Works with Nest program going away Aug 31, 2019

Third party integrations
1

I just received this email from Nest. They are merging with Google Home and after Aug 31, 2019, Nest products can only be controlled through the Google Assistant program. This is really going to suck, since they stated they’re shutting out 3rd party developers. I hope there’s some way HA can send commands via Google Assistant to my Nest.

Works with Nest changes
Dear Works with Nest developer,

Today, Nest and Google Home teams have joined forces and are now Google Nest, and we want to share some news about upcoming changes to Works with Nest that will affect your product integration.

Works with Nest was created in 2014, at a time when there was no central platform to manage and control Nest devices alongside other smart home devices. Since we introduced Works with Nest, the Google Assistant has evolved into a leading connected home platform, letting users manage all their connected home devices from Google, Nest, and third-party device partners in one place.

Moving forward, we will wind down the Works with Nest developer program on August 31, 2019, and focus on delivering a single consumer and developer experience through the Works with Google Assistant program.

As a Works with Nest developer, you and your users will no longer be able to access and control Nest devices once the Works with Nest APIs are turned off on August 31. Because we understand this may impact your users’ experience with our products, we want to notify you well in advance so you can prepare for these changes.

Important dates, information, and resources to help you through the transition:

• Works with Nest API deprecation date. Nest device APIs will be turned off August 31, 2019.
• Nest Account to Google Account migration. Early this summer, we will invite Nest Account holders to migrate to a Google Account to align our systems, accounts, and platforms.

  • During account migration, users will be asked to remove their Works with Nest connections.
  • Once migration is completed, all of their Works with Nest connections will no longer work. This action is not reversible.
    • Works with Nest badge retirement. We are officially retiring the Works with Nest consumer-facing badge. If you are currently using the Works with Nest badge, we ask that you remove it no later than August 31. For packaging and hard marketing material, please remove it at your next revision.
    • Service Shutdown Reminder. We will notify all Nest Account holders and developers by email at least 2 weeks before the Works with Nest service is turned off.
    • For more detailed information, see our What’s Happening at Nest FAQ page. Please provide this link to customers who want to learn more about these changes.

We appreciate you being a partner of Works with Nest. We encourage you to visit the Actions on Google Smart Home developer site to learn how to integrate your devices or services with the Google Assistant.

Sincerely,

The Google Nest team

2

In addition to sending commands, it would need to be able to get the current state from Google in order to display the current temp, mode, etc. Does Google allow that currently?

3

I was hoping there would be a way to control Nest thermostat under the new platform, but this section on the Nest blog post that very clearly states no API access to Nest devices, even under the Actions on Google Smart Home platform that Nest devices are migrating to.

I’m a Works with Nest developer. Will I be able to access and control Nest devices moving forward?

No. The Actions on Google Smart Home platform does not provide open API access to Nest devices, so it cannot be used to access and control Nest devices. Instead, managing and controlling Google Home, Nest, and thousands of third-party smart home devices is done through the Google Home app and the Google Assistant.

Link

4

There are an awful lot of Works with Nest integrations listed on their website, so I can’t imagine that they’re going to shut everyone out. I guess we’ll have to wait a bit to see.

5

Yeah, I just saw this article and came here to see what I could find. The news doesn’t sound good for compatibility with HA. I may have to look at home brew options to keep remote accessibility through it. It’s really a shame because I love the fit and finish of the nest but I also love the fit, finish and compatibility of HA. Maybe I’m jaded but I guess this is what we get for relying on cloud services… :frowning:

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7

They are killing third party integration and will only allow communication through google assistant

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https://developers.google.com/actions/smarthome/local-home-sdk

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9

What does everyone prefer second to Nest?

This may be the last straw for us…

10

@imola.zhp I reckoned Ecobee was a freer option at one point. Can’t remember the details.

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11

Now I’m really mad. I just spent hundreds equipping my home with nest protects, and spent a week developing a great looking Lovelace custom component for them.

For those looking for a Nest thermostat replacement, I have the Ecobee 3 and love it. The API is also cloud based however, so who knows how long that will last.

We managed to turn Logitech around on something similar a few months back, so who knows?

12

Let me know if there were a class action lawsuit.

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13

They still don’t have a local API :confused:

The closest they have is homekit support, but if you don’t use Apple crap at home you are still forced to rely on their cloud which (if you look at their status page) has had an outage of some kind pretty much every day for months now.

If they were to come out and actually commit to a true local API, I would highly recommend their product. Until then though, it’s still cloud based so YMMV.

I should also note, their support staff on Reddit have said they have no plans for any API other than homekit, so it’s not a great outlook.

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14

Zwave

Most wifi products require hub based ecosystem and hopes of manufacturer provided API

These products will start out open then slowly trap you into using only their products, apps, ecosystem because they require this control to make money. This is OK but not great when their expectation is 2-3yr support and you require for home that need 15+ yrs support or flexibility to meet your need to general market need.

Sorry for rant but this is reality. Avoid these products. I make exception for items under approx $40 (like Chromecast, echo or Ghome hub) since these are kinda low cost fad product

15

We had Ecobee for a hot minute, well about 3 months, we had Nest before and after. Siri didn’t work well back then so HomeKit support wasn’t advantageous. Maybe we’ll try it again, I’m primarily using Home Assistant to bridge non-HomeKit items to work in the Home app.

16

From Lutron:

May 8, 2019

The following announcement is a change in service notification.

Yesterday, Google announced the elimination of its Works with Nest Program, effective August 31, 2019. As a result, Lutron system integration with Nest products will be impacted, making some or all integration features inaccessible starting August 31, 2019.

Read the official Google announcement and more details from Google here http://business.lutron.info/e/119222/whats-happening/48sngn/941548991?h=LzPa1RrGjLoBbkLgqqIiJh5vqePJBVOaehBwkdrv53Y .

As a member of the Works with Nest program, Lutron has offered Caséta by Lutron, RA2 Select, RadioRA 2, and HomeWorks QS customers a variety of integrated Nest features including thermostat control from the Lutron and Connect apps. Though Nest product integration will be impacted, Lutron systems will continue to be controlled by the Google Assistant through voice, the Google Home and Google Assistant apps, and through Home View on Google-enabled smart displays.

Lutron and Google will continue working together as part of the Works with Google Assistant program, which is designed to provide customers a single smart home product control experience. As Google winds down the Works with Nest Program, Lutron will distribute integration updates and continue to provide the best Lutron experience for your home.

You can find more information from Lutron here http://business.lutron.info/e/119222/nestupdate/48sngq/941548991?h=LzPa1RrGjLoBbkLgqqIiJh5vqePJBVOaehBwkdrv53Y .

Thank you for your patience,

The Lutron Team

17

FROM REDDIT LINK

OP, thanks for sharing. I ran the image thru OCR, to get the text, to save everyone a click.

I’m following up on the email you sent to Rishi Chandra last week regarding the turn down of Works with Nest and your concerns.

We share your concerns and are working with our partners, like Samsung, to make sure we can maintain as many of your existing connections as possible. Some of the other integrations, such as with Lutron, may be able to be replicated with Google Assistant Routines, and we have been working with that team to replicate much of the Works with Nest capability.

We are eliminating the ability for any third party to know your home or away state. That violates our data privacy rules and we will not be replacing that capability going forward.

For the apartment use cases, we have developed a fleet management api that we are working with key system integrators to use for Nest Thermostat integration. That will be available to housing partners, and in fact we would very much like to talk to them if they are either using Nest Thermostats now or plan to in the future. The new fleet management apis are more robust and designed for enterprises such as multi-family dwellings and hospitality

You are correct, we are working on being able to provide similar, if not better, solutions in the future. We are hard at work to make sure we have viable replacements for your whole home control by August.

I really appreciate your feedback. We’re doing our best to maintain your trust in us.

Best regards,
Michele Turner
Sr. Director, Google Smart Home Ecosystem

18

Some more news!

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19

if you have a nest protect, whats the best next alternative now?

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Sell or keep and hope you get needed support, API access or someone hacks a working solution.

Honestly these products (hue, nest, echo,etc) are great but you will ultimately depends on 3rd party who’s motivation is to lock you in as customer. For this reason they may not provide api, randomly kill api, stop product support after 3-5yrs or lock out new features that become available.

This is not big deal because they have great product offering many times but this does not cover all use case which is where HA comes in.

Zwave, zigbee and Wifi(mqtt). Else, expect more of this.

21

thanks, will take that into account going forward