heat or if there’s an Emergency Shut-off.
Switch your thermostat’s mode
You may want to change your thermostat’s mode as the seasons change, or you may want to switch to an Eco Temperature before everybody leaves the house.
'Alexa, set the [thermostat name] to ___ mode.'
Your options for the mode are Heat, Cool, Heat • Cool or Eco. Keep in mind that your available options depend on which equipment you have installed.
Nest camera commands
The Nest camera skill lets you watch your camera’s live video with an Amazon video player (for example, an Amazon Fire TV).
Bear in mind:
- This skill will only work on Amazon devices that can display video. The skill won’t work on any devices that don’t have video capabilities (such as an Amazon Echo).
- If you’re using an Alexa Voice Remote, make sure that you press and hold the microphone button on the remote while you’re speaking.
- If your Nest camera is turned off, Alexa won’t be able to control it. You’ll need to open the Nest app on your phone and turn on your camera before giving a voice command to Alexa.
How to say your camera's name
Wherever there's a 'camera name' in the examples below, you should say the name or location that you gave your camera when you set it up.
Unless the word 'camera' is part of your Nest camera’s name, don’t say it when talking to Alexa. For example, 'Alexa, show the living room' will work, but 'Alexa, show the living room camera' won’t.
In rare cases, you may have more than one camera with the same location name such as 'Hallway', plus a unique label. When you open the app and tap on your camera, look above the video feed. If your camera has a label, it will be in parentheses, such as 'Hallway (downstairs)'. When talking to Alexa, you’ll need to say the location name and label, for example, 'Alexa, show the hallway downstairs'.
Display live camera video
'Alexa, show the [camera name]'
'Alexa, show the feed from the [camera name]'
'Alexa, show the [camera name] feed'
After 30 minutes, your camera should stop streaming video to your Amazon device. To continue streaming, simply repeat the voice command.
Stop displaying video
'Alexa, hide the [camera name]'
'Alexa, hide the feed from the [camera name]'
'Alexa, hide the [camera name] feed'
Troubleshoot Alexa's connection to your products
Visit Amazon’s website for help with Alexa, including its connection to Nest products. For example, you may need to toggle permissions for the Nest skill, or you may need to disable the skill and then re-enable it. Amazon’s website has step-by-step instructions and additional troubleshooting suggestions: