Nest thermostats have two main screens: the Temperature Screen and the Quick View menu. Your thermostat can also show you important notifications and error messages if needed.
Nest thermostats do more than let you change the temperature, they let you know what’s happening. For instance, your thermostat can show you important notifications about your heating usage, the ambient temperature, the temperature your system is set to heat to, and more. Here’s a complete guide to all the icons, numbers and more of what you’ll see on your thermostat.
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Temperature screen This is what you’ll see and use most often. You’ll see the current |
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Quick View menu Press the ring on your thermostat and the Temperature screen |
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Notifications and errors If there’s a problem or something important you should know, |
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Farsight 3rd gen Nest Learning thermostats also have Farsight. |
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The temperature screen
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Nest Learning Thermostat |
Nest Thermostat E |
Thermostat temperature screen basics
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| Nest Learning Thermostat | Nest Thermostat E |
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The temperature screen will show you the current temperature in your home, and the temperature your system is set to.
- The LARGE number (A) 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.
- The SMALL number (B) near the edge of the screen is the current room temperature measured by your thermostat’s sensors.
- You’ll see ECO and the green Nest Leaf icon instead of a number indicating the temperature when your thermostat is set to Eco Temperatures to help save energy.
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Icons will appear at the bottom of the temperature screen to let you know what’s happening and when your thermostat is using certain features. For instance, you’ll see the Nest Leaf to let you know that you’ve selected an energy-saving temperature. See the icons section below for details.
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The color will change depending on your system’s current state. You may also see a message like “Heat set to.” The Nest Learning Thermostat screen will turn from orange when heating to black when Off or set to ECO. The Nest Thermostat E’s temperature will turn from orange to white.
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The thermostat screen will turn off when it notices that there hasn’t been any recent activity nearby. If you’ve enabled Farsight, the screen will switch to showing you the option you’ve selected (the room temperature, time, weather, etc.).
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Important notifications such as an error, issue with your system, 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.
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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.
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You can also see the temperature screen in the Nest app. Just tap your thermostat on the app home screen to bring it up. There are some key differences between what you’ll see on your thermostat’s temperature screen and the one in the app. See the section below for details.
Time-to-Temperature
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When you manually change the temperature on your Your Nest thermostat will estimate the Time-to- |
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Once the target temperature is reached, the Time-to-Temperature will disappear.
- The Nest Learning Thermostat screen background will turn from orange (heating) to black.
- The Nest Thermostat E’s temperature will turn from orange to white.
The Time-to-Temperature estimate will get more accurate as your thermostat continues to learn how your home warms up and cools down.
When you won’t see Time to Temperature
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You’ll only see Time-to-Temperature estimates for temperatures that you’ve manually set with the thermostat or the Nest app. Temperatures that you have 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 is needed to maintain the temperature that you have 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.
Differences between the app and thermostat temperature screens
There are some differences between what you’ll see in the 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 or idle (the colors will change)
- The target temperature that your system is set to heat to
- Time-to-Temperature
- Nest Leaf (depending on target temperature)
- Eco (when thermostat switches to Eco Temperature)
In the app you'll also see:
- System Mode (for switching between Heat, Eco and Off modes)
- Schedule (for changing the temperature schedule)
- History (to view your Energy History)
- The current humidity in your home
- Settings (change Eco Temperature, lock the thermostat, and more)
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Nest Learning Thermostat |
Nest Thermostat E |
Temperature screen icons
The icons below will appear when needed, but they depend on your system as well as energy savings program participation so you may not see one or more of them at all.
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Nest Leaf |
You’ll see this icon 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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Seasonal Savings  |
This icon will appear whenever Seasonal Savings is adjusting your heating schedule to help you save energy. |
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Hot water  |
You’ll see this icon on the temperature screen when your domestic hot water is heating during boost mode. Follow this link to learn more about how you can turn your hot water on or off, or change your hot water settings. |
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Bacteria Prevention  |
If this feature is enabled, your Nest thermostat will help to prevent Legionella bacteria. Your thermostat will heat your domestic hot water regularly if you’ve been away for an extended period of time, or if there’s a large gap in your hot water heating schedule. |
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Sunblock  |
You’ll see this icon when Sunblock uses your Nest thermostat’s light and temperature sensors to help keep you comfortable. |
The Quick View menu
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The Quick View menu gives you easy access to important Simply press your thermostat’s ring to open the Quick View |
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Done  |
Highlight the arrow and you'll see the current weather, time, day of the week, and the temperature and humidity in your home. Note: If your thermostat isn’t connected to Wi-Fi you won’t see weather information. Select this icon and press the thermostat ring to return to the temperature screen. |
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Off 
Heat 
Eco  |
The color of this icon will change depending on which mode your thermostat is in. You can also tell which mode your thermostat is in by highlighting the icon. Select this icon to choose from different thermostat modes: Heat, Eco or Off. |
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Hot water on 
Hot water off |
If your Nest thermostat controls domestic hot water control, you’ll see the current status of your domestic hot water. Press your thermostat’s ring to see the Hot Water menu. Here, you can activate Boost mode, set your domestic hot water schedule and turn your hot water schedule on or off. Note: This icon will only appear if you have a Nest thermostat set up with a hot water tank or an OpenTherm-enabled combi boiler. |
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Energy  |
Turning to this icon gives a quick summary of yesterday's energy use if it’s available. Press the thermostat ring to see 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  |
Turning the thermostat ring to select Schedule shows the next upcoming temperature in your schedule. You can press the thermostat ring to view 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 view detailed information that can help you troubleshoot problems. Press the ring to access and change thermostat settings like screen brightness, Eco Temperature, network connection, and more. |
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Exclamation point  |
Note: Note: If the thermostat is offline, you'll see 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. |
.The Farsight screen
3rd generation Nest Learning Thermostats can automatically wake up and switch to the Farsight screen when there’s activity within 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
Note: No matter which Farsight setting you choose, |
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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 you’ll see, depending on your Farsight setting.
Note: To exit Farsight and use your thermostat to change the temperature or other settings, simply press or turn the thermostat ring.
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Farsight |
Far When you're up to 20 feet away
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Near When you're within about 3 feet
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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 Nest 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 it 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 3rd gen Nest Learning Thermostats have Farsight
- Farsight is available only on 3rd gen Nest Learning Thermostats with software 5.0 or later installed.
- 3rd gen thermostats have advanced sensors needed to sense your presence from farther away.
- Farsight takes advantage of the larger high-res screen on the 3rd gen thermostat so it’s easy to read.
How to change Farsight settings
3rd gen Nest Learning Thermostats have Farsight on by default, and will show you the target temperature. You can turn Farsight off or change what it shows you with your thermostat.
- Press the thermostat ring to open the Quick View screen.
- Turn the ring to Settings and press to select.
- Select Display
Farsight
- Now you can choose what Farsight will show you, or turn it off by selecting None.
In the Home app
- Open the Home app
- Tap Favourites
or Devices
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- Tap your thermostat
Settings
- 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 see messages on your Nest thermostat letting you Here’s a short list of key notifications you may see on your thermostat:
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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.
Troubleshooting error codes: When you see 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 troubleshooting thermostat error codes article to see specific troubleshooting steps.