[4] After its acquisition of Dropcam in 2014, the company introduced its Nest Cam branding of security cameras beginning in June 2015.

However, in 2018, Nest was merged into Google's home-devices unit led by Rishi Chandra, effectively ceasing to exist as a separate business.

[22][23] All Revolv smart hubs, costing several hundred dollars, were deliberately remotely bricked on May 15, 2016;[24][25][26][27] notice was posted on the company's website in February.

[20] Nest's decision to brick the hubs, and its "acerbic" corporate culture, faced substantial criticism from within Google/Alphabet and in press coverage.

[32] On June 6, 2016, Tony Fadell, the Nest CEO, announced in a blog post that he was leaving the company he founded with Matt Rogers and stepping into an "advisory" role.

According to Frank Gillet of Forrester Research, only 6% of American households possessed internet-connected devices such as appliances, home-monitoring systems, speakers, or lighting.

[43] It is based on a machine-learning algorithm: for the first weeks users have to regulate the thermostat in order to provide the reference data set.

As the thermostat is connected to the Internet, the company can push updates to fix bugs, improve performance and add additional features.

It is similar in functionality to the standard model, except with a plastic, ceramic-like bezel ring (instead of metal) and a "frosted" overlay for its display.

Additionally, the backplate now includes 12 terminals, allowing for connections to ventilation systems and the simultaneous use of a humidifier and dehumidifier.

The Nest Protect features a multicolored light ring which is color-coded to indicate different operations, such as yellow to indicate an early warning or red if an alarm is sounding.

It is also able to communicate with the Nest Thermostat to provide the Auto-Away feature information that someone is present in the house, as well as to shut off the furnace in the event of a fire or carbon monoxide.

On April 3, 2014, sales of the Nest Protect were suspended, due to the potential for the alarm feature to be accidentally disabled.

[60] [61][62] 440,000 existing Nest Protect units were recalled because of this problem on May 21, 2014, and a software update was distributed to disable this functionality.

The differences from the first generation Nest Protect includes an improved sensor, which uses two wavelengths of light, allowing it to detect both smoldering and flaming fires.

Safety Rewards allows Nest Protect users that have their insurance through American Family and Liberty Mutual to get savings off their bill.

Features are a 1080p video resolution, a rotating, magnetic stand, night vision, two-way talk, sound and motion alerts, and optional Nest Aware cloud services for an additional fee.

[67] Several security flaws with Nest Cam products were reported in March 2017, allowing a burglar to hack the camera's always-on Bluetooth signal and stop recording.

[72] The indoor version of the Cam IQ also received an update to add Google Assistant functionality to the device in 2018.

[73] In 2021, the Nest Cam IQ Indoor and Outdoor were both discontinued ahead of Google's planned launch of a new line of security cameras.

[81] This addition has faced criticism, as the presence of a microphone inside the device was not adequately disclosed in product specifications.

Google stated that the inclusion of a microphone was accidentally not included in the listed specifications and was originally intended to enable future sensor functionality.

Google did not explain the reason behind the discontinuation of Nest Secure but did confirm the continuation of the service for the existing users.

[91][92] Additionally, many smart device manufacturers have direct integration with the Nest platform, including Whirlpool, GE Appliances, and Myfox.

[97] The change faced criticism for potentially resulting in a loss of functionality: vendors such as Lutron and SimpliSafe announced that their products' integration with the Nest platform (which allow them to be tied to the thermostat's home and away modes) would be affected by this change, while Google explicitly named IFTTT as a service that could not be integrated due to the amount of access it would need to operate.

[97] The Verge estimated that affected devices would also include Philips Hue, Logitech Harmony, Lutron lights, August Home, and Belkin Wemo switches.

Furthermore, The Verge argued that this change created a closed platform, and would lead to fragmentation of the smart home market by potentially blocking integration with products that directly compete with those of Google.

[8][97] On May 16, 2019, Google clarified its deprecation plans for Works with Nest: existing integrations will not be disabled after August 31, but users will no longer be able to add new ones, and the service will only receive maintenance updates going forward.

[103][104][105] Karl Bode and Emmanuel Malberg of Vice News compared the move to a remote deletion of purchased Xbox Fitness content by Microsoft.

[115] Per the terms of service, Google will provide law enforcement with Nest data "If we reasonably believe that we can prevent someone from dying or from suffering serious physical harm.