Google is rolling out some long‑requested thermostat improvements in its Google Home app today, most notably including full hot water control for compatible Nest devices and wider settings for nonthermostat climate options. The changes are bundling features that until now had users teetering between the Google Home and older Nest app, for a more cohesive and unified smart home experience from Google.
What’s new in the Google Home app
The update lets you schedule hot water by the hour, use quick “boost” controls and on/off manual toggles (where supported) for your system right in Google Home. Thermostat settings have been rearranged to put frequently used ones at the top, and a bug that made temperature sliders jitter and feel unresponsive has been exterminated.
Google is also adding temperature and mode control to non‑thermostat climate devices—smart space heaters, mini‑splits, window AC units—that can connect through Matter or with Works With Google Home partners. The external temperature, meanwhile, now shows up alongside thermostat controls, and you can pin both local weather and air quality to the Favorites tab, for a little extra context on what exactly is happening outside.
Hot water controls come to UK/EU Nest users
Hot water control is rolling out to the Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd Gen (UK/EU), and its budget sibling, the Nest Thermostat E, highlighting how plenty of European homes combine central heating with a hot water cylinder or combi boiler. Users can schedule hot water times, control temperatures if this is enabled and give it a temporary boost — which is helpful before taking showers or after guests come as well as when off‑peak tariffs expire.
Support varies by system type. On/Off system boiler users get the ability to schedule hot water and a new boost, while OpenTherm‑compatible combi boilers can now expose water temperature control in Google Home. For Nest Thermostat E installations, Heat Link temperature viewable to confirm system status at-a-glance They’ve also added an easy‑access Eco button, which means you can switch to power saving modes more quickly than having to delve into menus.
Beyond thermostats: climate products through Matter
Control over climate extends beyond antiquated thermostats, now. If you connected a mini‑split or portable heater with Matter or brought one into the app through Works With Google Home, you’ll now see additional temperature and mode settings directly inside the app. That cuts down the reliance on brand specific apps and ties into the larger push toward cross‑platform interoperability from Matter. The Connectivity Standards Alliance says thousands of devices made by hundreds of brands are now Matter certified, and centralized controls like these will help users get some actual use out of that ecosystem.
Contextual cues also get smarter. There’s the fact you can pin outside weather and air quality to Favorites, so that you can figure out whether a preference for ventilation over recirculated cooling is sensible on a particular high‑pollution day (for example) without making your way through to this information from scratch every time.
More streamlined controls, more straightforward app story
Google has been slowly integrating Nest features into Google Home and recently made it possible to access a more robust schedule directly from the app on older Nest models. By removing one of the last major remaining excuses to keep the legacy Nest app around, hot water controls support headaches can become less common for both households and installers.
The interface tweaks matter too. Thermostat settings are now simplified, with the most‑used settings — mode, target temperature, schedules and Eco — at your fingertips. The “fix” for “jumping” sliders should make day‑to‑day adjustments *feel* more accurate on smaller screens, especially.
Why this is important for comfort and energy
Hot water is a significant portion of energy use at home. According to the Energy Saving Trust, domestic hot water accounts on average for 12%13% of household energy consumption in the UK. Smarter scheduling and instant boosts can prevent heating up a tank unnecessarily, while Eco modes can reduce demand when no one is home.
Pairing that control with outdoor temperature and air quality data also minimizes guesswork. Small choices that can accumulate on monthly bills and comfort are easier to justify a pre‑heat — or to skip it — when the context is in front of you.
Availability and supported devices
.Editor’s note:Hot water support on Google Home is rolling out to the Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd Gen (UK/EU) and Nest Thermostat E.NOTE:This feature depends on your boiler type and wiring so OpenTherm support will enable this for some.On/Off boiler accessories such as hot water tanks or air conditioning units without OT circuits are not supported.Examples include zoned heating systems where a master thermostat controls heating to other thermostats in adjacent rooms.” Matter or Works With Google Home enabled product expanded control available for non‑thermostat climate devices.
To access the new options, make sure your Google Home app is updated and that you’re running the most recent firmware on your Nest thermostat. If you had a previous dependency on the old Nest app for switching your water temperature, however, you should now be able to do everything (schedules, boosts and temperature targets as well as Eco) from Google Home — under one more unified interface.
