Modern technology has revolutionized a myriad of things and activities in our life. From how we communicate to how we operate various devices at home, there are many things that have taken a paradigm shift. As we speak, most homeowners have now invested in Google Nest products such as smoke detectors, smart displays, streaming devices, smart speakers, routers, smart cameras and smart doorbells. With these devices in place, it is now easy to control them without essentially having to touch them using your hands.
Instead you can command these devices even when you are away from home. Whether it is through a click of a button or a voice button, be sure that you will have an easy time controlling them from the comfort of your bed and so forth. Since these devices need to be integrated in one single platform, Amazon Alexa.
Those homeowners who have Google Nest products have been asking, does Nest work with Alexa? In this article, we shall take a closer look at whether Google Nest works with Alexa, how to connect them, alongside other related ideas.
What is Amazon Alexa
Also known as Alexa, this is simply an Amazon’s voice-based digital assistant that is AI-powered. It can actually be likened to Cortana in Microsoft, Siri in Apple devices or Google Assistant in Google. With this digital assistant in place, be sure that you will be able to control the entire smart device ecosystem in your home.
From replying to simple questions to performing the various tasks that you command it, there are many activities that this platform can do for you. Besides this, it offers the much-needed entertainment and general assistance to all its users. Since it is AI-powered, be sure that it will be of much help to you.
You can give voice commands to the Alexa smart speakers such as Echo Spot, Echo show, Echo Dot or Echo Plus and it will give the much-needed outcome. Using the speech recognition feature, the Echo device will perform a number of commands and task given by the user. For instance, you can ask Alexa to perform the following activity:
- Narrate a Kindle book
- Track your Amazon packages
- Find nearby hotels, restaurants or eateries and order your favorite meal or drink
- Play songs
- Check sports schedules or movie show times
- Read your emails
- Get new updates
- Create a shopping or a to-do list
- Manage your Google, Office or iCloud calendar
- Place orders on Amazon
- Communicate with your friends and family
Does Nest Work With Alexa
Yes. As we speak, it is possible for you to control Nest devices with Amazon Alexa. However, you need to enable the right Alexa Skill so that you can control these devices seamlessly. Although it is now possible to control Nest devices with Alexa, there are some limitations as to the types of devices one can readily control using the Alexa-enabled speaker.
To put this into perspective, you will be at liberty to control the following devices using Amazon Alexa:
- Nest Cameras
- Video doorbells
- Nest Thermostats
- Nest Hello
- Nest Hub Max
Consequently, you may not be able to control other Nest devices such as Chromecast or Nest Audio. Besides this, you should ensure that you migrate you old Nest account to a traditional Google account for you to control these devices with Alexa. If you have a G Suite account, be sure that you will not be able to control your Nest devices as Alexa does not support users with such accounts.
What Do You Need
If you want to control your Nest devices with Alexa, there are a number of items that you will need to have. These include:
- Amazon Alexa app
- A mobile device that will be used to download the Amazon Alexa app
- Alexa-enabled device such as an Amazon Echo speaker. If you do not have the Amazon Echo speaker, you can utilize a 3rd party Alexa speaker so that it can process all your voice commands. Other apps that can help you process voice commands include Amazon shopping app as it has a built-in Alexa and can work on both Wi-Fi and LTE.
- A good internet connection
How To Connect Your Nest Devices To Alexa
Since we have established the number of items you need to connect Nest devices with Alexa, time is ripe for you to know how you can connect these two so that you can control the Nest devices seamlessly.
As you purpose to connect the Nest devices to the Amazon Alexa app, you should first enable the Google Nest Skill, then add it to your account and then synchronize all the compatible devices with Alexa so that you can control them seamlessly.
- Download the Amazon Alexa app on your mobile device or tablet
- Launch the Amazon Alexa app on your device
- Once you open the app, navigate down to the ‘Browse Skills’ option and then tap it.
- Thereafter, click on the search icon, which is typically located on the top right corner of your screen. Search for the ‘Google Nest’.
- Click on the ‘Google Nest Skill’ option and then choose ‘Enable to Use’.
- Key in the credentials of your Google Nest account so that you can link your account.
- Toggle on the ‘Turn on access to your home’s information’ option
- You will see a list of the Nest devices that you can control with Alexa. Choose your home’s devices from that list.
- Click on the ‘Next’ option and then select the account you intend to use.
- Click on the ‘Allow’ option and then tap on the ‘Close’ option.
- Finally click on the ‘Discover devices’.
Once Amazon Alexa is done with looking for compatible devices in your home, all these devices will be synchronized and registered with your Amazon Alexa account. Thereafter, you will have the luxury of controlling these devices the same way you would do in case you are suing Siri or Google Assistant.
For you to set up a successful Alexa-Nest connection, you should be the legitimate owner of the Nest devices. This means that users with shared access through Nest family accounts may not be able to set up successful Alexa-Nest connection.
Checking your Nest Device’s name
As you purpose to command all your Nest devices using Amazon Alexa, there is a catch in the whole undertaking. Simply put, you should first check the name of your Nest device. Whenever you find the ‘Camera name’ or ‘Thermostat name’ in the voice command, you ought to say the location that is assigned to your Nest devices in the Nest app. For instance if the Nest camera is located in the bedroom, you should mentioned that location so that you can be able to control it.
If you want to check the location you have assigned to your device, you should open the Google Home app or the Nest app on your smartphone or tablet and then look for the Nest device from the list that you will see on your screen.
Thereafter, check the room the device has been assigned to. The assigned room will appear above the section where your Nest device is in. More importantly, you should choose a name for your Nest device whenever you get the device first and then set it up with the Google Home app or Nest app.
Will Nest Continue To Work With Alexa In The Future
Most Nest device users have been asking whether Alexa will continue partnering with Nest in the coming years. Well in mid-2019, there were claims that Google will terminate the ‘Work with Nest’ program. However, this never saw the light of the day as Google later announced that Nest devices will still work with Alexa.
However, users here had to change their existing Nest accounts to Google ones. Assuming that this will not change anytime soon, users can continue enjoying the seamlessness that comes with controlling all your Nest devices from the comfort of your couch, bed or even workplace.
Final Words
Over the years, Nest has continually to impress homeowners with its aesthetically and well-designed smart home devices such as thermostats, cameras, doorbells and so forth. With these devices, you can be assured that your life will not only be more convenient but also convenient. Using voice commands it is now possible to set ambience scenes, switch on your lights, create routines, create a shopping list and even communicate with your friends without lifting a finger, thanks to Amazon Alexa. All you need to do is to connect your Nest devices with Alexa as illustrated above and you will be able to perform all these tasks on the go.