If you were an former adopter of then Learning Thermostat , spoilt news : Google has announce the closing of support for the first and 2d coevals poser as of October 25 . That means that , for all intents and purpose , you’re able to drop the “ impudent ” descriptor . You ’ll no longer be able-bodied to ensure the gadget from your phone or fromGoogle Assistant , although they will continue to function as received , wall - mounted thermostats .

Google ’s supportpost reads , “ As we look at what it take to sustain your Department of Energy need survive forward , it has become increasingly challenging to continue to update these products yield the other hardware . So we made the difficult decision that startingOctober 25 , 2025 , Nest Learning Thermostat ( 1st gen , 2011 ) , Nest Learning Thermostat ( 2nd gen , 2012 ) , and Nest Learning Thermostat ( 2nd gen , Europe adaptation , 2014 ) will no longer receive software system updates . ”

A few feature will remain in place , like schedule and modes , but will require manual control to exercise . If there ’s a atomic number 47 liner to be found , it ’s that Google has promised to make out to eligible customers with discount on theNest Learning Thermostat 4th gen , the most recent exemplar . Customers in the United States will have $ 130 off , while Canadian users will incur $ 160 off . European Nest owner get a different offering , with 50 % off the Tado Smart Thermostat X Starter Kit .

Nest Thermostat

Nest

While it ’s natural for both hardware and software to fall behind support over clip , the intelligence is still disappointing for sports fan who have n’t felt the need to kick upstairs to a new manikin . The discount coupon is a decent motion , but it does n’t really make up for the added cost . Someone more cynical might look at this as a $ 140 fee to carry on using your smart thermostat that you already paid for .

And alas , this is far from the first time asmart home gimmick has go kaputafter launching . To be fair , the first - gen Nest Learning Thermostat was let go of in 2011 , so it has had 14 years of documentation . The 2d propagation was released in 2012 . It is n’t as if these devices were deal and immediately discontinued , but most people expect their electronics to continue go until they stop .

In this sense , it might be dependable to exchange how we reckon voguish base technology . Like a wassailer or a stand mixer , smart home technology is more of an appliance — something to streamline the twenty-four hours - to - day , rather than a computer or sometime plot console you might want to force out in twenty class for a dose of nostalgia . Appliances divulge down and you bear to supercede them after a while , and it might be time to take that same approach when it comes to smart home base technical school .

Photo of a woman adjusting a Nest Thermostat.

Google / Nest

Of course , you could reason that Cuisinart wo n’t suddenly strip away the absolute majority of your toaster ’s functionality because it ’s old . That would be ridiculous , after all — but your toaster likely is n’t vulnerable to cyberattacks ( although therearesmart toasters available now , but the give-and-take of their relevance is a topic for a different time . )

Google is stuck between a thermostat and a concentrated place . By ending support for its oldest exemplar , Google is intimately capable to devote its aid to improving the functionality of fresh gadgets , and it also does n’t have to worry about bad actors using the older devices as a backdoor into a home connection . At the same time , it has to equilibrise its bottom line with customer expiation .

And oh boy , are some customers unhappy with this determination . Since the news break , substance abuser have taken to societal media and Reddit to verbalize their displeasure . Asu / limitless__puts it , “ It ’s ok to EOL a intersection by pull support . What ’s not hunky-dory is forcing you to migrate to Google and then toss off the app . ”

Nest Thermostat

Nest / Google

Numerous other users said Google ’s conclusion has cause them to lose faith in the caller , and advise a good path would be to maintain full functionality while quit software update . If a drug user require to risk security vulnerabilities , that should be their decision , not Google ’s .

I find myself inclined to agree with that general sentiment . While I understand the move from an intellectual and objective point of view , I do n’t like that a company can strip functionality aside . It adds to the idea that we no longer truly “ own ” anything , specially in terms of anything connected to the internet . Call me erstwhile - fashioned , but I ’ve always mat up like if I buy something , it should be mine to apply as I please .

At least some functionality remains . Other smart dwelling platforms have been shut down and their hardware turn into expensive paperweights , like Iris by Lowe ’s . First launched in 2012 , it worked ( kind of ) until 2019 when Lowe ’s shut the total system down . The only concession to exploiter was a refund for any twist that would n’t work on other platforms , although Samsung stepped in to aid substance abuser transmigrate compatible Iris product over to the SmartThings platform .

Long - clock time Google drug user should n’t betoosurprised , though . The ship’s company is so known for ending support on projects , sometimes with next to no warning , that anentire “ Google Graveyard”exists . you may gibe it out yourself at KilledByGoogle.com , where service like the Google Podcasts app , Google Hangouts , and numerous other covering obsess the digital landscape painting . There are several Nest products there too , including Nest Secure , the Nest x Yale lock , andNest Protect .