Google Nest – Change Home/Away Assist Settings

Category: Google Nest > Home/Away Assist

Answer:

Home/Away Assist automatically adjusts your Nest devices when people arrive home or leave. It can use phone locations and activity from compatible Nest devices to determine whether your home is occupied.

Examples:

• Turn Nest Cameras on when everyone leaves.
• Turn Nest Cameras off when someone returns home.
• Adjust thermostat behavior based on occupancy.
• Automate supported Nest products based on presence.

Change Home/Away Assist Device Settings

1. Open the Nest app.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Select Home/Away Assist.
4. Tap the Home icon to view settings used when someone is home.
5. Tap the Away icon to view settings used when nobody is home.
6. Review the listed Nest devices and their current behavior.
7. Select a device to change its Home or Away actions.
8. Save your changes.

How Home/Away Assist Determines Presence

Home/Away Assist can use:

• The location of phones and tablets signed into accounts that share access to the home.
• Activity sensors built into compatible Nest devices.
• Combined presence information from multiple household members.

Supported Device Behaviors

Depending on the Nest product, Home/Away Assist may:

• Turn cameras on or off.
• Adjust thermostat activity.
• Enable or disable notifications.
• Change security monitoring behavior.
• Control other compatible Nest features.

Important Notes

• Every Nest product can have its own Home and Away settings.
• All Nest Protect devices in the same home share one Home/Away Assist configuration.
• Changes apply to the entire Nest home associated with the account.
• Presence detection works best when all household members are signed into their own Nest accounts and have location permissions enabled.

Troubleshooting

If Home/Away Assist is not working correctly:

• Verify location services are enabled on all household phones.
• Confirm each household member is signed into the correct Nest account.
• Check that Home/Away Assist is enabled.
• Review each device's Home and Away settings.
• Ensure the Nest app has permission to access location information.
• Verify compatible Nest devices are online.

Note: Home/Away Assist automatically coordinates all compatible Nest devices to help improve comfort, security, and energy efficiency based on whether your home is occupied.