Does Nest Work With HomeKit?

Does Nest work with HomeKit? Partly. No Nest product has native HomeKit support, but two Nest thermostats, the Nest Thermostat (2020) and the Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen), join Apple Home through Matter. That’s the only official Nest HomeKit connection Google offers. Nest cameras, doorbells, Nest Protect and older Nest thermostats have no official path at all, so they need a do-it-yourself bridge.

This guide covers which Nest devices work, how to add a Nest thermostat to Apple Home, what you get once it’s there, and what to do with the Nest gear that won’t connect.

Quick answer: The Nest Thermostat (2020) and the Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) work with Apple Home through Matter. You can set the temperature and mode, use Siri, and include the thermostat in scenes and automations. Older Nest thermostats, Nest cameras, Nest doorbells and Nest Protect don’t work with HomeKit officially. They need a bridge such as Homebridge, and the Starling Home Hub (the old plug-in option) is no longer sold.

Which Nest Devices Work With HomeKit

Here’s the Nest HomeKit picture for every current and recent Nest product.

Nest device	Works with Apple Home?	How
Nest Thermostat (2020)	Yes	Matter (since an April 2023 update)
Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen)	Yes	Matter (built in)
Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen)	Not officially	Community bridge only
Nest Thermostat E	Not officially	Community bridge only
Nest Learning Thermostat (1st and 2nd gen)	No	Google ended app support on October 25, 2025
Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell	Not officially	Community bridge only, no Matter yet
Nest Protect	Not officially	Community bridge only
Nest speakers and displays	No	Google’s own speakers, not HomeKit accessories

One detail worth noting: “newer” matters more than “more expensive”. The cheaper Nest Thermostat (2020) works with Apple Home, while the Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen) never got Matter.

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How a Nest Thermostat Connects to Apple Home

Both Matter-capable Nest thermostats use Matter over Wi-Fi. Matter is the shared smart home standard that Apple, Google, Amazon and Samsung all support, so a Matter thermostat can show up in several apps at once. Nest thermostats don’t use Thread for Matter, so you don’t need a Thread border router for it.

Two points are worth knowing before you start:

• The thermostat stays in Google Home. Adding it to Apple Home doesn’t remove it from Google Home. Matter lets both apps control it at the same time, and you’ll still need Google Home for setup, updates and the settings Apple Home can’t show.
• Control is local. Your iPhone and Apple home hub talk to the thermostat over your home network, not through Google’s servers, so commands are quick.

On the Apple side, an iPhone on iOS 18 or later can add and control Matter accessories without a home hub, according to Apple’s Matter support page. You still need a HomePod or Apple TV set up as a home hub to control the thermostat away from home and to run automations. Our guide on whether HomeKit needs a hub explains what a hub adds.

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How to Add a Nest Thermostat to Apple Home

The Nest thermostat Apple Home setup takes a few minutes if the thermostat is already working in Google Home.

1. Set up the thermostat in Google Home first. Nest thermostats can only be set up in the Google Home app, and they need to be online and up to date before Matter pairing works.
2. Generate a pairing code. In the Google Home app, open the thermostat, tap the settings icon, then tap Linked Matter apps & services and Link apps & services. The app shows a QR code and a numeric code. On the Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) you can also open Settings > Matter on the thermostat itself to show a QR code.
3. Add it in Apple Home. Open the Home app, tap +, then Add Accessory. Scan the QR code, or tap More options and type the numeric code.
4. Assign a room and a name. Apple Home treats it like any other thermostat from here, so it’s worth giving it a name Siri will recognize.
5. Test it. Ask Siri to set the temperature, then check that the change shows on the thermostat and in Google Home.

The pairing code expires after about 15 minutes, so generate it when your iPhone is ready. If pairing fails, create a new code and try again with your iPhone on the same Wi-Fi network as the thermostat. If the thermostat later shows “No Response” in Apple Home, our HomeKit not responding guide covers the usual fixes.

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What Works in Apple Home, and What Stays in Google Home

A Nest thermostat HomeKit connection through Matter gives you the core controls, and not much more. Google’s own description of the Matter update was that you can adjust the temperature and change the thermostat’s mode from other platforms, and that’s what you get.

What works in Apple Home:

• Target temperature and the current room temperature
• Mode: heat, cool, heat and cool, or off
• Siri voice control
• Scenes and automations with your other HomeKit accessories (for example, turning the heat down when the last person leaves)

What stays in Google Home:

• Fan control
• Eco temperatures and Eco mode
• Humidity readings
• Schedules and the learning features
• Nest Temperature Sensors (they don’t appear in Apple Home at all)
• Energy history and system alerts

In practice, the split is simple: Apple Home handles daily control and automations, and Google Home keeps the schedule and settings. If you want room sensors and humidity readings inside Apple Home, an ecobee is the better fit because it supports HomeKit natively. Our Nest vs ecobee comparison covers that choice, and our list of the best HomeKit thermostats includes other options that work fully in Apple Home.

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Nest Thermostats That Work With Apple Home

If you’re buying a Nest thermostat for an Apple Home setup, these are the only two models to consider.

Google Nest Thermostat (2020) — Best Value for Apple Home

The Nest Thermostat (2020) was the first Nest to work with Apple Home, and it’s still the cheapest way to get a Nest thermostat into HomeKit.

Best for: Apple Home users who want a simple, affordable Nest thermostat for a standard system.

What stands out in real use

It covers the basics well: a clean mirrored display, touch control on the side, schedules in Google Home, and Matter support for Apple Home. It doesn’t have the Learning Thermostat’s auto-scheduling or sensor support, but once it’s in Apple Home the day-to-day control is the same as on the more expensive model.

Key specs

• Matter over Wi-Fi
• Works with Apple Home (via Matter), Google Home and Alexa
• Touch-sensitive side controls
• Works with most 24V systems, including single-stage heat pumps

Pros

• Lowest price for a Nest that works with Apple Home
• Simple setup and a clean design
• Stays in Google Home and Alexa as well

Cons

• No remote temperature sensor support
• A C wire or Nest Power Connector is needed on some systems
• No learning features

Installation and compatibility notes

Many systems run it without a C wire, but heat pumps, zoned systems and heat-only or cool-only systems need one (or the Nest Power Connector). Set it up in Google Home first, then link it to Apple Home through Matter.

Price: ~$130

Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) — Best Nest for Apple Home

The Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) is Google’s current flagship, with Matter built in from launch, a larger display and a Nest Temperature Sensor in the box.

Best for: Apple Home users who want the full Nest experience and are happy to use Google Home for sensors and schedules.

What stands out in real use

It learns your schedule and supports more complex systems than the 2020 model, including dual-fuel heat pumps. In Apple Home it offers the same core controls as the Nest Thermostat (2020). The included Temperature Sensor still works, but only through the thermostat and Google Home, so Apple Home won’t show its readings.

Key specs

• Matter over Wi-Fi
• Works with Apple Home (via Matter), Google Home and Alexa
• Nest Temperature Sensor (2nd gen) included
• Works with most 24V systems, including heat pumps with auxiliary heat and dual fuel

Pros

• Matter support for Apple Home
• Learning schedule and Temperature Sensor included
• Wide HVAC compatibility

Cons

• Temperature Sensor readings don’t reach Apple Home
• Costs more than twice as much as the Nest Thermostat (2020)

Installation and compatibility notes

Pair it to Apple Home from the thermostat’s Settings > Matter menu or from Google Home. Amazon sells it through third-party sellers rather than Amazon.com directly, so check that the listing says new and includes the sensor.

Price: ~$280

For Matter thermostats from other brands, see our guide to the best Matter thermostats.

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Older Nest Thermostats, Cameras and Nest Protect

For every other Nest device, there’s no official Nest HomeKit connection. The Starling Home Hub used to be the easy answer (a small box that brought Nest thermostats, cameras and Protect alarms into Apple Home), but Starling stopped selling it in September 2025. If you already own one, Starling says it will keep providing support and security updates for existing customers.

That leaves do-it-yourself bridges, which run on a computer that stays on at home (a Raspberry Pi, a spare Mac or a small home server):

• Homebridge is free software that adds unsupported devices to Apple Home through plugins. Nest plugins can bring in Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen) and Thermostat E, Nest cameras and doorbells, and in some cases Nest Protect and Temperature Sensors.
• Home Assistant can connect to Nest and pass devices to Apple Home through its HomeKit Bridge feature.
• Scrypted focuses on cameras and can bring Nest cameras into Apple Home, including HomeKit Secure Video recording if you have a HomePod or Apple TV.

The official route for these tools is Google’s Device Access program, which costs a one-time $5 and needs a Google Cloud project. It covers Nest thermostats, cameras and doorbells, but not Nest Protect or Temperature Sensors, so plugins that support those sign in to your Google account through an unofficial method. All of these are community projects, so a Google change can break them without warning. Camera streams through the official API also have limits: battery cameras stream for about five minutes at a time, and recordings can miss the start of an event.

Nest Learning Thermostat (1st and 2nd gen) owners have no options left. Google ended app support for them on October 25, 2025, so they can’t connect to Google Home, Apple Home or any bridge. They still work as manual thermostats.

For Nest cameras and doorbells, Matter 1.5 (released in November 2025) added support for cameras, but Google hasn’t brought Nest cameras to it. Ring is in the same position, as our guide to whether Ring works with HomeKit explains. If you want reliable camera support in Apple Home without a bridge, a camera with native HomeKit support is the simpler choice. Our guide to the best HomeKit security cameras lists the options.

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The Bottom Line

Nest HomeKit support is real but narrow. If you have a Nest Thermostat (2020) or a Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen), connect it through Matter: you’ll get temperature, mode, Siri and automations in Apple Home, and keep Google Home for everything else. If you want room sensors in Apple Home too, an ecobee is the better choice. For older Nest thermostats, Nest cameras and Nest Protect, a Homebridge or Home Assistant setup is the only way into Apple Home, and it’s only worth it if you’re comfortable maintaining it.