Looking for a Nest thermostat alternative?
Older Nest Learning Thermostats lost their app on October 25, 2025. Here's what still works, and how to get remote control and smart schedules back without depending on a cloud again.
On October 25, 2025, Google ended support for the 1st and 2nd generation Nest Learning Thermostats (and the 2014 European 2nd generation model). They were removed from the Nest and Home apps: no more remote control, no more Home/Away Assist, no more voice control or updates.
The thermostat still heats your home and follows the schedule stored on the device. But if you want remote control and smart automations back, you have a choice: buy into another cloud, or run your heating from a platform you own. Gladys Assistant is a free, open-source smart home platform that runs at home and controls Matter and Zigbee thermostats locally.
What changed for older Nest thermostats
According to Google, since October 25, 2025, on 1st and 2nd gen Nest Learning Thermostats:
- The thermostat is unpaired and removed from the Nest app and the Google Home app.
- Remote control, notifications and changing settings from your phone are gone.
- Home/Away Assist, voice assistants and the link with Nest Protect no longer work.
- There are no more software or security updates.
- What still works: manual control on the device, mode changes, and the schedule already stored on it.
The hardware is fine. What disappeared is the cloud it depended on, which is exactly the risk of a cloud-only thermostat.
Your options after the end of support
Three ways forward, depending on what you want:
| Local thermostat + Gladys | New cloud thermostat | |
|---|---|---|
| Remote control | Yes, from Gladys (remotely with Gladys Plus) | Yes, from the vendor's app |
| Works without the internet | Yes, schedules and scenes run locally | Partly, the app and automations need the cloud |
| Can be switched off by the vendor | No, Gladys is open source and runs at home | Yes, as happened to the old Nests |
| Presence-based heating | Yes, with phone or Bluetooth presence in scenes | Depends on the vendor |
| Mix with other devices | Window sensors, energy prices, any brand | Mostly within the vendor's ecosystem |
Keeping the old Nest as a plain programmable thermostat is a valid third option: it still works, just without the app.
Thermostats you can control locally with Gladys
Choose hardware that speaks an open protocol:
Gladys is a Matter controller and sets the target temperature of Matter thermostats. Even the Nest Learning Thermostat 4th gen supports Matter.
Through Zigbee2MQTT: baseboard thermostats like Sinopé in Canada, or Zigbee radiator valves in Europe.
Your heating schedule lives in Gladys scenes on your own machine, not in a vendor's app.
Lower the heat when everyone has left, warm up when the first person heads home: Home/Away, without Google.
A door or window sensor can switch heating off while it's open, room by room.
Follow time-of-use prices or peak events, and track what your heating costs.
How to move your heating to Gladys
A simple path:
- Install Gladys on a mini-PC or a Raspberry Pi.
- Choose a replacement that fits your heating system and speaks Matter or Zigbee, and have it wired if needed.
- Pair it: Matter devices directly in Gladys, Zigbee devices through Zigbee2MQTT with a USB dongle.
- Rebuild your schedule as Gladys scenes, and add presence and window-open rules.
- Add the thermostat to your dashboard, and use Gladys Plus if you want to control it from outside the home.
Check compatibility with your heating system (forced air, heat pump, boiler, baseboards) before buying any thermostat.
Never lose your thermostat to a shutdown again
The lesson from the Nest end of support is simple: if a device only works through someone else's cloud, its features last as long as that company wants. With open protocols like Matter and Zigbee and a local platform, your heating keeps working on your terms.
Gladys is free and open source, has been developed since 2013, and runs entirely on your own hardware.
Go further
More on local heating and energy:
A private, self-hosted alternative to Google Home.
Baseboard thermostats controlled locally, without Neviweb.
Controllers, Thread border routers and bridges explained.
Track your consumption and act on the data.
Frequently asked questions
Which Nest thermostats lost support?
The Nest Learning Thermostat 1st generation (2011), 2nd generation (2012) and the 2nd generation European model (2014). Google ended their support on October 25, 2025. The 3rd and 4th generations are not affected.
Does my old Nest thermostat still work?
Yes, as a regular thermostat. You can still change the temperature and mode on the device, and it keeps following its stored schedule. What's gone is everything that relied on Google's cloud: app control, remote access, Home/Away Assist, voice assistants and updates.
Can Gladys control my old Nest thermostat?
No. Older Nest thermostats were only reachable through Google's cloud, which they're no longer connected to. Gladys can control a Nest Learning Thermostat 4th generation over Matter (target temperature), and Matter or Zigbee thermostats from other brands.
What is a good local alternative to Nest?
A thermostat that speaks an open protocol, Matter or Zigbee, controlled by a local platform like Gladys Assistant. Your schedules, presence rules and remote access then don't depend on a vendor's cloud staying online.
Do I need a subscription?
No. Gladys is free and open source and controls your thermostat on your local network. Gladys Plus is optional, for encrypted remote access from outside the home, backups and the AI assistant.
Take back control of your heating
Gladys is free, open source and installs with a single Docker command. Pair a Matter or Zigbee thermostat and run your heating at home.