How to reset or restart your Google Nest Thermostat

We tend not to think about it when buying one, but there’s almost inevitably a need to reset a Nest Thermostat at some point — even if you’re not troubleshooting, you’re probably going to move, and either take the device with you or leave it for the new homeowners. Here’s how to reset a Nest Thermostat — as well as just restart it when less drastic actions are called for.

How to reset or restart your Nest Thermostat

If you’re only troubleshooting, you should always attempt a restart first, since that preserves settings and other data — especially important if you have a Nest Learning Thermostat. Here’s what to do:

• Press the dial to open the Quick View menu.
• Rotate the dial and select Settings.
• Choose Reset.
• From the next menu, pick Restart.

If a restart doesn’t solve your problems, or you’re relocating your thermostat or giving it away, a reset may be in order. From Settings > Reset, choose All Settings for a total reset. Alternately, you can pick Schedule, Away, or Network for partial data wipes.

What happens when you reset your Nest Thermostat

Here’s what each of the four reset options do:

• All Settings: This resets everything to factory defaults. Always use this if you’re switching owners.
• Schedule: This just clears out your existing temperature schedule, learned or otherwise. Nest Thermostat E owners with Auto-Schedule disabled will get the option to reset to a blank timetable (as normal) or pick an average schedule based on their region.
• Away: This deletes occupancy detection data used to switch connected devices based on how often you walk by. There’s usually no reason to choose this, but you may need it if you’ve relocated your thermostat without changing homes.
• Network: This clears out Wi-Fi settings, which can be handy if you’ve changed networks or altered your network ID. You’ll have to use Settings > Network to reconnect.

What to do if your Nest Thermostat is frozen or not responding

If you can’t reach the Quick View menu, you’ll have to restart your thermostat manually:

• Press and hold the dial until the display turns off. This should take about 10 seconds. When it does turn off, let go.
• Press and release the dial (no need to hold) to start the boot process.

Assuming everything is working properly, you should see a logo appear, then normal display functions.