Restart or reset a Nest thermostat

Restart your Google Nest thermostat to fix several issues, like when the display is stuck, frozen or slow, or if your thermostat has disconnected from Wi-Fi and is offline in the app. Reset your thermostat to clear out some or all of your personal settings, such as the temperature schedule.

Differences between restart and reset

When you restart your thermostat:

  • Your thermostat maintains all your settings, similar to restarting a computer, phone, or tablet.
  • This is a useful troubleshooting step if your thermostat is stuck or frozen, has trouble connecting to the internet, or is not working normally.

When you reset your thermostat

  • Your thermostat erasessome or all of its information depending on the option you choose. The thermostat will restore its factory default settings.
  • This is useful if you're moving out and need to install your thermostat in a new location, or want to leave your thermostat behind and you want to remove all your personal information.

Reset or restart your thermostat

Important:Before you reset your thermostat, write down the wiring information so you can easily enter your thermostat's wiring if needed. On your thermostat, go toSettingsNest settings iconand thenEquipment. You may want to do this for other settings such as system heating type and Safety Temperature as well.

Nest thermostat heating with silver ring

Nest Thermostat E or Nest Learning Thermostat

Go to Settings Nest settings iconand thenReset, then choose one of the options below:

To restart your thermostat

Restart

If you restart, your thermostat will not lose any of your information or settings, similar to a computer, phone or tablet. Once our thermostat boots back up, you can continue to use it.

To reset all or some of your thermostat's information

Schedule

This option will clear out your entire temperature schedule. Use this option if you want your thermostat to start learning a new schedule.

Any setpoints that your thermostat has learned, or that you've created, will be erased. You'll need to create a brand new schedule from scratch, or wait while your thermostat learns your new schedule.

Note: If you're using a Nest Thermostat E and you have Auto-Schedule disabled, you'll see the option to reset to either a blank schedule as described above or a Basic Schedule. A Basic Schedule is a pre-filled schedule based on a national average that balances energy-savings and comfort.

Home/Away

Your thermostat learns how often you walk by to help it know when to automatically switch to and from Eco Temperatures as you leave and come home. If you reset Home/Away on your thermostat, everything it has learned about when you're home or away will be reset.

Use this reset option if you move your thermostat to a new location in your home, or if you've had your home remodeled. Your thermostat will learn about its new location in a few days.

Tip: Turn on your phone location to help improve automatic switching between Home and Away modes.

Account connection

Note: You may not see this option depending on your thermostat's software version.

This option will remove your account connection from the thermostat.

After you reset the account connection, you'll still see your thermostat in the app. However, your thermostat will be listed as "offline" and you'll no longer be able to control it with the app. To remove it from your account and the app, you'll need to go to your thermostat's settings.

Tip: If you're moving and leaving your thermostat behind and want to use this option, you may also want to reset the temperature schedule as well. This will let the new owners control the system from day one while the thermostat learns a schedule for them.

WWN Connection

Note: You may not see this option depending on your thermostat's software version.

This option will remove all existing Works with Nest connections between your thermostat and other devices.

If you have Works with Nest (WWN) devices that are connected to your thermostat, they may have stopped working.

  • If you haven't migrated to a Google Account, you can restore the WWN functionality:
  1. Remove the thermostat from your account.
  2. Reset the WWN connection with this option.
  3. Add your thermostat to your account again.
  • If you've already migrated to a Google Account, use Google Home app to connect your device via Works with Hey Google:
    1. Tap Add on the Home app's main screen.
    2. Select Set up device.
    3. Browse the Works with Google list for your WWN device and select it. Then follow the app's instructions.

Network

Note: You may not see this option depending on your thermostat's software version.

This option will remove all of the network information from your thermostat. Your thermostat will no longer be connected to the internet and it will forget the WI-Fi credentials.

To connect your thermostat back to the internet, you'll need to select your Wi-Fi network from the Settings and then Network menu.

All Settings

This option will remove all your personal settings and restore your thermostat to factory default settings.

Important: You should remove your thermostat from your account in the app before using this option to reset to defaults.

Remove a thermostat from your account

After resetting to defaults, you'll need to set it up and add it to your home in the app again just like you did when you first installed it.

Set up your thermostat

Connect your thermostat to the app

Your thermostat will need time to learn about you and your home before creating your schedule and activating its energy saving features.

How your thermostat learns

Note: If you have any Nest Temperature Sensors, resetting your thermostat does not remove them from your account.

Manually restart if your Nest thermostat is frozen

We only recommend this method if your thermostat is stuck or frozen, and you can't reach the menu to restart your thermostat as described in the section above.

Important: If you manually restart your thermostat, it could lose some unsaved information.

Nest Thermostat 3/4ths view

Nest Thermostat

  1. Pull your thermostat off its base.
  2. Remove both AAA batteries.
  3. Replace the batteries and press your thermostat onto the base until it clicks into place.
  4. Your thermostat will take a few moments to turn on and restart.

Nest thermostat heating with silver ring

Nest Thermostat E or Nest Learning Thermostat

  1. Press the thermostat down until the screen turns off (about 10 seconds), then release.
  2. Press and release the ring to turn it back on and complete the restart process. You'll see the Nest logo when it begins to start up. The screen will turn on as it finishes.

Was this helpful?

How can we improve it?