How to Turn Off the AC on a Nest Thermostat

Google Nest is a unique device that makes life simple by allowing you to remotely access and manage media, tasks, and control elements around your home – speakers, smoke alarms, thermostats, and even your air conditioner.

So, when the days become a little cooler, and the need to have the air conditioning on lessens, using your Nest app on your phone, PC, or through your Amazon Echo to control the AC can be great.

But things become a little tricky when it comes to turning the AC off using Nest. This article will show you step-by-step how to turn off your AC with Nest using different devices. Let’s dive in.

How to Turn Off the AC on the Nest Thermostat Directly

There are multiple ways to turn off your Nest thermostat. One of them is interacting with the device itself. This method is relatively straightforward and involves you using the screen on your Nest device. Here is how you go about it:

1. Press your Nest Thermostat until the main menu appears on the screen.
   
2. Turn the silver dial to scroll through the menu until you reach “Thermostat.” Once “Thermostat” is highlighted, push on the unit to select it.
   
3. Using the dial once again, scroll through the options to select “Off.”
   

Google Nest Thermostat also offers the option to instead turn on or off the heat or utilize a feature called “Heat-Cool,” which regulates the temperature in the room according to external weather conditions.

How to Turn Off the AC on a Nest From the iPhone App

Another way to manage your Nest Thermostat or air conditioning is through the Nest app. This app is downloadable from the Google Play Store or Mac App Store and will allow you to control your Nest device remotely. For example, to turn off your Nest AC using your iPhone, you will need to follow these steps:

1. Open the Nest app.
2. Locate your “Nest Thermostat” and select it.
3. At the bottom-left of this screen, tap the icon labeled “Cool.”
4. In the new list of options, click “Off” to turn off your Nest AC.

If you want to switch off your air conditioning and instead heat the room, you could always choose the “Heat” option rather than turn the device off. Selecting “Heat” will allow you to adjust the Nest Thermostat to a warmer temperature.

How to Turn Off the AC on a Nest From the Android App

Perhaps you have an Android device instead of an iPhone. You can still use the Nest app as Google makes it compatible with iOS and Android devices. Simply download it from the Google Playstore, and install it on your Android smartphone. Once you have the app installed, you can use it to turn off your Nest AC using this method:

1. Open the “Nest” app.
2. On the main screen of your “Nest” app, tap on the “Thermostat” option.
3. At the bottom-left tap on the option labeled “Cool.” (If you have the heat on, this will read “Heat” instead of cool.)
4. In the new list of options find “Off” and tap it.

How to Turn Off the AC on a Nest From a PC

If you would rather control your Nest app from your PC, you have that option too. This is how to turn off your Nest AC using your PC:

1. Log into your Nest account at home.nest.com.
2. Locate the “Thermostat” and click on it.
3. Navigate to the “Mode” option and click on it. If your thermostat is set to the AC, the “Mode” is then usually specified as “Cool.”
4. In the new set of options, click “Off.”

How to Turn Off the AC on a Nest From an Echo

Another way to control your Google Nest Thermostat is by using your Amazon Echo and Alexa. You will need to ensure that these two devices are correctly set up and linked. But once they are, there is a range of Nest devices you can control while you are out or at home. Here are the steps on how you go about turning off the AC on a Nest from an Echo:

1. With your Nest device on and connected to Alexa, loudly and clearly say, “Alexa, set the [thermostat name] to off mode.”
2. Alexa will repeat the command back to you to clarify, and it will sound something like “Turning [thermostat name] to off mode.”
3. Confirm your selection to turn off the AC.

Additional FAQs

Why is my AC not turning off immediately when I turn it off on my Nest?

If you turn off your AC on your Nest and it doesn’t turn off immediately, there are a few reasons this could be happening.

Outdoor Conditions

The most frequent cause is that the temperature outdoors is high, and your air conditioner is trying to maintain the indoor temperature to what you have set your thermostat. Try turning up your thermostat by 5-10 degrees and see if your AC then shuts off.

Here is how to go about adjusting the AC on your Nest Thermostat:

1. Open the Nest app on your phone.

2. Tap on the “Thermostat.” On the screen that opens, you will see the “Thermostat Circle.”

3. Tap on it and then tap the “Up” or “Down” arrows to adjust the temperature.

If you want to adjust the temperature of your Nest Thermostat using the device itself, all you need to do is turn the outer silver dial to the left or right to increase or decrease the temperature. The display on the screen will indicate the new temperature you have set.

Safety Temperatures

Another reason your AC may not be turning off is that Nest employs a unique feature called “Safety Temperatures.” This application is designed to protect your home in the case of extreme external temperatures.

So, although you may have turned off your Nest Thermostat, if the external conditions reach a particular temperature, Nest will enable “Safety Temperatures,” to keep your AC on or your heating going to maintain a comfortable indoor environment.

Here is how you disable this function in the Nest app:

1. Open the Nest app.

2. Locate the “Settings” app. (the gear icon.)

3. Tap on the “Equipment” option.

4. Choose “Safety Temperatures.”

5. Slide both sliders to turn the settings off.

Here is how you disable “Safety Temperatures” on the Nest device:

1. Press the display to call up the “Quick Menu.”

2. Turn the outer dial to highlight the “Settings” option and tap on the screen to select it.

3. Select “Equipment.” An “Equipment Detected” screen will appear.

4. Press “Continue.”

5. Choose “Continue” again on the “Your System” display.

6. Select “Safety Temp.”

7. Use the dial to select “Off.”

8. Tap “Done” to exit.

Now that you have disabled this feature, Nest will not automatically turn on your AC or heating systems.

Cooling Complete

Turning your AC off using your Nest device or app is quick and straightforward once you know how to go about it. Following these easy methods should have you operating the system like a pro.

Have you turned off your AC using Nest?Did you use a similar approach to those described in this article? Tell us about it in the comments section below.