Which Nest Thermostat Do I Have? (Every Generation Identified)

Google has made six Nest thermostat generations since 2011, and several of them look almost the same on the wall. That matters more than it sounds: the generation decides which app you use, whether Nest Temperature Sensors and Matter work, how the battery charges, and whether Google still supports it at all. This guide walks through all the Nest thermostat generations and shows you how to tell them apart in a couple of minutes.

The fastest way is the app. If your thermostat is already set up, the model is one tap away. If it isn’t (you just moved in, or it’s offline), the front and the base will tell you.

How to Tell Which Nest Thermostat You Have

Google gives three ways to answer “which Nest thermostat do I have”:

1. Check the app. In the Google Home app, open your thermostat, then tap Settings and Device information. You’ll see the model, serial number and software version.
2. Look at the front. The ring, the screen and how you control it narrow it down to one or two models.
3. Look at the base. Pull the display off the wall plate and count the wire connectors. This is the most reliable check, because every generation has a different base.

If you only want the short version:

• A touch bar on the right side and no ring: Nest Thermostat (2020).
• A white plastic ring and a frosted white screen: Nest Thermostat E.
• A large borderless screen and a ring you turn and press: Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen).
• A stainless steel ring: a Nest Learning Thermostat, 1st, 2nd or 3rd gen. Check the base to be sure.

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Nest Thermostat Generations at a Glance

Here are all the Nest thermostat models in the order Google released them:

Model	Released	How to spot it	Base connectors	App	Supported
Nest Learning Thermostat (1st gen)	2011	Small screen, seam on the steel ring	8	None since 2025	No, ended Oct 25, 2025
Nest Learning Thermostat (2nd gen)	2012	Small screen, steel ring, no seam	10	None since 2025	No, ended Oct 25, 2025
Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen)	2015	Larger screen, steel ring	10	Google Home or Nest	Yes
Nest Thermostat E	2017	Frosted white screen, white plastic ring	6	Google Home or Nest	Yes
Google Nest Thermostat (2020)	2020	Mirrored screen, touch bar on the right	6	Google Home	Yes
Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen)	2024	Large borderless screen, ring you turn and press	12	Google Home	Yes

Google sells only the last two, and only those two support Matter. The two current models are covered at the end of this guide.

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How to Identify a Nest Thermostat From the Front

Start here if you can’t get into the app. Look at three things: the ring, the screen, and how you change the temperature.

Nest Learning Thermostat (1st Gen) and (2nd Gen)

Both have a stainless steel ring you turn and press, and a small round screen, about 1.8 inches across. The 1st gen has a visible seam on the ring; the 2nd gen ring is smooth and the body is slimmer. They’re easy to confuse with each other, so the base is the better check (the 1st gen has 8 connectors, the 2nd gen has 10).

Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd Gen)

The 3rd gen also has a steel ring you turn and press, but the screen is noticeably bigger and fills more of the face. Google sold it with copper, white, black, brass, polished steel and mirror black finishes on the ring.

Nest Thermostat E

The E swaps the steel ring for a white plastic one and has a frosted, translucent white screen. You still turn and press the ring. Google sold it from 2017 to 2020 as the cheaper Nest.

Google Nest Thermostat (2020)

This is the only Nest without a ring. It has a mirrored screen and a touch bar on the right side: you swipe up and down there to change the temperature and tap it to open the menu. It came in Snow, Sand, Fog and Charcoal, and the base matches the color of the display.

Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen)

The newest model has the largest screen of any Nest, a 2.68-inch color display with no visible border around it, and a ring you turn and press. Google sells it in Polished Silver, Polished Gold and Polished Obsidian.

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How to Identify a Nest Thermostat From the Base

The base is the part screwed to the wall that the wires connect to. Every generation has its own base, so it settles any doubt from the front. Pull the display straight off the base and look at:

• The number of wire connectors: 8 on the 1st gen, 10 on the 2nd and 3rd gen, 6 on the Nest Thermostat E and the Nest Thermostat (2020), and 12 on the 4th gen.
• The bubble level: yellow on the 1st and 2nd gen (at the top on the 1st gen, at the bottom on the 2nd gen), blue at the top on the 3rd gen, E and 2020 model, and green on the 4th gen.
• The screw holes: on the left and right sides on the 1st gen; at the top and bottom on every later model.

That’s enough to separate the two pairs that look alike. A 2nd gen and a 3rd gen both have 10 connectors, but the 2nd gen has a yellow level at the bottom and the 3rd gen a blue one at the top. The E and the 2020 model both have 6, but the 2020 model’s base matches the display’s color and connects to it at the left and right edges, while the E’s base has a single display connector at the bottom.

Don’t put a display on a base from a different model or generation, even if it seems to fit. Google warns the connectors are different and it can damage the thermostat and your heating system. If you’re replacing a broken part, match the exact model. Our Nest thermostat installation guide covers what each base needs if you’re moving to a new one.

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How to Find Your Nest Thermostat Model Number

The app shows the exact model, which helps when you contact Google, buy a replacement part or check a compatibility list:

• Google Home app: open Devices, tap Climate, choose your thermostat, then Settings and Device information.
• Nest app (3rd gen and E only): tap the thermostat, then Settings and Technical Info.
• On a thermostat with a ring: press the ring to open the menu, turn to Settings, then Technical Info. The Display section shows the model and serial number, and the Base section shows the base model.

The serial number is also printed on the back of the display. Model numbers vary by color and country, but US examples include T3007ES (3rd gen), T4000ES (Thermostat E) and GA02081-US (Nest Thermostat in Charcoal).

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Is Your Nest Thermostat Still Supported?

Once you know the generation, this is usually the next question.

1st and 2nd gen: support ended. Google ended support for the Nest Learning Thermostat 1st gen, 2nd gen and the European 2nd gen on October 25, 2025. They were removed from the Nest and Google Home apps, so you can’t control them remotely, get notifications or use them with a voice assistant, and they don’t get software or security updates. The thermostat still works on the wall: your existing schedule keeps running, and you can change the temperature, the mode and every setting on the device itself. Google’s discounted upgrade offer for these owners ended on December 31, 2025.

3rd gen and Thermostat E: still supported. Neither was affected by the 2025 cutoff, and both got a software update (version 6.5) in October 2026. Google hasn’t announced an end date for either. They work in the Nest app and in the Google Home app, which added full scheduling for both in August 2025. Neither supports Matter.

Nest Thermostat (2020) and 4th gen: current models. Both are set up and controlled in the Google Home app, and both support Matter, which is how they work with Apple Home (see does Nest work with HomeKit for what you get there).

The generation also decides two things owners ask about a lot:

• Room sensors. Nest Temperature Sensors work with the 4th gen, 3rd gen and Thermostat E, but not the Nest Thermostat (2020).
• Batteries. Only the Nest Thermostat (2020) uses replaceable AAA batteries. The Learning thermostats and the E have a built-in rechargeable battery that charges from your HVAC wires, which is why a Nest thermostat battery warning means something different on each.

If you’re troubleshooting rather than identifying, our Nest reset guide has the steps for every generation.

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Which Nest Thermostat to Buy Now

If you have a 1st or 2nd gen, it still heats and cools, but it won’t get updates and you’ve lost the app. A 3rd gen or E is fine to keep. If you’re replacing an older Nest, Google sells two models today, and our Nest Thermostat vs Nest Learning Thermostat comparison goes through the differences in detail. If you’re open to other brands too, our guide to the best smart thermostats compares Nest with ecobee, Amazon and Mysa.

Google Nest Thermostat — Best Budget Upgrade

The cheaper current Nest, with Matter and the Google Home app, for simple heating and cooling systems.

Best for: Owners of an older Nest who want app control and Matter back for the lowest price, and don’t use room sensors.

What stands out in real use

It covers what most people used their old Nest for: schedules, remote control in the Google Home app, Eco temperatures and voice control. It works with Google Home, Alexa and, through Matter, Apple Home. It doesn’t learn a schedule on its own, and it can’t use Nest Temperature Sensors, so a 3rd gen or E owner with sensors should look at the 4th gen instead.

Key specs

• Touch bar control, mirrored display
• Matter, Google Home, Alexa, Apple Home via Matter
• One stage of heating and cooling plus one extra stage of either; heat pumps with aux heat
• Two AAA backup batteries
• One-year warranty

Pros

• About half the price of the 4th gen
• Matter support for Apple Home and other Matter apps
• Google says it works with 85% of systems

Cons

• No Nest Temperature Sensor support
• Doesn’t learn your schedule automatically
• Fewer system stages than the Learning model

Installation and compatibility notes

It’s set up in the Google Home app, which checks your wiring first. Google says it may need a C wire or the Nest Power Connector on heat-only, cool-only or zoned systems. Its base has 6 connectors, so it suits simpler systems.

Price: ~$130

Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) — Best for Older Learning Owners

The direct successor to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd gen Learning thermostats, with the same turn-and-press ring and a much bigger screen.

Best for: Learning thermostat owners who want the same experience, room sensors or support for more complex systems.

What stands out in real use

It keeps what Learning owners liked (it builds its own schedule from your adjustments) and adds Matter and a Nest Temperature Sensor in the box. Its 12-connector base handles more heating and cooling stages than the cheaper model, plus humidifiers, dehumidifiers and ventilation, so it’s the safer replacement for a 3rd gen on a multi-stage system.

Key specs

• 2.68-inch borderless color display, turn-and-press ring
• Matter, Google Home, Alexa, Apple Home via Matter
• Up to 3 stages of heating and 3 of cooling
• Includes a Nest Temperature Sensor (2nd gen)
• Built-in rechargeable battery, two-year warranty

Pros

• Learns your schedule like earlier Learning models
• Works with Nest Temperature Sensors, one included
• Handles multi-stage systems and accessories

Cons

• More than twice the price of the Nest Thermostat
• Google Home app only, no Nest app
• Needs its own new base; your old Nest base won’t work with it

Installation and compatibility notes

Set it up in the Google Home app. Google says it doesn’t need a C wire in most homes. Use the 12-connector base that comes with it, not your old Nest base.

Price: ~$280

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The Bottom Line

Most people can answer “which Nest thermostat do I have” in under a minute from the Google Home app. If you can’t, the front narrows it down and the base confirms it: count the connectors and check the color of the bubble level. A 1st or 2nd gen has lost app support, a 3rd gen or E is still fully supported, and the Nest Thermostat and 4th gen are the current models. For a full reference, Google’s own guide to telling Nest thermostats apart is worth bookmarking, and our best smart thermostats for Google Home covers the alternatives if you’re replacing one.