How to add 2-step verification to your account in the Nest app
With optional 2-step verification, you’ll go through an extra layer of security to sign into your account in the Nest app.
Applies to: Nest app, Nest Accounts
2-step verification helps prevent someone from signing into your account in the Nest app without your permission.
How it works
With 2-step verification, your phone helps prove your identity any time you sign into your account or make other changes to security settings.
The two steps of verification
As the name implies, 2-step verification relies on two different tools at your disposal.
- First, something you know: Whenever you sign into the Nest app, you’ll be asked for your email address and password just like before.
- Second, something you have: After you enter your password, Nest sends a unique, temporary verification code to your phone in order to make sure it’s really you. Enter the code when prompted, and you’re in.
Set up 2-step verification
To use 2-step verification, you’ll need:
- The latest version of the Nest app on all the devices that sign into your account.Important: After setting up 2-step verification, if you try to sign into your account using an older version of the app, you may not be able to.
- The email address and password you use to sign into your account in the Nest app. If you’ve forgotten it, you can reset your password with the Nest app.
- A phone that can accept text (SMS) messages, and a reliable signal from your carrier.
Important: Make sure this phone you use for 2-step verification will be available in the future. Nest sends a unique passcode to the same phone number every time you sign into your account. So don’t use a temporary phone number, or someone else’s phone, or a work phone that might become unavailable. If you don’t have a phone number that meets these criteria, we recommend not using 2-step verification.
- A separate invitation and account for each person accessing your Nest home.
Important: If you’re sharing a single Nest Account email address and password with other users, we recommend you stop sharing this information. Instead, you can invite each person to share access to your home with Family Accounts so each person has their own account. Otherwise, someone might try to sign in but wouldn’t be able to get the verification code sent to your phone.
Add 2-step verification to an existing account in the Nest app
If you have an existing account in the Nest app, and you’ve been signing in with only a password, you can add 2-step verification for greater security.
- Make sure all the phones and tablets on which you access your account have the latest version of the Nest app.
- On the Nest app home screen, tap Settings .
- Select Account, then Manage account.
- Tap Account security.
- Select 2-step verification. Then tap the switch to toggle 2-step verification On.
- Follow the prompts to enter your password, phone number, and the unique verification code sent to your phone.
Note: When you turn on 2-step verification, we automatically sign you out of your account in the Nest app on any other phones, tablets, or computers you were using before. You’ll need to sign in again with 2-step verification on each device.
Change your phone number
If you plan to get a new phone number and stop using your old one, you should turn off 2-step verification before deactivating your old line. Then you can turn 2-step notification back on, using your new number.
Important: You’ll need to enter a verification code from your old phone number one last time. This is a security precaution to confirm your identity and help protect your account.
- On the Nest app home screen, tap Settings .
- Select Account, then Manage account.
- Tap Account security.
- Select Phone number, then select Remove.
- Follow the prompts to enter your password and the temporary verification code sent to your oldphone number.
- This will turn off 2-step verification. Now you can follow the steps above to set up 2-step verification again, using your new phone number.
