Don’t know why your Nest thermostat motion sensor not working? Well, continue reading!
The motion sensor is a fantastic functionality of the Nest thermostat that allows fully automatic detection and temperature regulation.
However, when the behavior of your thermostat does not match your expectations, perhaps the motion sensor isn’t working, so read ahead to know why!
If your Nest thermostat’s motion sensor is not functioning, check the surroundings for physical interference. Moreover, restart the thermostat, check the Home/Away settings, and ensure that the Nest app and thermostat are both up to date.
Let’s now move further and go over each possibility!
Nest Motion Sensor Not Working? – Here’s Why!
There are different factors that can prevent your Nest thermostat motion sensor from working.
The most common factor is software bugs due to an outdated software or app version, which can disconnect your thermostat from your network.
The motion sensor could also stop working due to dirt buildup or hardware malfunction that can prevent it from sensing you in the area.
That’s not all about it.
Let’s explore all possible causes that can cause this issue:
These are the leading causes that impact the performance of the Nest Thermostat’s motion sensor.
Let’s now proceed to the troubleshooting guide and address the problem quickly!
How to Fix Nest Thermostat Motion Sensor Not Working?
Tip: Try all of the solution steps!
1. Restart Your Nest Thermostat
Most of the time, any software bug in a thermostat restricts the sensor’s effectiveness, which could prevent it from correctly functioning.
In this case, restarting the thermostat is probably the best first step against the problem, which eliminates all the minor functionality bugs and glitches.
To reboot your Nest thermostat, follow the steps below:
- Open the “Quick Menu” on your thermostat.
- Then, head over and enter the “Settings” tab.
- Next, locate and choose the “Reset” option.
- Finally, find and choose the “Restart” option.
Once your Nest thermostat boots up and back up to standard operational mode, check to see if the motion sensor is detecting your movements and triggering any action.
If a restart to your thermostat doesn’t fix the issue, continue reading!
2. Check the Thermostat Battery!
Your Nest thermostat charges its built-in battery via the power supply from your HVAC system.
However, if the charging gets low, the thermostat goes into an energy-saving mode, affecting the motion sensor sensitivity and detection performance.
Follow these steps to check the Nest thermostat’s battery level:
- Open the “Quick Menu” on the thermostat.
- Next, locate and open the “Settings” menu.
- Choose “Technical Info” and then “Power.”
- Then, locate the number labeled “Battery.”
- Next, check the thermostat Battery Level.
Make sure the Nest thermostat must have a 3.8V battery charging.
In case the battery is less than 3.6V, then you need to wait for some time for your thermostat’s internal battery to charge.
Note: In case of a recent power outage, your Nest thermostat may need a few hours to charge!
3. Check the Home/Away Settings
Whenever the motion sensor appears inactive, one of the things you need to check is your Nest thermostat Home/Away Assist settings.
This is an excellent feature that uses a combination of sensors and user preferences to find out whether you are at home or away.
Then, it should activate the temperature routines accordingly.
Thus, when your Nest thermostat motion sensor is not working, there is a good chance that the Home/Away settings are not correctly configured.
Moreover, there may be overlapping in the different routines, causing logical conflicts and preventing the automation of your thermostat.
How to Check Home/ Away Assist Settings?
- First, open the “Nest app” on your mobile device.
- Tap on the “Settings” icon on the home screen.
- Next, locate and tap on “Home/Away Assist.”
- First, choose “Home” and re-check all settings.
- Then, choose “Away” and re-check all settings.
Make sure to carefully check all configurations for each section and ensure the settings match your preferences.
In addition, you must make any necessary adjustments to eliminate conflicts.
Reminder: Is your Nest app up to date?
4. Look for the Obstruction/Interference
When your Nest thermostat’s motion sensor is not working, the culprit may be the presence of any physical obstructions or signal interference.
So, take a closer look at the area around your Nest thermostat and make sure no objects are blocking its line of sight.
If there’s something in front of the thermostat display, like curtains or decorations items, the sensor may have trouble detecting the movements.
Additionally, electronic devices, such as TVs, cordless phones, or speakers, may interfere with the motion sensor functionality.
Therefore, removing obstructions and repositioning interfering devices can eliminate the chances of interference.
Tip: Also, ensure your thermostat is in a central location with a clear view of the room!
One More Thing – Clean Your Thermostat Display
Any dust or smudges on the Nest thermostat’s display can also impact the detection capability of the sensor.
Therefore, cleaning the display with a soft and clean cloth will come in handy.
Ensure no fingerprints or dirt is left over on your thermostat display, and test if the sensor works.
Tip: Use a microfiber cloth!
5. Update the Nest Thermostat Firmware
Your Nest thermostat should automatically update its software whenever connected to a stable network.
However, sometimes, the software update process fails or goes offline due to power outages, and in those cases, you must carry out an update manually.
How to Update Nest Thermostat?
- First, wake up your Nest thermostat.
- Then, open the “Quick Menu” section.
- Locate and open the “Settings” menu.
- Then, locate and choose “Version.”
- After that, tap on the “Update” button.
These steps will manually install the latest updates on your Nest thermostat!
How to Update Home and Nest?
- First, grab your mobile phone (host).
- Navigate to your “phone’s app store.”
- Find “Nest app” and “Google Home.”
- Press on the “Update button” for both.
- Verify both your apps are up to date!
After that, restart your Nest thermostat and pass near the faceplate to check if the motion sensor detects your movement and performs any action.
Necessary: Always keep your apps and thermostat up to date!
6. Reset the A/C from the Main Breaker
As we’ve already mentioned, the Nest thermostat will start shutting down essential features if the battery charge is low or the power is insufficient.
Hence, the entire fuss may be related to the power income, and a very good way to refresh everything would be from the primary circuit.
So, you must open the cover/door of the primary breaker panel and locate the fuses that are powering the room of your thermostat and HVAC.
Then, you must flip the switch downwards to stop the electricity for about 60 seconds, after which you may flip the switch up and restore it.
When the power is reset, your Nest thermostat may take up to 5 minutes to turn on and load all the operational services.
So, when ready, you may test whether the motion sensor is working. If this doesn’t help either, continue reading!
Tip: Power off and unplug all your electrical appliances!
7. Factory Reset your Nest Thermostat
Although this is an end-solution, performing a factory reset on your Nest thermostat will erase all software-related problems with the motion sensor.
The entire Nest thermostat software will be reverted to its factory defaults, and you have to set everything back again.
Here’s how to factory reset your Nest thermostat:
- First, navigate to the “Quick View” menu screen.
- Open the “Settings” tab on the Nest thermostat.
- Move the ring toward “Reset” and tap to select.
- Move the ring toward “All Settings” and select.
After the reset is done, you will need to set up your thermostat device and add it to your Nest or Google Home app again.
If the problem with your Nest thermostat’s motion sensor persists, we recommend you contact Nest Support for assistance.
Note: Back up any data that you would like to restore later!
Quick Recap:
Hence, when your Nest thermostat motion sensor not working, restart the unit and check the Home & Away settings.
In addition, you need to remove any obstructions, inspect for interfering electronics near the thermostat, and perform a factory restoration to defaults.
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Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites. Check out more about him here.