A factory reset of the Google Nest Thermostat (2020), the non-learning model, wipes its schedules, settings and Wi-Fi details, removes it from your Google Home and returns it to the setup screen. Google's page on restarting or resetting a Nest thermostat covers the models, and the 2020 thermostat is reset from its own menu: open the Quick View menu, choose Settings, then Reset, and select All settings, then confirm. A restart is a gentler step that keeps your settings, and is done from the same Reset menu by choosing Restart; for a thermostat that has frozen and will not respond,
The checks in more detail
the guides describe holding the control for about ten seconds until the display goes dark, releasing it and pressing it again. Do a reset when you are moving house, selling or giving the thermostat away, or when it will not connect to a new network after a router change. After a reset, set it up again with the Google Home app, which walks you through Wi-Fi and the heating and cooling schedule. Before you reset, note your schedule and temperature preferences, because the reset erases them, and take a photo of the wiring if you are going to rewire it.
If the thermostat is mounted on a wall with its base, a reset does not change the wiring; the system keeps its heating and cooling settings in the device. Remove it from your Google Home first if you can, so that the old entry does not remain in the app. If the display shows a battery warning, a low battery message or restarts by itself, fix power first, since a thermostat that is short of power resets repeatedly and a factory reset does not cure it; check the wiring and the Power Connector, and Good Home Automation's guide lists the wiring fixes.
If the thermostat is part of a rental, ask the landlord before removing a thermostat that is part of the installation. If you are replacing the thermostat's mounting, remember that the thermostat base can be left on the wall while you reset, and the wires stay in place, which makes the reset quicker. If you give the thermostat away, remove it from your Google Home and ensure that the Home no longer lists it, because a reset thermostat that remains in your account can confuse the new owner's setup. Keep the packaging and the Power Connector with it.
Differential
Likely causes of “Nest Thermostat will not reset or needs to be reset safely”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Moving or selling the thermostat
What separates it It should be wiped
How to confirm Settings, Reset, All settings
- 2
A new Wi-Fi network or router
What separates it It will not join the network
How to confirm Reset and set it up again
- 3
A frozen thermostat
What separates it It does not respond
How to confirm Hold the control about ten seconds and restart
- 4
A power problem
What separates it It resets itself or shows a low battery
How to confirm Check the wiring and Power Connector before resetting
- 5
A thermostat tied to another account
What separates it Setup fails
How to confirm Reset it and remove it from the old Home
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Why you want to reset it
- Whether a battery warning shows
- Whether the old Home still lists it
- Your schedule and settings
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedNote your schedule
ReversibleWrite down temperatures and times.
Remove it from Google Home
ReversibleIn the app, Settings, Remove device.
Open Settings on the thermostat
ReversibleFrom the Quick View menu.
Choose Reset, then All settings
ReversibleAnd confirm.
Wait for the setup screen
ReversibleThen set it up again.
Re-enter your schedule
ReversibleIn the Google Home app.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Two reset levels
- Restart keeps settings, All settings erases them.
- Power first
- A power fault looks like a reset loop.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If it restarts repeatedly after a reset, check the wiring or contact an HVAC technician
- !If it will not reset, contact Google Nest support
- !Do not rewire without turning off the power
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Google's restart and factory reset steps for Nest thermostats.
Power, Wi-Fi and wiring checks for a Nest thermostat.
Installer's list of common Nest thermostat faults.
Exact questions
Common questions
How do I factory reset a Nest Thermostat 2020?+
Settings, Reset, All settings.
Will I lose my schedule?+
Yes.
What if it keeps restarting?+
Check its power wiring.
Do I need the app to set it up again?+
Yes, Google Home.