In the quest to make our homes smarter, many turn to the Nest Learning Thermostat (opens in new tab) to help manage your air conditioning and furnace use. Being a smart device, the Nest Learning Thermostats support remote access and monitoring online or through an app. While there is not an official Windows 10 Nest app, there are a few alternatives in the Windows Store that help fill the void.
There are not many to choose from and while some of these Nest apps are more limited than others, each offers you the ability to monitor and manage your Nest thermostat while away from home or sitting on the couch. Hopefully, in the near future, an official Nest app can be found on the Windows Store shelves. In the meantime, here are our best Nest apps for Windows 10.
Nest Learning Thermostat
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Before we get into the Windows 10 apps, here is just a few thoughts on the Nest Learning Thermostat. Installation was extremely simple with clear and easy to follow instructions. If you need additional help, there is an installation video here at Nest's website. There is also a compatibility wizard on the site to help you determine if your HVAC system is compatible.
Once installed, the hardest thing about setting up the thermostat is entering your Wi-Fi network password. The outer ring of the thermostat cycles through the menu options, as well as setting the desired temperature. The Nest device also pushes in to act as a multi-function button. Pushing pulls up the menu, confirms actions, etc.
There is certainly a cool factor with the Nest Learning Thermostat. The display will turn off when nobody's around and wake up when you approach it. It is a learning device in that it remembers when and how you tweak the temperature and how often it detects your presence. Based on what it sees, Nest creates a schedule to regulate your house temperature. You can adjust the schedule or just let Nest do its thing. Being able to access the Nest remotely is just icing on the cake.
The Nest Learning Thermostat is currently priced in the neighborhood of $250 and can be purchased at a wide range of stores (and, of course, the ever ubiquitous Amazon).
- See at Amazon (opens in new tab)
- $216 at Walmart (opens in new tab)
Home Remote
Home Remote is a Windows 10 app that allows you to control a broad range of smart home devices, including the Nest Learning Thermostat. Available for Windows 10 PC and Mobile, as well as Xbox One, Home Remote supports Ecobee Thermostats, Phillips Hue (opens in new tab), Dropcam (opens in new tab), WeMo switches (opens in new tab) and Nest Cams (opens in new tab).
Simply choose your device from Home Remote's settings and enter the necessary authorizations to allow the Windows 10 app to access the device's account. Home Remote does not have a very glamorous or flashy design, but it at least has light and dark themes.
Hooked up to a Nest thermostat, you can view the current house temperature and HVAC status, raise/lower the temperature, change the mode (heat, cool or off) and set the Nest to its Away mode. If you have multiple Nest Learning Thermostats, Home Remote lists each in tab form.
As far as responsiveness, the thermostat responded promptly to any adjustments and Home Remote ran smoothly. Home Remote is a free app, available for Windows 10 PC and Mobile. It may not be the prettiest app in the Windows Store, but it gives you a good bit of versatility with the number of devices it can control.
Download Home Remote from the Windows Store (opens in new tab)
Cozy Nest Client
Cozy Nest Client is a more attractive Windows 10 option than Home Remote, but is limited to accessing your Nest Learning Thermometer and Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide detectors (opens in new tab). Available for Windows 10 PC and Mobile, Cozy Nest Client is a free, ad-supported option that allows you to view the current temperature (inside and out), change the temperature, HVAC mode and fan timer, and set the Away mode on or off.
Cozy Nest Client also has Cortana integration to change the temperature or away status, toast notifications for Nest Protect warnings and emergencies and Live Tile support.
The Nest Learning Thermostats were responsive to changes and Cozy Net Client ran smoothly. The app does not allow you access to Nest features such as scheduling or history, which is not a huge deal breaker. The app does a solid job of allowing you to monitor and adjust the Nest Learning Thermostats while on the go or from the comfort of your couch.
The free app is ad-supported and you can remove the ads through a $0.99 in-app purchase. Cozy Nest Client covers the basics nicely in an attractive package.
Download Cozy Nest Client from the Windows Store (opens in new tab)
Nest Manager
Nest Manager is an interesting Nest client app that is available for Windows 10 PC and Mobile — it's basically a web wrapper for your Nest.com account. After you authorize the app to access your Nest account, it sends you to a home page that mirrors Nest's webpage.
Here you can view your home temperature, raise/lower the temperature, change the HVAC mode, turn on the fan, view your schedule and view your thermostat history. There are also options to tap into your Nest.com account settings, view any messages, access Nest support and visit the Nest Store. However, these commands do not seem to be operational.
Overall, Nest Manager is a decent app if you need access to your Nest Learning Thermostats while on the go. The app was stable, but did run a little slow at times. The thermostats were responsive to changes, but I did notice some of the information did not pull up with reliability. Sometimes the thermostat history would display accurately and other times it was an empty field. I also noticed that running Nest Manager on a Lumia 950 XL, the phone quickly became noticeably warm.
Nest Manager is a free app, available for Windows 10 Mobile and PC. Again, it's a decent app, but I would consider it more of an emergency solution while on the go than something you would use to monitor and manage the Nest Learning Thermostats.
Download Nest Manager from the Windows Store (opens in new tab)
N10
N10 offers you access to your Nest Learning Thermostat, Nest cameras (currently a beta feature), as well as Insteon and Philips Hue devices. Available for Windows 10 PC and Mobile, N10 provides you with the core access to Nest Learning Thermometers such as viewing the current temperature (inside and out), adjust the temperature setting, change the HVAC mode, turn the fan on or off and turn the Away mode on or off.
N10 includes Cortana integration, NFC support, Lockscreen support to view you Nest temperature and Microsoft Band support (for those who still have a working Band). The layout is modes with menu items running down the side of the display and your Nest Learning Thermostats grouped by location.
The free app does not have support to access the Nest Learning Thermostat's history or scheduling. As far as performance is concerned, the Nest was responsive to any changes set from the N10 app and the N10 app ran smoothly. I did notice a few instances where the Windows 10 app dragged just a tad, but nothing to be concerned about.
Overall, N10 did a good job of things and is an appealing option if you also have Phillips Hue or Insteon devices installed at your house.
Download N10 from the Windows Store (opens in new tab)
If you have given any of these Windows 10 Nest apps a try, let us know what you think of things in the comments. Many seemed to have started out on shaky ground but have been updated to become decent options for those with Nest Learning Thermostats. There are not many more options available in the Windows Store, but if we overlooked your favorite Nest client app feel free to toss out your recommendation in the comments as well.
And here's hoping Nest comes to its senses and releases an official Windows 10 app soon.
