Nest Thermostat Temperature Wrong [How to Fix]

In this post, we’ll walk you through some handy tips to fix wrong temperature readings in your Nest thermostat. If that sounds like what you’re looking for, then let’s dive in.

Your Nest thermostat might be showing the wrong temperature because of the following reasons:

You just installed the device.
Your Nest thermostat isn’t working properly.
You changed the temperature recently.
You are not reading the temperature correctly.
You installed the thermostat in the wrong place.

Now let’s look at how to troubleshoot this problem.

Table of Contents

Tips to Fix Nest Thermostat Wrong Temperature Readings

Wait for the Thermostat to adapt to the Temperature in Your Home

Did you just install your thermostat? Then the device might be showing the wrong temperature because it hasn’t adapted to your home yet. Your Nest thermostat needs a few days to sync with the heating and cooling patterns in your home.

That said, you’ll need to wait for about three days (after installing the thermostat) for the device to adjust to room temperature.

Your Nest thermostat should show the correct temperature now. But if it doesn’t, continue to the next step.

Reset Your Thermostat

If your Nest thermostat keeps reading the wrong temperature, the device might not be working normally. And you can try to fix this by performing a reset on the device.

Follow these steps to reset your Nest thermostat:

Press the ring on your Nest thermostat to open the Quick View menu.
Select Settings. Then rotate the ring to Reset and tap it.
Now click on All Settings to reset the thermostat. Please note that clicking on this option will remove all the data you’ve saved on the device. So, you’ll need to set up the thermostat again in the Nest app.

If your Nest thermostat doesn’t display the correct temperature after this, continue to the next tip.

Give Your Thermostat Some Minutes to Reflect the New Temperature

If you change the temperature in your home, your Nest thermostat won’t display the new temperature immediately. Usually, it takes about 15 minutes for the thermostat to reflect the change.

So, if your Nest thermostat isn’t displaying the correct temperature immediately after you change it, wait 15 minutes.

However, if the correct temperature doesn’t appear on the thermostat after 15 minutes, try the next tip.

Ensure that You’re Reading the Temperature Correctly

The Nest thermostat displays 2 types of temperature readings on its screen: the actual room temperature and the target temperature.

The actual room temperature is the temperature of the room at that time. This temperature reading is placed on the right side of the thermostat ring.

On the other hand, the target temperature is the temperature you’ve set for that time in your temperature schedule. The target temperature is displayed in the center of the screen.

If you think your thermostat is displaying the wrong temperature, you might have been studying the temperature reading at the center of the screen.

Check the temperature on the right side of your thermostat ring to determine if the device is displaying the correct temperature.

However, if you still see the wrong temperature after checking the actual temperature reading, check the next tip.

Reinstall Your Thermostat in an Appropriate Location

Your Nest thermostat might be showing the wrong temperature because you installed the device in an inappropriate location.

If you place your thermostat under direct sunlight, it will absorb the heat in the area. As such, the thermostat will display a higher temperature than the temperature in your room.

You should also avoid installing the device in the following places:

Near other appliances.
On metal objects like doors and tables.
On warm walls.

If you’ve already installed your Nest thermostat in any of these places, you’ll need to unmount it and reinstall it in a new location. The best place to install your thermostat is on a cool wall near your entryway.

This should fix the incorrect temperature readings in your Nest thermostat.

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Final Thoughts

If your Nest thermostat is showing the wrong temperature, wait about 15 minutes for the device to adapt to the temperature in your home. If this doesn’t help, reset the thermostat.

If these tips fail, give your thermostat some minutes to reflect the new temperature. You should also ensure that you are reading the temperature correctly.

If your thermostat still shows the wrong temperature after this, reinstall the device in an appropriate location.

If the problem persists, contact an HVAC expert to inspect your thermostat and HVAC system. You may also consider contacting Google Nest Customer Support for help.