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Reviewed / Rachel Murphy
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Goodbye Nest Secure, we hardly knew you. Google announced last year that it would stop supporting the Nest Secure ecosystem of home security products—and the time of death is quickly approaching. Starting on April 8, 2024, your Nest Secure devices will stop working with the Nest app and thus will be rendered, more or less, useless.
It’s a bit of a kick in the pants for Nest Secure fans, but those users need not worry too much. There are great alternatives to Nest Secure, and Google is offering some of them for free. Here’s everything you need to know about the end of Nest Secure, and what you should do if you currently use it.
What is Nest Secure?
The Google Home app will soon be replacing the Nest app but will still be compatible with Nest security devices.
Nest Secure is an alarm system that’s built around the Nest Guard hub, and associated devices, like the Nest Detect, which can track door and window opening, and the Nest Tag, which allows users to quickly arm and disarm their security system.
All of these devices work with the Nest app—the same app that Google has been slowly winding down for a few years now. The Nest app is going away in favor of the revamped Google Home app, however, that shift is apparently not without casualties, like Nest Secure.
You might get a new system for free
You may be able to beef up your home's security with the ADT Self Setup System that Google is offering to eligible Nest Secure customers.
If you’re a Nest Secure user, you might be able to get a new security system for free, with a few caveats. Google recently partnered with ADT for home security systems, which will ultimately work with the new Google Home app. Google should have already contacted eligible Nest Secure users to get an offer for a free ADT security system, or, as an alternative, $200 to use on the Google Store.
The new ADT system that Google is offering is the ADT Self Setup System, which Google says is valued at up to $450. This system, as the name suggests, allows you to set up your devices on your own, and like Nest Secure, has an option for professional monitoring.
Speaking of professional monitoring, as part of the transition, Google is also offering a year of professional monitoring with the ADT Self Setup System for free—after which self-monitoring will cost $19.99 per month. Users can cancel and switch to self-monitoring at any time, which is free.
If you're a Nest Secure user and haven’t yet received an email regarding getting your ADT Self Setup System, you can contact Google support.
What about Nest x Yale?
If you have a Nest Secure system and a Nest x Yale lock, you may be using the Nest Guard hub as a way to connect your Nest x Yale lock to the internet. After Nest Secure support ends, the Nest Guard will no longer work, and that connection will stop working altogether.
However, there is another way to connect the Nest x Yale lock to the internet—a Nest Connect, which is a small device that plugs into the wall and serves as a bridge between your lock and your Wi-Fi router. Google is offering customers who use a Nest x Yale lock and a Nest Secure system a Nest Connect for free.
Google says that it sent users with both devices an email in January 2024, with instructions on how to receive a Nest Connect for free. If that’s you, check your email!
Dropcam is going away too
Nest Secure isn’t the only product on the chopping block—Dropcam is going away, too. This one’s a little messy. Dropcam was acquired by Nest, which was then acquired by Google. After that, Nest was spun out of Google into parent company, Alphabet, and then reabsorbed into Google. Yeah, Dropcam has had a lot of bosses.
Dropcam devices will be discontinued on the same date as Nest Secure—April 8. Dropcam users who have a Nest Aware subscription can get a free wired Nest Cam, however, those who don’t have Nest Aware will only get a 50% off coupon.
What to do with your old Nest Secure and Dropcam devices
It's important to note that Nest Secure and Nest cameras are separate. Google's line of Nest cameras are not impacted by the change.
While it’s not very convenient to deal with electronic waste that a company has deemed unsupported, we don’t want these devices to end up in landfills. Thankfully, Google is taking care of that, too, and has created a recycling program for the devices. To take part in the recycling program, head to this support page and request a shipping label, which will be provided to you at no cost.
Google Home is taking over
Google Home has been taking over from Nest for some time now, and to say that the transition is messy is an understatement. The process of winding down Nest has taken years, and for a long time, many devices were available in both the Google Home and Nest app.
We’re almost at a point where the Nest app will no longer serve a purpose. Nest thermostats can now be controlled through the Home app, and none of the recent Nest-branded products can be controlled in the Nest app at all. Instead, they can only be controlled in the Google Home app.
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