How to Turn Off a Nest Thermostat

Learn how to manually turn off your Nest Thermostat

By
Jerri Ledford
Jerri Ledford
Jerri Ledford
Senior News Editor, Fact Checker
  • Western Kentucky University
  • Gulf Coast Community College
Jerri L. Ledford has been writing, editing, and fact-checking tech stories since 1994. Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others.
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Updated on May 24, 2022
Reviewed by
Jon Fisher
Jon Fisher headshot
Reviewed by Jon Fisher
  • Wichita Technical Institute
Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek.
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What to Know

  • From the thermostat: Press center of device > scroll to Mode > press device > scroll to Off. Press the device again.
  • In the Nest app, select the thermostat, then tap the Mode icon and select Off.

This article includes instructions for turning off your Nest thermostat from the device and the mobile app on your iPhone or Android phone. The instructions should work with any Nest thermostat and the Nest app on any mobile device.

How Do I Manually Turn Off My Nest Thermostat?

If you don't have a mobile device with the Nest app, you can turn your thermostat off directly from the device. Because it's not immediately obvious how to do so on the device, follow these steps:

  1. Press the center of your Nest thermostat to open the menu.

    The Nest thermostat with a callout indicating to press the center of the thermostat.

  2. In the menu that appears, use the bezel of the Nest thermostat to scroll to the Mode icon, then press the center of the device to select it.

    The Mode option on a Nest Thermostat.

  3. When the new menu appears, use the bezel to scroll to Off, and then press the center of the thermostat to select it. Your thermostat will now remain off until you turn it back on again.

    The Off option on the Nest thermostat.

How Do I Turn Off the Thermostat on My Nest App?

If you aren't near your Nest thermostat but you still want to turn it off, you can do so from the Nest app, as long as you're connected to a network. It can be a mobile network or a wireless network, and if you're away from home, there could be a short delay while the command reaches the device.

You must have already set up your Nest thermostat and connected to it through the Nest app for these instructions to work.

  1. Open the Nest app on your mobile device.

  2. Tap the thermostat you want to turn off.

  3. Tap the Mode icon.

  4. Tap Off in the menu that appears.

    Screenshots showing how to turn off a Nest thermostat from the Nest app.

Nest Safety Temperature

Even if you turn your Nest thermostat off, the device has a feature called Safety Temperature. It's a set temperature that, even if the Nest thermostat is off, will trigger the device to automatically turn on and begin heating or cooling your house for safety purposes. For example, suppose you live in a cold climate and forget to turn your thermostat on before going out of town. In that case, Nest will automatically turn on once the temperature in your home gets below a certain level to keep your house from getting too cold. The same is true if you live in a warm climate, but the air conditioning will turn on to cool your home.

By default, Nest Safety Temperatures are set to 40 degrees Fahrenheit for the low and off for the high. If you want to adjust those temperatures, in the Nest app, select your thermostat, then select the settings gear icon and choose Safety Temperature.

FAQ
  • How do I turn off Eco Mode on a Nest Thermostat?

    You can turn off Eco Mode through the Nest app. Select your thermostat, and then tap Mode. Choose a heating or cooling setting to turn off Eco Mode.

  • How do I reset a Nest thermostat?

    You can reset a Nest thermostat through the same menu you use to turn it off. Press the front of the thermostat to open the menu. Navigate to Settings > Reset. From here, you can select Restart to reboot the Nest. To return it to factory settings, select All Settings.

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