Today, Saturday, 25 October 2025, all older Nest Learning Thermostats will have their core smart features turned off, as Google continues to destroy the once brilliant brand.
Writing in a blog post, Google has confirmed that the 1st and 2nd gen Nest Learning Thermostats (launched in 2011 and 2012 in the US, and in 2014 in Europe for the 2nd gen) will be unpaired from your account and removed from the Nest app or Home app.
Once killed, these old thermostats will no longer be controllable via your phone, won’t send notifications, and won’t receive software or security updates. Pre-set schedules will work, and the devices can be controlled locally, but all of the smart benefits will be gone, and these models effectively become dumb.
A thermostat is not a ‘normal’ bit of smart tech
On the one hand, the fact that a 2011 device is still working is impressive. But that’s just viewed through the prism of planned obsolescence that we’ve come to expect from other devices, such as phones and TVs.
A smart thermostat is different. It’s an essential part of a home heating system and, as they’re only really used for a few months per year, you expect them to keep working. To my mind, Google killing off old Nest Thermostats is the first time I’ve heard of a smart thermostat being retired. Longer life should be expected, if not demanded.
It raises questions about how long the Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen, 2015) and Nest Thermostat E (2018) will continue to be supported. Given that Google will not sell the 4th Gen product in the UK or Europe, and that it will still only sell the older products until stocks run out, I’d bet that end of support won’t be far away.
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What about AI?
On the one hand, I understand that supporting old devices requires resources, so tech devices do eventually reach the end of life. But, isn’t this scenario the exact kind of thing that AI is designed for?
Google even promotes Gemini Code Assist in this way: “Uncap your potential and get all of your development done using Gemini Code Assist for individuals at no cost, or Gemini Code Assist for your business.”
I’m guessing that the Google folks have access to this tool for free. If it’s so good, then surely the AI should be able to bash out updates for the old thermostats to keep them working with their current feature set, even if it’s just the basics.
Ultimately, if the learning algorithm isn’t updated on an old thermostat who cares? But if its remote control is turned off, that’s a big deal. AI, if it’s as good as Google says it is, should be able to handle software updates with very little developer cost.
Wouldn’t that be a good case study? Google could show the world that its tools prevent perfectly good hardware from being recycled while reducing costs.
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Just upgrade to Tado
What Google could do and what it wants to do are separate. It seems as though Google has become bored with Nest, so it is slowly killing off its products. For users of old Nest thermostats, there’s an option to upgrade to a Tado X thermostat with a 50% off voucher. It’s a good deal, and Tado X is a great system.
I have Tado X at home and really like it, and would urge anyone looking to buy a Nest Thermostat today not to — and to look elsewhere: my guide to the best smart thermostats can help, and you’ll notice that Nest has been removed, as I can no longer recommend any of the products.
