Will Google kill your old Nest thermostat? Support says yes, but here's the official word

A Google support agent seems to have given the Nest thermostat community a shock by telling a Nest thermostat owner that Google would remotely disable all functionality on older devices, including basic manual temperature control. The alarming claim suggested that first and second-generation Nest thermostats would become completely useless paperweights after October 2025.

But here’s what actually happened: the support agent got it spectacularly wrong.

The confusion started when Reddit user sk8bette contacted Google support after their second-generation Nest thermostat suddenly lost WiFi connectivity. During a chat session with Senior Technical Support representative Krizza, they were told that Google had intentionally stripped their thermostat of WiFi capabilities as part of the upcoming support termination. When asked if manual control would still work, Krizza delivered the bombshell: “Yes, that’s right because the device is ending it’s support” and confirmed that Google would “remotely break” thermostats, leaving them without “all functionality, including manual function”.

Check these screenshots the OP shared of the conversation:

The Reddit post exploded with concerned users questioning whether Google could actually brick their thermostats remotely. Many wondered if disconnecting from WiFi networks or changing router passwords could protect their devices from a potential kill switch. But this conversation didn’t fool everyone as several others dived in to provide the facts.

Fortunately, Google’s official community account also quickly stepped in to correct the record. “The information the agent provided is incorrect,” the company stated, acknowledging they were investigating why the support representative shared such misleading information.

Here’s what will actually happen when support ends on October 25, 2025: your old Nest thermostat will continue working as a regular programmable thermostat. You can still adjust temperatures directly on the device, existing schedules will keep running, and you can switch between heating and cooling modes. The only things disappearing are the smart features that made these thermostats special in the first place. This is what we initially reported as well when we highlighted user reactions to the end-of-support announcement.

What you’ll lose is connectivity to Google’s servers, meaning no more remote control through smartphone apps, no voice assistant integration, and no notifications. Third-party connections will also stop working, and the thermostats won’t receive security updates anymore.

Google is offering affected users in North America a discounted upgrade to the fourth-generation Nest Learning Thermostat for $149.99, nearly 50% off the regular price. European customers face a tougher situation since Google isn’t developing new thermostats for European heating systems, instead offering discounts on Tado alternatives. For more details, you can check out this blog post explaining what’s happening and what Google’s offering affected users.

So while your old Nest won’t become a useless brick, the support mishap shows how easily misinformation can spread panic among users who’ve invested hundreds of dollars in smart home technology. The one thing you take away from this is always take information shared by support agents with a grain of salt. Most companies outsource their support teams and thus information shared by them can be false. Always refer to official help pages or accounts for important details.