Can Siri Control Nest Thermostat?

Nest thermostat is becoming increasingly popular every day for all the right reasons. If you’re an Apple user and rely on Siri to carry out most tasks, you must be wondering, “Can Siri control Nest Thermostat?”.

Nest thermostat allows users to keep a check on their energy consumption and control the temperature in the house. However, Apple users have been struggling to control it using Siri. Is there any feature to control Nest Thermostat using Siri? Can the process be easier?

Yes, Siri can control Nest Thermostat. There are two ways to do so; by using Thermo Watch, and through the Apple HomeKit by using a Homebridge hub or device, as Nest does not offer direct or native integration with HomeKit.

So, let’s take a look at both of these methods!

Connecting Nest Thermostat with HomeKit

We have spent hours trying different methods to connect the Nest thermostat with HomeKit. And we have come to the conclusion that there are two ways of approaching this situation.

The first option is installing and setting up Homebridge on your computer and controlling your thermostat from there. And the second option is using a Homebridge device.

However, the first option seems to be the least preferable as you will need to keep your computer on the entire time, which will consume electricity. And another reason is that setting up a Homebridge via computer is a bit complicated technically, which most users will struggle with.

Therefore, we prefer going with the second option as it is simply a plug-and-play manner of operation. All you need to do is simply connect your Homebridge device to your network, allowing you to control all the Nest products including the thermostat.

Check out this article to follow the setup steps for both of these options!

Perks of using the Starling Home hub to connect Nest Thermostat with HomeKit

You will find several out there when it comes to finding the right HomeKit hub option.

We suggest going for the Starling Home hub, which is the easiest-to-use and most versatile device out there. You simply connect the device to your router, and it integrates all your Nest devices with the Home App on your Apple devices.

Plus, if you were wondering why we preferred using the Starling Home hub, it is due to the fact that it is a set-and-forget solution and complies with Apple’s non-intrusive policy pertaining to privacy.

So, if you are worried about the device collecting private information, you can forget that. And on top of that, its compatibility with Apple devices and effortless performance make it a top choice amongst its competitors.

Setting up Starling Home hub for Nest Thermostat

Setting up Starling Home Hub or any other Homebridge kit is fairly easy. The installation process may vary, but it does not take more than a few minutes to complete it.

1. Simply take the device out of the box.
2. Connect it to your router and plug in the Ethernet cable that comes with it.
3. Once the device is connected, browse over to setup.starlinghome.io.
4. Follow the instructions to complete the installation.

While following the instructions, you may get a message saying, “This accessory is not HomeKit Certified”. You should ignore the message and continue with the process, as the entire purpose of using the hub is that we do not have a native integration.

Now that you have connected the Starling Home Hub with the Apple HomeKit, it will allow you to control your home’s air conditioning, humidity, and heating, along with the thermostat settings. You can set the temperature by saying, “Hey Siri, set the thermostat to 65 degrees”.

In addition to that, you can turn on the Eco mode using Siri, control the humidity and even ask Siri the temperature in a specific room.

Using Siri to control Nest Thermostat

Once you are done with the HomeKit integration, you will find out that Siri works flawlessly and will follow your commands without any hurdles.

You can check the temperature on your phone and ask Siri to check it for you, which it does. Plus, you can also adjust the temperature of the Nest thermostat and request Siri to change the thermostat’s mode depending on how hot or cold you feel.

You can try using the following commands:

• “Hey Siri, turn off the heater/air conditioner.”
• “Hey Siri, what is the temperature?”
• “Hey Siri, set the thermostat to hot/cool.”
• “Hey Siri, activate the scenes.”

In addition to that, you can also activate Scenes. Using the Home app, you can set up Scenes if you are feeling cold or a little stuffy during the summer months. The possibilities are endless here.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of using Scenes is connecting the Nest Thermostat to a weather station that detects weather changes and adjusts the thermostat accordingly.

Controlling Nest Thermostat via Thermo Watch

Using the Thermo Watch, you can get Siri to control your Nest from iPad, iPhone or HomePod, etc. And since it fully supports Apple Watch LTE, you can use Siri to control your Nest even if your Apple device is not around.

At the same time, using Siri Shortcuts, you can control many aspects of your Nest. These include increasing/decreasing temperature, heating, or cooling, along with several other features. However, for the shortcuts to work, you will need to undergo a quick initial setup:

1. In your Thermo Watch app, click the circle resembling Siri located in the extreme left corner.
2. This will open a screen titled Siri Voice Shortcuts.
3. In this window, you will need to tap on the Shortcuts you would like to use along with the phrase associated with them.

For example, if you wish to adjust the temperature directly, you can create a Shortcut, “Set Target Temperature,” and invoke Siri by using the phrase. Upon using the Shortcut, you will receive a follow-up question asking the temperature you wish to set.

Furthermore, you can also set three favorite temperatures. But these favorite temperature shortcuts will only work if you leave your thermostat in either Heat or Cool mode.

Plus, most Shortcuts won’t even work if Nest is in Off mode. You should consider using the Eco mode instead.

Also read: Can you answer Nest Hello on an Apple Watch?

Final thoughts on whether Siri can control Nest Thermostat

Summing it up, Siri cannot directly control the Nest Thermostat. Using a Homebridge device that is easy to set up and use, you can not only use but also unlock a variety of features that you weren’t even aware of. You can also use Thermo Watch to operate Nest Thermostat!

Only time can tell if users can expect a HomeKit-enabled Nest Thermostat that makes controlling via Siri much easier.