Nest Thermostat Support, Service Discontinued? Explore Legal Options

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org believe Google may have violated consumers’ rights by ending support for certain older Nest Learning Thermostats, and they’re now gathering affected customers to take legal action.

In late April 2025, Google announced that starting on October 25, 2025, the first-generation Nest Learning Thermostat released in 2011 and the second-generation model released in 2012 will no longer receive software or security updates and will be disconnected from users’ Nest and Home apps. A support article noted that although customers will still be able to adjust the thermostats manually, continued use without updates could lead to decreased performance.

The attorneys believe Google’s decision to discontinue support for the Nest thermostats may violate consumer protection laws, and they’re now signing up affected Nest Thermostat owners to take action via mass arbitration.

Why Might Google’s Nest Thermostat Service Stop Be Illegal?

Unlike non-connected products, “smart” devices like Nest thermostats rely on software or apps to connect them to the internet and provide the advertised functionality. Many times, these apps and software need to be updated for security purposes or to ensure continued connectivity. However, several reports indicate that manufacturers are not always upfront about how long they will provide support and service for their smart devices, potentially leaving consumers in the dark about exactly what they’re buying and how long the advertised functionality will last.

A Consumer Reports study found that only three of 21 major appliance brands disclose to consumers how long they will provide updates to their smart appliances’ software and apps. The report stated that although most consumers expect appliances to last at least 10 years, the longest amount of time that a manufacturer promised to provide support was five years from the appliances’ launch date.

“This is a problem,” the authors wrote, noting that manufacturers’ refusal to disclose how long they will support connected products could leave consumers “paying more for less.”

“Only when consumers can see how long a manufacturer plans to stand by a connected product can they make an informed decision about what they are spending their money on,” the authors wrote. “Absent this information, a consumer could spend thousands on a large appliance, only for the features they rely on to stop working in a few years.”

Similarly, a November 2024 study performed by Federal Trade Commission (FTC) staff that analyzed 184 smart products revealed that nearly 89% of manufacturers did not disclose the devices’ support duration or end date on their product webpages, where consumers would be most likely to look for information about a connected device. Further, staff were unable to find support information using a Google search for over 67% of the devices, and the information they found did not always match what was listed on the products’ webpages.

According to the FTC report, the lack of information about software updates for smart devices “makes it difficult for consumers to know what they are actually buying” and to compare products.

The FTC report hypothesized that for products sold with written warranties, a manufacturer’s failure to inform purchasers about the duration of product support could violate the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which requires companies to clearly describe their products’ characteristics, components and properties in their warranties.

According to the FTC, it’s also possible that a company’s failure to provide software updates or disclose how long support will be provided could be considered an unfair practice under the FTC Act if it is likely to cause substantial injury that could not be avoided by consumers and is not outweighed by any offsetting benefits.

In this case, the attorneys believe Google’s Nest Thermostat service stop could be unfair and potentially violate the federal warranty law if consumers were not initially told when the Nest Thermostats would be losing support.

Nest Thermostat Discontinued: User Complaints

Nest thermostat owners have reported receiving emails from Google Home notifying them of the upcoming service stop for their devices and containing an offer to upgrade to the newest version of the Nest Learning Thermostat (4^th gen) at a reduced price of $149.99.

The news that Nest thermostats are losing support has sparked outrage and frustration among Nest owners, with one user saying Google’s decision is “a textbook case of forced obsolescence.”

When some users asked if Nest thermostat support matters (given the thermostats can still be manually adjusted), commenters noted that they purchased their Nest thermostats specifically for their “smart” functionality—and that the end of support essentially renders their Nest thermostats obsolete. Some users said they would never have purchased the devices had they known their Nest thermostats would be discontinued and their functionality cut off.

Other users asked if Nest Thermostat 3^rd generation devices were discontinued and hypothesized that Google could similarly end support for other Nest models, including the Nest Thermostat E, in the future.

The following are samples of Nest thermostat end of life complaints posted on Reddit [sic throughout]:

[I]t’s sort of infuriating to spend money on a device that advertises certain features and then have a company just decide it’s not going to support those features whenever it decides it wants to do that. I get that it happens with software all the time. But, with hardware that you are installing in your home, it feels different. It’s almost like buying a couch and the furniture store randomly sending you an email 10 years later saying you need to return your cushions, but rest assured, you can still use the couch without them.”
— stjo118, Reddit.com

A thermostat is a household appliance and not a ‘gadget’ that I expect to replace regularly. Nest’s ability to ‘Learn’ was severely handicapped, and I’m not excited about upgrading to a 4G Nest if it will behave the same, and its only a matter of time before Google announces the [end of life] for their 3G and 4G versions.”
— unidentifiable, Reddit.com

I’ve been happy with the two 2nd gen Nest Thermostats in my house. It’s just wrong to have to replace them when it works perfectly.”
— azscram9, Reddit.com

This seems like something that should be communicated to a customer when they are buying the product. When I purchased my Nest (and even to this day) I don’t believe there is any language that the product’s major features can be disabled whenever the manufacturer feels like.”
— arcanition, Reddit.com

This move is completely unexpected. No where did it ever say I was buying a 10year device. I expect cloud service until the device dies even that’s 30 years it’s their problem to price the device so that it’s supported for its lifetime. They should not be able to decide it’s been long enough without saying this would be the case when they were purchased.”
— Dangerous-Macaroon49, Reddit.com

I’m hoping there is a class action for this type of behavior. This seems criminal in that we paid inflated prices for a connected thermostat that will no longer be connected.”
— biggied44, Reddit.com

I, like others, have purchased the thermostat for the learning functionality that is core to the product. I own this product outright and do not have a subscription. What legal right does Google have to fundamentally alter the functionality of the device after it has been purchased? At best this has to be false advertising?”
— Agreeable_Material88, Reddit.com

Lawsuit Info: What Am I Signing Up For, Exactly?

You are not signing up for a lawsuit, but rather a process known as mass arbitration. This is a relatively new legal technique that, like a class action lawsuit, allows a large group of people to take action and seek compensation from a company over an alleged wrongdoing. Here is a quick explanation of mass arbitration from our blog:

“[M]ass arbitration occurs when hundreds or thousands of consumers file individual arbitration claims against the same company over the same issue at the same time. The aim of a mass arbitration proceeding is to grant relief on a large scale (similar to a class action lawsuit) for those who sign up.”

Nest’s terms of service contain both a class action waiver and an arbitration clause requiring users to resolve disputes via arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution that takes place outside of court before a neutral arbitrator, as opposed to a judge or jury. For this reason, attorneys working with ClassAction.org have decided to handle this matter as a mass arbitration rather than a class action lawsuit.

How Much Does This Cost?

It costs nothing to sign up, and you’ll only need to pay if the attorneys win money on your behalf. Their payment will come as a percentage of your award.

If they don’t win your claim, you don’t pay.

How Much Money Could I Get?

There are no guarantees as to how much money you could get or whether your claim will be successful. However, it’s possible that consumers may be able to recover the costs of replacing their Nest thermostats ($149.99), plus any damages they’re entitled to under state and federal law.

Nest Thermostat Support Arbitration: Take Action

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