How Nest Auto-Schedule learns, and how to turn it off
Auto-Schedule watches the temperatures you set on a Nest Learning Thermostat or Nest Thermostat E and, after a few days, builds a schedule from them. It is on by default and keeps learning from later changes. Turn it off under Settings > Nest Sense > Auto-Schedule; on the 4th gen Learning Thermostat, the Google Home app calls it Smart Schedule.
What does Auto-Schedule do?
It writes your schedule for you. Instead of typing in times and temperatures, you just change the temperature on the thermostat or in the app whenever you want it warmer or cooler. Google says the thermostat learns your preferences from those changes and, after a few days, programs a schedule based on the times and temperatures you chose.
Learning does not stop after the first schedule appears. While Auto-Schedule is on, later adjustments keep shaping it. That is useful when your routine shifts with the seasons, and confusing when a one-off change turns up again a week later as a scheduled setpoint.
Which Nest thermostats have it?
| Model | Learning feature | Factory setting | Where to turn it off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) | "Smart Schedule": Automatic, Suggestions or Off | Not stated | Google Home app: your thermostat > Settings > Temperature Preferences > Smart Schedule |
| Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen or earlier) | "Auto-Schedule" | On | Thermostat: Settings > Nest Sense > Auto-Schedule > Off |
| Nest Thermostat E | "Auto-Schedule"; "Basic Schedule" also offered at setup | On, unless you pick Basic Schedule at setup | Thermostat: Settings > Nest Sense > Auto-Schedule > Off |
| Nest Thermostat | None; schedule you set ("Quick schedule") | Not applicable | Not applicable |
On the Thermostat E and older Learning Thermostats you can also switch it off in the apps. In the Google Home app it is under Settings, then Temperature Preferences, then Auto Schedule. In the Nest app, select the thermostat, open Settings, choose Auto-Schedule and tap the switch.
Google does not explain the difference between the 4th gen's "Automatic" and "Suggestions" choices on the page we checked, only that you pick one based on your preference. We have left that out rather than guess.
What is the Basic Schedule on the Nest Thermostat E?
It is a ready-made schedule. Google describes it as pre-programmed from a national average to balance energy savings and comfort. If you choose it during setup, Auto-Schedule starts out off.
You can still turn learning on afterward: in the Nest app, select the thermostat, then Settings, Nest Sense, Auto-Schedule, and choose Yes. The Basic Schedule then becomes the starting point the thermostat learns from. Going the other way takes three steps: turn Auto-Schedule off on the thermostat, reset its schedule, and pick Basic Schedule.
How do you see what it has learned?
Open the schedule and read it like any other. Google gives three places:
- Nest app: select the thermostat, then tap Schedule. It shows the schedule for the current mode, Heat or Cool.
- On the thermostat: Quick View, then Settings, then Schedule. Turn the ring to move through the schedule and press to add, change or remove a setpoint.
- Google Home app: your thermostat, then Settings, then Schedules, then Heat, Cool or Heat · Cool.
A learned schedule is a list of setpoints, not named periods like Wake or Sleep. You can edit or delete any of them, and you can copy one day onto others. Google marks setpoints that can help save energy with the Nest Leaf. For comparison with the fixed four-period approach, see schedule periods.
When should you turn it off?
Turn it off if the schedule keeps drifting away from what you want, or if several people change the temperature for different reasons and the thermostat is learning noise. Google says that when you turn learning off, "your existing schedule will remain but your thermostat will stop learning from your future adjustments." Clean up the schedule by hand afterward, since nothing will correct it for you.
Leave it on if you rarely touch the thermostat and like that it adapts. The broader tradeoff is covered in learning vs programmable schedules.
What else can change a Nest's temperature?
Turning off Auto-Schedule stops schedule learning only. Google notes that presence-based automations or Home/Away Assist must also be disabled to stop automatic temperature adjustments. These switch the thermostat to Eco temperatures when nobody is home; see Nest Eco mode turning on by itself.
Early-On can also start the system before a scheduled setpoint so the room is ready on time. That is recovery mode, not a schedule change. And if you clear the schedule entirely, Google says the thermostat stays at the last temperature set.
If your own changes keep disappearing rather than being learned, read thermostat keeps returning to its schedule. More Nest topics are on the Google Nest hub.
Frequently asked questions
- Does the Nest Thermostat have Auto-Schedule?
- No. Google says Auto-Schedule is only on the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest Thermostat E. The Nest Thermostat (the model without "Learning" or "E" in its name) uses a schedule you set yourself; Google lists its schedule type as Quick schedule.
- Will I lose my schedule if I turn Auto-Schedule off?
- No. Google says your existing schedule stays, and the thermostat simply stops learning from future adjustments. The schedule then changes only when you edit it yourself.
- How long does Auto-Schedule take to learn?
- Google says it programs a schedule after a few days of your adjustments. It does not give an exact number of days. It keeps adjusting the schedule after that as long as learning is on.
- Can I turn Auto-Schedule back on later?
- Yes. Google says you can always turn learning back on, using the same menu you used to turn it off. On a Nest Thermostat E that started with the Basic Schedule, the Basic Schedule becomes the starting point for learning.