Use our easy troubleshooter for guided steps. Start the troubleshooter
Follow these steps if your Nest thermostat has been previously connected to your Wi-Fi network but disconnects repeatedly, or if it's offline in the app or on the thermostat display.
If your thermostat doesn't have power
- Your thermostat will show a blank screen and the display will be unresponsive.
- Follow the steps in Troubleshoot when your thermostat won’t turn on.
If your thermostat has power
- You can control your system with the thermostat, but not with the app. Adjust the temperature with your thermostat to stay comfortable while you troubleshoot.
- Follow the troubleshooting steps in this article.
1. Check the thermostat's battery levels
If your thermostat’s battery level is low, it'll disconnect from Wi-Fi. It does this to conserve power, so it can continue to control your system. If your thermostat repeatedly loses battery charge, it may require a C wire or the Nest Power Connector.
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Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) When the battery is low, it displays a dark yellow light. To check the battery level, on your thermostat, select Settings |
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Nest Thermostat The Nest Thermostat lets you know when the battery level is getting low, but you can manually check it any time on your thermostat: Open the Menu view If the status says “Very low,” replace the batteries with new ones. Then, check if your thermostat reconnects. It may take a few moments. Note: If low battery is a recurring issue or if you think there may be an issue with wiring, check Troubleshoot when your thermostat won’t turn on for more help.
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Nest Thermostat E or Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen or earlier) Check the battery level on your thermostat: Open the Quick View menu select Settings
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. The icon changes depending on charge level.
2. Check for messages and help codes on your thermostat
Sometimes, your thermostat tells you what’s happening. Here are some messages and help codes you might find:
- Install power wire: Your thermostat doesn’t get enough consistent power to stay connected to Wi-Fi. To resolve this issue, you need to connect the Nest Power Connector or a C wire.
- E448, E298, E73, E74 or E196 help codes: Your thermostat isn’t getting any power. For help, refer to troubleshoot Nest thermostat help codes.
- W5 help code: Your Nest thermostat can't connect to Wi-Fi. For help, refer to Troubleshoot a Nest thermostat W5 code.
3. Check that you have the latest app version
4. Make sure your home Wi-Fi works
Check to verify if you can get online with a different device at home. If you’re using a cellphone, turn on Airplane mode and then turn on Wi-Fi to make sure you don’t use cellular data to test your connection.
If you can’t connect, use another device to verify. If no device connects, contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to check the service status.
5. Restart your router
When you restart your router, it resets your internet connection. You should also restart any Wi-Fi range extenders or repeaters. You may need to consult your router’s user manual for specific instructions on how to restart your router.
- Unplug your modem and router power cords. You may have a modem and router combo or they may be separate devices. All the lights on your modem and router should be off.
- Wait for 30 seconds, then plug in your router and access points. Wait about a minute for them to finish starting up, then plug in your modem.
- Wait a couple of minutes or until there’s steady power and connection lights. A quickly flashing data light may also appear.
6. Restart your Nest thermostat
When you restart your thermostat, it refreshes your connection.
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Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) On your thermostat, press the display to open the menu view Your thermostat will take a few minutes to restart. |
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Nest Thermostat On your thermostat, open the Menu view |
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Nest Thermostat E or Nest Learning Thermostat On your thermostat, press the thermostat ring to open the Quick View menu |
.7. Check your Wi-Fi signal strength
Check the Wi-Fi signal strength and ping speed of your Nest thermostat to help determine if interference or distance from the router is what prevents your thermostat from connecting. Interference is typically intermittent, so your thermostat can disconnect and reconnect to Wi-Fi repeatedly if this is the root cause.
Check thermostat connection strength
Nest Thermostat or Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen)
On your thermostat, go to 
Nest Thermostat E or Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen or earlier)
On your thermostat, press the ring to open the Quick View menu 
Note: If you get “Client not connected” on this menu, you should check for sources of interference below.
- Ping: Ping shows how long it takes for messages from your thermostat to travel to Nest servers and back. Ping speed should be lower than 1500 ms. To try to improve your connection, remove sources of Wi-Fi interference below.
- If the ping speed is 0, the Nest thermostat is connected to the network but not communicating with our servers, usually due to router firewalls or other network settings. Continue to step 10 for more information about router settings.
- Depending on your thermostat’s software version, the ping may not be visible. If so, check the Nest weave connection instead for information about your thermostat’s connection.
- Signal strength: Signal strength is a 100-point scale. Anything less than 50 indicates a weak connection. Try moving your router closer to your thermostat or installing a Wi-Fi extender.
Check the Nest weave connection (certain thermostats only)
On your thermostat, open the Quick view menu
Connected - Remote control unavailable: there may be an issue with the Nest service.
Not connected: there may be an issue with the router or network.
Check for sources for Wi-Fi interference
If your thermostat’s ping is above 1000 or its signal strength is below 50, turn off any devices that operate on a 2.4 GHz frequency, then check the ping and signal strength again. Here are some devices that might cause problems:
- Cordless phones
- Baby monitors
- Microwaves
- Bluetooth devices
- Wireless video equipment
The placement of your router may also cause interference. Since the thermostat is stationary, try moving your router a few feet to the right or left.
If your router is placed in an area with other electronics, like inside an entertainment center, the devices near it could interfere with the connection to your thermostat.
For more information and steps to take to troubleshoot wireless interference, refer to troubleshoot wireless interference.
8. Connect thermostat to a new network
If the thermostat and the network it’s connected to aren’t compatible, it might cause the thermostat to disconnect.
Temporarily connect your thermostat to a mobile hotspot to check how the thermostat behaves when connected to a different network. You need a mobile device that can be used as a mobile hotspot. Skip to the next step if you don’t have a mobile hotspot.
- In your mobile device’s settings, turn on mobile hotspot. Make sure to have the hotspot name and password available.
- Find the steps on how to reset your thermostat’s Wi-Fi connection below, and then connect to the hotspot.
Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) and Nest Thermostat
- Open the Google Home app
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- Tap Favorites
or Devices
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- Touch and hold your thermostat's tile.
- Tap Settings
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- Tap Device information
- Follow the instructions in the app to connect your thermostat to the Wi-Fi network.
Nest Thermostat E or Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen or earlier)
Depending on your thermostat’s software version, you may have the option to reset your thermostat’s network. When you reset your thermostat’s network, all the network information on your thermostat is removed. If you don’t find the option to reset the network, continue to step 10.
1. Reset the network
- On your thermostat, open the Quick View menu.
- Select Settings
Reset.
- Select Network and choose Reset. Note: If this option doesn’t appear, continue to step 10.
- Confirm that you’d like to reset your network settings.
2. Reconnect your thermostat to Wi-Fi
- On your thermostat, open the Quick View menu.
- Select Settings
- Choose your Wi-Fi network name and enter your password if prompted.
- If your thermostat still has trouble connecting, go to step 10 and check the settings on your Wi-Fi router or access point. You can also try to disable any range extenders you may have installed for your Wi-Fi network.
3. Reconnect your thermostat to the app
- On your thermostat, open the Quick View menu.
- Select Settings
- Follow the instructions.
- Incompatible settings on your home Wi-Fi router or access point can cause your thermostat to disconnect from Wi-Fi.
- Highly restrictive firewall security or parental controls can block communication with Nest servers. Temporarily lower these settings to test if they’re the cause.
- Refer to your Wi-Fi router or access point documentation for steps on how to exempt a Nest thermostat from these restrictions.
- If you still can’t connect your thermostat after you change parental control or firewall settings, make sure you use settings that allow your thermostat to connect to your home Wi-Fi:
- Enable 802.11 b/g/n if you have an 802.11 ac router.
- Set your Wi-Fi router's DHCP lease time to at least 2 hours.
- Turn on your router’s Power Save Mode (PSM) For complete instructions, go to recommended Wi-Fi settings.
A few older routers are incompatible with Nest products. Some incompatibility problems can be resolved when you update the router’s software or firmware.
For additional assistance, contact Customer Support.