Google continues harvesting data from dead Nest Thermostats

Despite providing plenty of warning, it didn’t really soften the blow when Google pulled the plug on older Nest Thermostats. While we’ve seen the brand provide lackluster support for some of its products and services over the years, making its smart thermostats dumb wasn’t really something many thought would happen.

Of course, the date came and older Nest Thermostats were left without any kind of remote control. They work, but it’s just not the same without being able to monitor and control the device remotely. Thankfully, developer Cody Kociemba would take matters into his own hands, launching a project that would revive these dead thermostats, allowing users to remotely control their devices just like the first day they purchased them.

A troubling find

And now, a couple of weeks later, the plot thickens, as Kociemba shares with The Verge that the same Nest Thermostats that were taken offline are still sending vital usage data to Google. Now, everyone has their own thoughts about data collection, and how it should and shouldn’t be used, but in this instance, it does make you wonder why this is even necessary at this point.

The brand basically abandoned these devices, leaving them for dead without many of the vital features that made it an attractive purchase in the first place. The data collected won’t be used to improve the experience going forward, which, quite frankly, seems like a bit of a slap in the face for people that own an older generation Nest Thermostat.

As far as what kind of data is being collected, Kociemba shares that it’s quite extensive. The Verge highlights some of the details being sent to Google, which include “manual temperature changes”, whether a person is present in the room, if sunlight is hitting the device, and more.” It’s pretty much all the information you don’t want to send Google.

While many folks aren’t going to really like that this is happening, I’d like to think that this is just an oversight. Of course, only time will tell whether that’s the case. The good news is that you no longer have to rely on Google’s crippled experience going forward. Kociemba’s software is available for download for older Nest Thermostats, you’ll just want to read through all the details of the project before proceeding.

It’s not a complicated walkthrough by any means, but if this is your first time doing something like this, you’ll want to be very careful. Making updates to hardware using first or third-party software can cause the device to stop working if it is done wrong. Of course, if you’re not really looking to go this route, you can always purchase a new Nest Thermostat from Google instead.