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Do Nest Thermostats Work Without Wifi?

Do Nest Thermostats Work Without Wifi?

The different gadgets and devices connected to our wifi and smartphones make it easier for us to control our home’s environment.

We no longer have to get up from our seats to access millions of movies, change the temperature of the house through the thermostat, turn the lights on and off, see who’s at the door, or even open the garage. ‌

However, these amazing functions stop working as soon as the internet goes out. But what about your thermostat?

Can you still use your Nest thermostat if the wifi does not work?

Although the smart functions will no longer work, the Nest thermostat will still operate as a regular thermostat if there is no wifi.

So, if the Wi-Fi goes out in your area, as long as electricity is on, you’ll be able to use the Nest thermostat to control the temperature of your home, command the A/C, and operate the house fan.

If the thermostat is not connected to the wifi, there are a few smart functions that will be accessible.

Nest thermostat

Will Your Nest Thermostat Work Without Wifi?

The Nest thermostat is a great smart home device developed by Nest. It works as a regular thermostat, but it also connects to your phone.

As long as the Nest thermostat is connected to the wifi, you can command the thermostat from your phone.

You don’t even have to be inside the house! You can be thousands of miles away and still be able to turn the air conditioner on.

But what happens when the nest thermostat is no longer connected to the wifi?

You cannot command your Nest thermostat through your phone without wifi, but it will still be operable.

You will have to operate it the old-fashioned way; by standing up, and walking over to the thermostat, and pressing the button.

What Functions Will Still Be Available?

If the wifi goes out or you decide to turn it off altogether, the Nest thermostat will then operate as a regular thermostat.

You will still be able to operate the air-conditioning and in-home heating systems.

The thermostat will also display the temperature and environment inside of the home.

All the routines and schedules that you have programmed on to the nest thermostat will still work.

So, if the AC is supposed to come on at 10 a.m. to beat the terrible July heat, it will continue to do so.

Also, you can program new schedules and routines involving the heater, air conditioner, or general house fan.

The Nest Thermostat also comes with a small amount of memory, so anything that is saved on the memory will still be accessible.

For example, if you want to check your heating and cooling history for the last three months, that will still be available.

People usually check the heating and cooling history through their smartphones, but since the Nest thermostat is not connected to wifi, you will not have your smartphone option.

You’ll have to check on the history on the thermostat screen.

A few energy efficient rules regarding heating and cooling are pre-programmed into the thermostat. So it will still turn on if you are out of the house.

What Functions Will Stop Working?

Obviously, you cannot use any of the Nest features so your mobile device without wifi. If you want to input a new command Into your Nest thermostat, you have to use the thermostat screen.

Many of the smart features that will no longer work when the wifi goes out are related to energy efficiency.

The Nest thermostat cannot connect to any home management devices like Google or Alexa.

The function called Nest Eco cannot monitor the outside temperature and adjust the inside temperature.

If there are multiple Nest thermostat devices in a home, the devices cannot talk to each other.

Nest Thermostat

Why Won’t It Connect to the Internet?

The wifi in your home is working just fine. But when you look at the thermostat screen, it says that it cannot display the weather because your thermostat is offline.

There must be something keeping the Nest thermostat from connecting to the house’s wifi, but what is it?

What should you do?

Click ok on the display and find the setting menu. Use the sides of the Nest thermostat ring to scroll through the different options until you find the network.

Then, scroll down to type network name and select it. A glowing blue ring will spin around the nest thermostat. This blue ring shows the user that is trying to load the available networks.

If the nest thermostat cannot locate your home’s Wi-Fi, then enter the name of the Wi-Fi into the thermostat by hand.

That means you will have to manipulate the ring around the thermostat and enter each letter and number.

If you put in the network name correctly and the Nest still cannot find it, then it is time to reset the thermostat’s network.

Click done to exit that wifi network menu and scroll to the right until you find the reset menu. Press on the reset menu and then scroll down to network.

The screen will say reset to erase all network information.

Scroll down to reset and click it. The thermostat will command you to spin the nest ring to fill up the bar on the screen and then it will reset.

It should take about 12 seconds to reset. The restart device option is on the same menu. You can also perform that function if you’d like.

Now, after the thermostat resets, exit the reset menu and go back to network. Click on network and the thermostat will automatically search for available wifi networks.

Your network should appear. Click on your network and your Nest thermostat will finally load your wifi connection. You may have to put in your password if the wifi is password protected.

Conclusion to Nest Thermostat Connecting Without Wifi

The Nest thermostat will function as a regular thermostat without wifi, but many of the smart functions will no longer work.

If your Nest thermostat will not connect to your home’s wifi, you can enter the network name and password yourself or you can reset the device.

Lindsay Reed

Hi, I'm the founder of ProjectPerfectHome.com! I created this website to be a resource for everyone who wants to make the best home possible.