Google Nest thermostats do more than let you change the temperature. They also let you know what's happening. For instance, your thermostat shows you important notifications about issues with your system, the ambient temperature, the temperature your system is set to reach, and more.
Here's a complete guide to all the symbols, icons, numbers and more of what will appear on your thermostat.
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This article applies to the following Google Nest thermostats models: |
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Nest Thermostat E |
Nest Learning Thermostat |
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Thermostats that have the Heat Link |
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| How to tell which thermostat you have | |
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The temperature screen It shows the current ambient temperature, the temperature your thermostat is set to (the Target Temperature), and icons like the Nest Leaf when relevant. |
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The Quick View menu Press the ring on your thermostat to switch from the temperature screen to the Quick View menu. Here you can change your thermostat's mode (from heating to cooling, for instance) and dig into settings where you can change your temperature schedule, update the Wi-Fi network, and more (depending on your thermostat model). |
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Notifications and errors If there's a problem or something important you should know, a message will pop up on your thermostat or in the app. There may also be an icon on the temperature screen after the message goes away. |
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Farsight Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen and 4th gen) also have Farsight. Farsight shows you practical information such as the time, the weather or the temperature, in a large format that's easy to read from across the room. |
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The temperature screen
The basics
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Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) |
Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen) |
Nest Thermostat E |
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Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) |
Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen) |
Nest Thermostat E |
- The temperature screen will show you the current temperature in your home, and the temperature your system is set to.
- The small number near the edge of the screen is the Current Temperature measured by your thermostat's sensors. If you have a Nest Temperature Sensor that's currently active, it'll show the temperature measured by the sensor, which is typically located in a different room from the one your thermostat is in.
- The large number in the center of the screen is the Target Temperature. This is the temperature your system is set to heat or cool to. Turn your thermostat's ring clockwise or counterclockwise to adjust the Target Temperature.
- It'll show "ECO" and the Nest Leaf icon instead of a number indicating the temperature when your thermostat is set to Eco Temperatures to help save energy.
Note: Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) shows additional information based on how you set the Eco Temperature.
- Eco hold: You used the Hold option to set your Eco Temperature preset. For more information about holding temperatures, refer to Hold the temperature on the Nest Thermostat.
- Auto-eco: Your thermostat automatically switched to your Eco Temperature preset because it detected no one was home. For more information about how Eco Temperatures work, refer to Learn about Eco Temperatures and how to change settings.
- Adaptive eco: Your thermostat automatically switched to your Eco Temperature preset because it detected no one was home and you turned on the Adaptive Eco setting, which automatically adjusts your Eco Temperature preset. For more information about Adaptive Eco, refer to Adaptive Comfort and Adaptive Eco.
- Icons will appear at the bottom of the temperature screen to let you know what's happening. For example, the Nest Leaf appears when you've selected an energy-saving temperature. Refer to the icons section below for details.
- The color will change between orange (heating) blue (cooling) and black (off or ECO) depending on your system's current state. The display may show a message like "Heat set to" or "Cooling."
- The thermostat screen will turn off when it notices that there has been no recent activity nearby. If you've enabled Farsight, the screen will switch to the option you've selected (the room temperature, time, weather, etc.).
- Important notifications such as an error, issue with your system, or an upcoming energy Rush Hour will be automatically shown on the temperature screen. You can manually dismiss most notifications, except critical errors. Notifications will automatically disappear after a while, or when the issue is resolved.
- Press the thermostat to manually switch to the Quick View screen if needed. Remember, Nest thermostats don't have touchscreens, press down until you hear a click.
- You can also find the temperature screen in the Nest or Google Home app. Tap your thermostat on the Nest or Home app home screen to bring it up. There are some key differences between what is shown on your thermostat's temperature screen and the one in the app.
Differences between the app and thermostat temperature screens
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When you manually change the temperature on your thermostat or with the app, it’ll show approximately how long it will take for your home to reach the temperature you've chosen. Your Nest thermostat will estimate the Time-to-Temperature in increments of five minutes. If it's less than ten minutes until the temperature you've selected is reached, the display will read, "less than ten minutes." If it's more than two hours, Nest will read "IN 2+ HR." |
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Once the target temperature is reached, the Time-to-Temperature will disappear, and the screen background will turn from orange (heating) or blue (cooling) to black.
The Time-to-Temperature estimate will get more accurate as your thermostat continues to learn how your home warms up and cools down.
When Time-to-Temperature won't appear
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Time-to-Temperature estimates will only appear for temperatures that you've manually set with the thermostat or the Nest or Home app. Temperatures that you've put into your schedule and temperatures added by Auto-Schedule won't have a Time-to-Temperature displayed.
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Your Nest thermostat won't display a Time-to-Temperature estimate if continuous heating or cooling is needed to maintain the temperature that you've selected, or if the temperature fluctuates unexpectedly. For example, if you have a poorly insulated home and an extreme cold front rolls in, your heating system might have to constantly cycle to keep the temperature up. In this case, the display will simply read "HEATING" without a time.
There are some differences between what appears in the Nest or Home app and on your thermostat. The app has some extra options for system controls, the current humidity in your home, and information about all the temperature sensors connected to your thermostat.
On your thermostat:
- Whether your system is heating, cooling or idle
- The target temperature that your system is set to heat or cool to
- Fan (when it's running)
- Time-to-Temperature
- Nest Leaf (depending on target temperature)
- Eco (when thermostat switches to Eco Temperatures)
In the Nest or Home app:
- System Mode (to switch between Heat, Cool, Heat • Cool, Eco and Off modes)
- Fan control (to manually turn your system's fan on and off)
- Schedule (to change the temperature schedule)
- History (to show your Energy History)
- The current humidity in your home
- Settings (to change preset temperatures, set a fan schedule, and more). Note: Some settings are only available in the Nest app. Temperature Lock, Farsight, and Humidifier/Dehumidifier are available in the Home app.
- Nest Temperature Sensors that are connected to your thermostat.
The icons below appear when needed. However, this will depend on your system as well as whether you've opted into an energy savings program. So, it may not show one or more of them at all.
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Nest Leaf |
This icon will appear when your thermostat is set to an energy efficient temperature. Use the Nest Leaf as a guide to help you save energy. |
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Rush Hour Rewards |
This icon appears during either a Rush Hour or Seasonal Savings event. |
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Fan |
If you can turn on your system's fan independently of heating or cooling, the fan icon will appear on the temperature screen when it's running. |
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Airwave
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This icon will appear on your temperature screen if your Nest thermostat is using Airwave to help save you energy. |
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Humidity
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This icon is displayed on the temperature screen whenever your Nest thermostat is using your system to adjust the humidity in your home. This icon will only appear if you have a humidifier or dehumidifier installed on your thermostat. You can set times when your humidifier or dehumidifier won't run, so they won't disturb you. Learn How to change Quiet Time settings. |
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Sunblock |
This icon will appear when Sunblock uses your Nest thermostat's light and temperature sensors to help keep you comfortable. |
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The Quick View menu gives you easy access to important settings and information about your thermostat. Press your thermostat's ring to open the Quick View menu. It will show you several options to choose from, each represented by an icon. Turn the ring and press to select the one you want. Note that the options displayed in the Quick View menu vary based on the thermostat model. |
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Done
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Select this icon and press the thermostat ring to return to the temperature screen. |
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Off
Heat
Cool
Heat•Cool
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Select the mode icon to choose whether your thermostat uses heating, cooling or both to keep your home comfortable. The available modes will depend on your equipment. For example, the display will show Cool and Heat • Cool modes if your thermostat is connected to central air conditioning. |
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Hold |
Choose to maintain a specific temperature for as long as you want. |
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Eco |
Your thermostat will automatically switch to Eco Temperature when your home is unoccupied to help save energy. You can also manually set it by selecting this icon. |
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Sensors |
Switch which sensor the thermostat is currently using. |
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Fan |
This icon will appear only if your system has a fan that can be controlled separately from heating and cooling. Select this icon to turn your fan on or off right away, or set a daily schedule. |
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Energy |
Select this icon to bring up a quick summary of yesterday's energy use if it's available. Press the thermostat ring to show more details about your Energy History for the last 10 days. Note: If you have a Nest thermostat E, you'll find History under Settings |
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Schedule |
Highlight this icon to show the next upcoming temperature in your schedule. Select this icon to show and change your weekly schedule. Note: If you have a Nest thermostat E, you'll find Schedule under Settings |
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Settings |
Settings is where you can change your thermostat's options and shows a detailed information that can help you troubleshoot problems. |
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Exclamation point |
Note: If the thermostat is offline, the display will show an exclamation point inside the Settings icon. You can still control your heating and cooling with the thermostat, but you won't be able to control the temperature with the Nest app. |
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The Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd and 4th gen) can automatically wake up and switch to the Farsight screen when there's activity at up to 20 feet. The Farsight screen shows you useful information in a large format that makes it easy to read even from the other side of the room.
Things Farsight can show you
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You can choose what Farsight shows you, or turn it off in your Nest thermostat's settings:
Note: No matter which Farsight setting you choose, your thermostat will always go to sleep to conserve power, and show you important messages such as smoke and carbon monoxide alerts from your Nest Protect, Furnace Heads-Up, or any other error or alert that requires your attention. |
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Farsight changes when you get closer to your thermostat
When the Farsight screen is active, it will automatically show you more details when you get closer to your thermostat, within about 3 feet. Below are examples of what will appear, depending on your Farsight setting.
Note: To exit Farsight and use your thermostat to change the temperature or other settings, press on your thermostat or turn the ring.
Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen)
| Farsight setting | Far When you're up to 20 feet away |
Near When you're within about 3 feet |
| Temperatures |  |
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| Analog clock |  |
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| Digital clock |  |
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| Weather |  |
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Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen)
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Farsight setting |
Far |
Near |
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None (off) |
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Target temperature |
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Current room temperature |
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Analog clock |
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Digital clock |
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Weather and forecast |
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Farsight is disabled when your thermostat's battery is low
Your thermostat charges its internal battery with the power it gets from the wires connected to your system. It closely monitors its internal battery charge level, and if the charge gets too low, your thermostat will take energy saving measures to help ensure you have full control of your heating and cooling, and access to critical thermostat features.
When the charge gets low enough, Farsight will automatically turn off until the battery recharges. You'll still be able to use your thermostat as usual, but the display will only turn on when you're within about 3 feet. After your thermostat has had a chance to recharge its battery enough, Farsight will work again.
Why only Nest Learning Thermostats (3rd and 4th gen) have Farsight
- These thermostats have advanced sensors needed to sense your presence from farther away.
- Farsight takes advantage of the larger, high-res screen on the newer thermostats so it's easy to read.
Note: Farsight is available only on Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen) with software 5.0 or later installed.
How to change Farsight settings
You can turn Farsight off or change what it shows you on your thermostat's screen or in the Home app.
On your thermostat
- Press the thermostat ring to open the Quick View screen.
- Turn the ring to Settings
and press to select.
- Open the Farsight settings:
- Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen): Select Display
Farsight.
- Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen): Select Farsight.
- Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen): Select Display
- Choose what Farsight will show you. To turn it off, select Off or None.
In the Home app
- Open the Home app
- Tap Favorites
or Devices
- Tap your thermostat
- Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen): To turn Farsight on or off, tap the switch next to "Use Farsight."
- Tap the feature that you want Farsight to show when it's active. You can choose the temperature, a clock or the weather.
Error codes and notifications
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You'll find messages on your Nest thermostat about things that you should know and may need your attention. Certain thermostat errors and notifications will also appear in the Nest or Home app. |
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Here's a short list of key notifications that may appear on your thermostat:
- Energy Rush Hour
- Seasonal Savings
- Safety Temperature
- Furnace Heads-Up
- Air filter reminders
- Thermostat error codes
Your thermostat will show you an error message when it detects a problem with things like wiring, Wi-Fi, or power.
Sometimes you can dismiss an error code if it's non-critical. However, it may come back if the problem persists. Other issues that require your immediate attention will remain on your thermostat until the problem is fixed.
Troubleshoot error codes: When it shows an error code, your thermostat will tell you a bit about the problem. To get help with a specific thermostat error message, make a note of the code in the message ( typically a letter followed by two numbers) and look it up in our troubleshoot thermostat error codes article for specific troubleshooting steps.