When to replace your Nest Protect

• All carbon monoxide (CO) alarms expire because their sensors have a limited lifespan. To comply with certification standards, 2nd gen Nest Protect has to be replaced after 10 years, while 1st gen Nest Protect has to be replaced after 7 years.
• Because CO sensors have a limited life expectancy, certification standards require Protect to chirp after its sensors have expired or have failed. To help you remember to replace your Protect before it expires, you’ll be sent reminders long before your Protect’s expiration date.
• You’ll no longer be protected from smoke or carbon monoxide if you don’t replace your Nest Protect when it expires.

Important: To get app notifications and emails about your Protect’s expiration, your Protect needs to be set up in the Nest app and connected to Wi-Fi. Even if your Protect isn’t connected to the app, it will still chirp after it has expired.

Because your safety is a priority, there are several ways in which Protect will let you know that it needs to be replaced soon.

The Nest app will notify you ahead of time

You'll be sent a push notification to your phone 3 months, one month, and 7 days before your Protect expires. You’ll also get a message in the Nest app on those same days. To view the message, tap on the notification, or go to the Nest app tap  Messages.

Each notification will remind you that your Protect will stop working soon and will show you when it needs to be replaced. 

In the app, your Protect will have a yellow ring instead of a green one. It will also say "Expiring soon." Tap your Protect in the Nest app for more information.

How Nest Protect lets you know it’s working

3 months before your Protect’s expiration date, days in your Protect’s history will begin to appear as yellow and tell you Protect is expiring soon. This will persist until Protect expires or is removed from the app.

You'll be sent emails to your account address

Nest will send you a reminder email 3 months and one month before your Protect expires.

Your Monthly Home Report will also tell you that Protect is expiring soon and will need to be replaced.

Protect will tell you

Your Protect’s light ring will turn yellow when you turn the lights off for the night (Nightly Promise). If you press Protect’s button, it will say “Heads-up. Nest Protect will expire in the [name of room]. Replace Nest Protect soon.”

Nest Protect lights and sounds

The Nest app will notify you

When your Protect’s sensors have expired, you’ll be sent a notification to your phone and a message in the app. To view the message, tap on the notification, or go to the Nest app tap  Messages.

In the app, you’ll find a yellow ring on your Protect and the Home ring. Your Protect will also say "Expired." Tap your Protect in the app for more information.

How Nest Protect lets you know it’s working

In Protect’s history, the day of expiration will appear as gray. This will persist until Protect is removed from the app.

You'll be sent emails to your account address

Nest will send you an email the day your Protect expires.

Your Monthly Home Report will also tell you that Protect has expired.

Protect will tell you

Your Protect will chirp continuously after it has expired.

Protect’s light ring will be yellow when you turn the lights off for the night (Nightly Promise). When you press Protect’s button, it will say “Heads-up. Nest Protect has expired in the [name of room]. Replace Nest Protect now.”

Nest Protect lights and sounds

Like other electronic devices, Protect’s sensors can be damaged by:

• A significant incident, such as a building fire or flood
• Detergent or cleaning solvents (like glass cleaner)
• Other chemicals including paint, air fresheners, hair spray, other aerosols, or vehicle exhaust
• Open flames

If there hasn’t been a major incident like a fire, Protect’s smoke chamber may simply have excessive dust in it. Try cleaning it. If the notifications stop, you can continue to use your Protect as usual.

If the notifications continue, you’ll need to replace Protect.