Is HomeKit Compatible With Nest Thermostat? (Complete Guide)

The Nest Learning Thermostat is the most recent addition to the intelligent home I’m creating with HomeKit. I bought it because I wanted a smart device that would give me complete control over my home’s temperature while allowing me to keep my energy costs in check.

Though, I had no idea the Nest thermostat was not a HomeKit-enabled thermostat. So I started looking for ways to connect Apple’s HomeKit to my Nest thermostat.

HomeKit Compatible With Nest Thermostat, utilizes a Homebridge hub or device to function with Apple HomeKit. Nest doesn’t provide native or direct integration with HomeKit, however. Nevertheless, the Nest Thermostat is available for purchase if you so choose (on Amazon).

Video: Does Nest Work With HomeKit?

HOW TO INCLUDE HOMEKIT AND THE NEST THERMOSTAT?

After researching potential methods for integrating my Nest Thermostat with HomeKit for hours, I realized there are two ways to do this. The first choice is to install Homebridge on your computer, after which you may manage your homekit thermostat from that location.

However, there are a few factors that make this problematic. The major obstacle is that it necessitates having your computer on constantly, which is inconvenient for most people.

The complex technical process of setting up Homebridge is another problem with this solution. Therefore, the second choice I ultimately chose is to use a Homebridge device that operates in a plug-and-play fashion.

All your Nest products, including your Nest thermostats, will be integrated with Homekit by this tiny device, which will connect to your network.

HomeKit Compatible With Nest Thermostat

The fact that this solution is set-and-forget and is simple to set up made the decision for me incredibly simple.

A Homebridge device google home also increases the adaptability of your smart home setup by providing a variety of unique automation that your house might find helpful.

The second method of linking your Nest thermostat with Apple HomeKit will be the main focus of this guide.

NEST THERMOSTAT AND HOMEKIT CONNECTION VIA HOMEBRIDGE HUB

I considered four other HomeKit hub options before choosing the Starling Home Hub since it was the most reliable, user-friendly, and adaptable Homebridge product.

The Home app nest aware on your Apple devices communicates with your Nest devices through a small hub connected to your router.

REASONS TO USE STARLING HOME HUB WITH A NEST THERMOSTAT

Since there are a few different options available, I believe I must explain why I chose the Starling Home Hub for my Nest thermostat:

• For ALL Nest devices, a HomeKit connection is available. As a result, you won’t be limited to using HomeKit-certified gadgets for your smart home. You can use HomeKit to control all Google Nest products, including Nest Secure alarm, Nest Camera, Nest Protect, and Nest Hello.
• The Starling Hub’s setup is the simplest of all of them. It entails the absence of plugin installations, challenging manuals, etc. It simply yet accomplishes what it states.
• A set-and-forget solution is a hub. To maintain your devices integrated, you don’t need to do anything other than sporadic firmware upgrades.
• It adheres to Apple’s non-intrusive privacy policy. It neither monitors your network nor gathers sensitive data, such as credentials. The Starling Hub is so delightfully obsessive about privacy that it doesn’t even use a cloud-based system, which is fantastic.
• Nest and Google accounts are supported, and two-factor authentication is also supported.
• Any router, even more, sophisticated routers, can use this Homebridge hub.
• All Apple products released in the past five years, including Apple watches, are supported by Starling Home Hub. Therefore, compatibility problems are not a concern.

HOW TO CONFIGURE THE NEST THERMOSTAT WITH THE STARLING HOME HUB?

As I already mentioned, setting up this Homebridge device for your Nest Thermostat is not particularly challenging and can be finished in a few minutes. Unpack your Starling Hub first, then use the included ethernet cable to attach it to your network router or switch.

Because both HomeKit and Nest products use the same WiFi, it is done at the network level. Don’t forget to connect your Hub’s power cord to a nearby wall socket.

• Go to “setup.starlinghome.io” (without the quotes) on your phone or computer when the ethernet wire is in place, and the hub is turned on.
• After that, adhere to the on-screen directions to link your Nest account to Apple HomeKit. It should just take a few minutes to complete this nest cam.

If you were wondering, you could log in to the Hub using two-factor authentication. In addition, you should now see your Nest Learning Thermostat or Nest Thermostat E in the Home app.

If you’re having trouble pairing your Thermostat with HomeKit, make sure you did everything correctly by following this quick start guide.

WHAT CAN HOME IT INTEGRATION FOR THE NEST THERMOSTAT BE USED FOR?

By regulating your thermostat and several temperature sensors, Starling House Hub enables you to fully control your home’s heating, cooling, and humidity.

The Nest learning thermostat and the Nest thermostat E are compatible. However, it is essential to note that it functions with thermostats made in the US and the EU.

• Say, “Hey Siri, set the thermostat to 65 degrees” to adjust the temperature in your house.
• Say, “Hey Siri, set thermostat to cool” to change the thermostat’s mode.
• Ask Siri to toggle the indoor blower fan of your HVAC system between the ON and AUTO modes.
• By asking Siri to adjust the humidity level to the right level, you can regulate the humidity in your space.
• Utilize Siri to activate Eco Mode on your thermostat.
• Inquire about the temperature in a particular room using Siri.
• Create calm thermostat-related automation.
• Speak to Siri to change the hot water settings.

CONTROL NEST THERMOSTAT WITH SIRI

My recent HomeKit integration seemed promising, but when I learned that the Nest Thermostat was now Siri-compatible, I became enthused about the potential.

Now that I have a smartphone, I can check the thermostat’s status and ask Siri to check the temperature for me. Then, of course, you might ask her to adjust the temperature.

To adjust your thermostat’s mode based on how hot or cold you feel, you may also ask Siri. Just ask Sir to set your thermostat to one of the basic settings, such as hot or chilly.

When you want the heated or cooled air to flow more quickly, you may ask her to switch the inside blower fans between the ON and AUTO modes.

Siri may, however, also start scenes. The options are now genuinely limitless. I can easily set sceneries via the Home app when I’m feeling cold or when it starts to get stuffy in the summer.

And I don’t even need to move a muscle to alter the settings on my thermostat because I can ask Siri to activate these scenes, which will change them to my liking in a matter of seconds.

The Nest thermostat may be connected to a weather station to detect changes in the weather and adjust the thermostat settings to take those changes into account, as an illustration of what you can do with Scenes.

You might be able to adjust the humidity and temperature to make yourself more comfortable if it’s raining where you live. Another illustration is customizing the settings for when you wake up or fall asleep in the nest hub KP.

Perhaps it gets a little chilly at night, and you want to keep warm the entire time. Additionally, you may instruct Siri to turn off the furnace or air conditioner before you leave the house and put it back on when you return thermo watch.

These are a few simple examples, and with a bit of imagination, the possibilities with Siri and your now-HomeKit-enabled Nest Thermostat are endless.

HOMEKIT NEST CODE

All HomeKit-compatible accessories come with an eight-digit pairing code that must be entered to add the accessories to HomeKit.

Each code is exclusive to the device, and when it is misplaced, or an attachment arrives without one, it poses a troubling but manageable situation. Unfortunately, it makes integrating the device into the Home app even more difficult.

The Nest Thermostat does not have a HomeKit code because it does not natively support HomeKit.

Then, you could be confused about how to add it to HomeKit. To integrate the Nest Thermostat to the Home App on your iPhone, scan the unique QR code that Starling Smart Hub assigns to your device when it is first configured.

IS THE PRIVACY OF YOUR NEST THERMOSTAT PROTECTED WHEN USING THE HOMEBRIDGE HUB?

With this Homebridge hub, privacy is the last thing you need to be concerned about because it has purposefully chosen not to send any information about your network to its servers.

The Starling Home Hub actually lacks a cloud server for this use. Therefore, despite being a part of your network, it cannot view your passwords or browsing history.

It’s safe to state that while utilizing this Hub, Apple customers like you and I won’t experience any privacy issues.

CONCLUSION

Even though the Nest app works on my iPhone, I was dismayed to learn after buying my Nest Thermostat that it does not directly interact with HomeKit. 

But thanks to this specific hub device, I expanded my use of Nest devices beyond just my thermostat because I now know how simple it is to integrate them with HomeKit.

References:

https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/google-nest-to-integrate-with-homekit-bringing-smart-home-unification-one-step-closer/

https://appleinsider.com/articles/21/05/20/google-nest-will-soon-be-on-homekit-thanks-to-matter-support

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Apple HomeKit work with Nest thermostats?

This is what? The Nest Thermostat utilizes a Homebridge hub or device to function with Apple HomeKit. Nest doesn’t provide native or direct integration with HomeKit, however. The Nest Thermostat is available for purchase if you so choose (on Amazon).

Can Siri control my Nest Thermostat?

You can now operate numerous Nest features using Siri shortcuts, including quick heating or cooling, natural setting of your preferred temperatures, adjusting the temperature up or down, and setting the Home/Away state.

Will the iPhone work with the Nest Thermostat?

Does Nest support Apple and all iPhones, then? Yes, Apple devices like the iPhone, iPad, and iWatch all operate with the Nest Thermostat and other Nest intelligent home gadgets like the Nest Cameras, Nest Smart Locks, and Nest Doorbell.

Is a HomeKit hub necessary?

HomeKit allows you into run an intelligent home entirely through Apple’s Home app without needing a central hub or device. Only an iPhone, iPad, or Mac will do; however, adding a hub like an Apple TV or a HomePod Mini will unlock some great capabilities.