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How to Share Your Nest Thermostat With Other Users

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To share a Nest thermostat, invite the other person to the existing Google Home home instead of sharing your Google or Nest password or setting up the thermostat again. For Google Account and migrated Nest accounts, use the Google Home app. Choose Member with Settings permission for someone who needs to control the thermostat, or choose Admin only for someone who should manage the entire smart home.

The quickest method: invite someone in Google Home

These steps apply when your thermostat is managed through a Google Account, including a Nest account that has been migrated to Google. Google’s labels may vary slightly by app version or phone.

  1. Open the Google Home app.
  2. Tap your profile picture or initial at the top right.
  3. Tap Switch home and select the home containing the thermostat.
  4. Tap Add, then Home member.
  5. Enter the person’s name or email address and tap Next.
  6. Choose Member or Admin.
  7. If you choose Member, enable Settings permission if the person must control the thermostat.
  8. Tap Next, if shown, then Invite.

Google’s current invitation and permission instructions are available in its Home member guide and permission guide.

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Which permission should you choose?

Goal Recommended access What to consider
Let a partner or roommate control the thermostat Member with Settings enabled Access is broader than thermostat control and may include other devices and home settings.
Let someone manage the entire smart home Admin An Admin can manage members, devices, settings, and the home itself.
Give limited access without full control Member without Settings access The person may be unable to use the thermostat’s full controls.

A Member with Settings access is usually the practical choice for a trusted household member who needs to change the temperature. However, Google does not generally provide a thermostat-only sharing switch. Settings access can extend to devices and services already in the home and devices added later.

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Google Nest Thermostat - Smart Thermostat for Home - Programmable Wifi Thermostat - Charcoal
  • ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostat for home that helps you save energy and stay comfortable.Connectivity : Wi-Fi - 802.11b/g/n 2.4 GHz, 802.11a/n 5 GHz Wi-Fi., Wireless interconnect : Bluetooth Low Energy Please refer to the product description section below for all applicable legal disclaimers.Product note: You can also check your system’s compatibility before purchasing a Nest thermostat with our online Nest Compatibility Checker on the Google Nest support page
  • The Nest Thermostat is designed to work without a C wire in most homes, but for some systems, including heating only, cooling only, zone controlled, and heat pump systems, you’ll need a C wire or other compatible power accessory
  • Nest Thermostat turns itself down when you leave, so you don’t waste energy heating or cooling an empty home. Lock feature: No
  • Programmable thermostat that lets you create an energy efficient schedule in the Google Home app on your Android or iPhone
  • Remote control lets family members change the thermostat temperature from anywhere on a phone, laptop, or tablet[1]

How the other person accepts the invitation

  1. Open the invitation email or Google Home notification.
  2. Open the Google Home app and tap the profile picture or initial.
  3. Tap Inbox and open the pending home invitation.
  4. Review the access information and tap Agree & join.
  5. Complete any required account or voice-assistant setup.

The invitee should accept using the account associated with the invited email address. After acceptance, the shared home and its devices should appear in Google Home. It may take up to five minutes for a permission change to take effect; Google documents this delay in its permission troubleshooting guidance.

If you use a legacy, non-migrated Nest account

Older Nest accounts may still manage sharing through the Nest app. If you sign in to Nest with a Google Account, use Google Home instead; Google explains the account and app differences here.

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Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) + Nest Temperature Sensor (2nd gen) - Obsidian
  • Nest’s smartest, most advanced thermostat yet, the Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) is a beautiful, brilliant way to save energy, keep your home comfortable, and help make sure your heating and cooling systems are running smoothly[4]
  • Savings you can count on: The Nest Learning Thermostat can help save up to 31% on heating and cooling bills[2]
  • Improved compatibility: It works with most 24V systems, including gas, electric, oil, forced air, heat pump, and radiant, and no C wire is required for installation in most homes; visit the Nest Compatibility Checker for more info[5]
  • Easy control in the Google Home app: Adjust on your phone from anywhere[1] or by using your voice with Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant smart speaker[3], it’s easy to install yourself and it’s Matter compatible for simple integration into your smart home[5]
  • Beautiful design: With a 60% larger display[11] and Dynamic Farsight, you can see info from across the room[1]; choose the design, like a clock or the weather; it automatically adjusts brightness for the best readability or you can adjust manually

Invite someone from the Nest app

  1. Open the Nest app and select the correct home.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap Family or Family & Guests.
  4. Tap Add a person, enter the person’s name, and tap Continue.
  5. Choose Full Access if the person must control the thermostat.
  6. Enter the invitee’s email address and tap Send.

In the legacy Nest system, Full Access allows the invited person to control Nest products and change the thermostat temperature. Home Entry Only is intended for Nest × Yale Lock access and does not provide thermostat app control. See Google’s legacy sharing instructions.

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Accept a legacy Nest invitation

The recipient should open the invitation email, tap Accept invitation, and sign in to the Nest app—or create an account—using the email address to which the invitation was sent. If a different address is needed, send a new invitation.

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Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) + Nest Temperature Sensor (2nd gen) - Silver
  • Nest’s smartest, most advanced thermostat yet, the Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) is a beautiful, brilliant way to save energy, keep your home comfortable, and help make sure your heating and cooling systems are running smoothly[4]
  • Savings you can count on: The Nest Learning Thermostat can help save up to 31% on heating and cooling bills [2]
  • Improved compatibility: It works with most 24V systems, including gas, electric, oil, forced air, heat pump, and radiant, and no C wire is required for installation in most homes; visit the Nest Compatibility Checker for more info[5]
  • Easy control in the Google Home app: Adjust on your phone from anywhere[1] or by using your voice with Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant smart speaker[3], it’s easy to install yourself and it’s Matter compatible for simple integration into your smart home[5]
  • Beautiful design: With a 60% larger display[11] and Dynamic Farsight, you can see info from across the room[1]; choose the design, like a clock or the weather; it automatically adjusts brightness for the best readability or you can adjust manually

Important privacy warning

Share access, not your password. Each person should use a separate account. Sharing credentials can create security problems and may interfere with presence-based features such as Home/Away Assist—for example, a phone signed into the owner’s account leaving the home may be interpreted as the owner leaving.

Before inviting someone, review what else is in the same home: cameras, locks, speakers, routines, activity history, subscriptions, Wi-Fi, and other connected devices. Avoid Admin unless the person is fully trusted. Member Settings access is less powerful than Admin, but it is still broader than thermostat-only access. Google describes these permission implications in its home-sharing guidance.

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Google Nest Thermostat - Smart Thermostat for Home - Programmable Wifi Thermostat - Fog
  • ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostat for home that helps you save energy and stay comfortable.Control the temperature with your voice using smart home devices that work with Google Assistant or Alexa[3]Nest Renew makes it simple to support clean energy right from home; it works with your Nest Thermostat[5] to help you automatically prioritize your usage[6] to times when energy is cleaner or less expensive.Product note: You can also check your system’s compatibility before purchasing a Nest thermostat with our online Nest Compatibility Checker on the Google Nest support page
  • The Nest Thermostat is designed to work without a C wire in most homes, but for some systems, including heating only, cooling only, zone controlled, and heat pump systems, you’ll need a C wire or other compatible power accessory. You can control your Nest Thermostat manually when there's no internet connection.
  • Nest Thermostat turns itself down when you leave, so you don’t waste energy heating or cooling an empty home
  • Programmable thermostat that lets you create an energy efficient schedule in the Google Home app on your Android or iPhone
  • Remote control lets family members change the thermostat temperature from anywhere on a phone, laptop, or tablet[1]. | Control the temperature with your voice using smart home devices that work with Google Assistant or Alexa[3].
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

How to remove someone’s access

Google Home

Only an Admin can remove another person:

  1. Open Google Home.
  2. Tap your profile picture or initial.
  3. Tap Home settings.
  4. Under the home name, tap the profile icon for the person.
  5. Tap Remove this person and confirm.

Removal takes away access to the home’s devices and services. For a migrated Nest account, Google warns that removing access may affect associated devices or data, so review the consequences before removing a former owner or the account that originally set up the products.

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Legacy Nest

  1. Open the Nest app and tap Settings.
  2. Tap Family or Family & Guests.
  3. Select the person.
  4. Tap Remove access and confirm.

If the home is shared through Google Home, remove access there rather than in the Nest app.

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Sale
Google Nest Thermostat - Smart Thermostat for Home - Programmable Wifi Thermostat - Snow
  • ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostat for home that helps you save energy and stay comfortable.Product note: You can also check your system’s compatibility before purchasing a Nest thermostat with our online Nest Compatibility Checker on the Google Nest support page.Connectivity Protocol : ‎Wi-Fi.Connectivity Protocol : ‎Wi-Fi
  • The Nest Thermostat is designed to work without a C wire in most homes, but for some systems, including heating only, cooling only, zone controlled, and heat pump systems, you’ll need a C wire or other compatible power accessory. Lock feature: No
  • Nest Thermostat turns itself down when you leave, so you don’t waste energy heating or cooling an empty home; easily program an energy efficient schedule in the Google home app on your Android or iPhone
  • Remote control lets family members change the thermostat temperature from anywhere on a phone, laptop, or tablet[1]
  • Savings Finder looks for more ways your thermostat can help you save, and suggests tweaks to your schedule in the app; check with your energy provider to learn more about rebates and more ways to save on a Nest thermostat

Why the thermostat is not showing up

The invitation never arrived

  • Confirm that the owner used the correct email address.
  • Check spam, junk, promotions, and filtered folders.
  • Make sure the invitee is accepting with the same email address.
  • Resend the invitation if necessary.
  • Try opening the invitation on another device or browser.

The invite was accepted, but control is missing

  • Confirm that the invitee is signed in to the correct Google Account.
  • Switch to the home that actually contains the thermostat.
  • Check that a Google Home Member has Settings permission enabled.
  • Wait up to five minutes for permissions to propagate.
  • Confirm that the thermostat is online and still assigned to that home.

The thermostat appears in one app but not the other

This can be an account or product-generation issue rather than a failed invitation. Google Account users should manage members in Google Home. Nest products may also appear in the Nest app only for eligible home members who sign in with a Google Account. Use the same account in both apps and check Google’s app and account guidance.

The app says “Contact the owner”

Check whether the devices belong to another account, whether Google Home and Nest are using different accounts, whether the Nest account remains unmigrated, and whether the Google Home app needs updating. Do not start thermostat setup on the second phone; join the existing home instead. Google describes migration troubleshooting here and says Nest Account migration is irreversible.

The thermostat is offline

Sharing cannot repair a connectivity problem. Troubleshoot the thermostat’s Wi-Fi or app connection using Google’s offline-device guidance.

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The thermostat is locked

A physical thermostat lock does not necessarily block an authorized shared user. Google says a person with app access may still change the temperature or settings, or unlock the thermostat through the app. The lock restricts changes at the thermostat itself; home sharing controls app access. See Google’s thermostat-lock guidance.

Before you send the invitation

  • Make sure the thermostat is already set up and working in the correct home.
  • Use the recipient’s own account rather than sharing credentials.
  • Choose Member with Settings only when the person needs device control.
  • Use Admin only for a fully trusted co-manager.
  • Review cameras, locks, routines, activity, and other devices in the home.
  • Tell the invitee which email address to use when accepting.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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