Comment: I’m needlessly going to throw out Nest Secure, and Google won’t tell me why

In less than a week, Google will disable Nest Secure for anyone who bought it, regardless of its still working. It’s a needless death, and one that Google needs to learn from.

On April 8, 2024, Google will pull the plug on Nest Secure, the only home security system the company has produced. This isn’t just a product being discontinued, it’s a full shutdown. If you have one of these systems in your home, it will simply stop working.

I’ve been using a Nest Secure since 2018, and I’m genuinely pretty angry that I’ll be throwing this thing away since it will be useless.

Why is it shutting down? Your guess is as good as mine.

Google announced the shutdown of Nest Secure in 2023, three years after the system was discontinued without a replacement in sight. Back in 2020, Google had “committed” to continued support. Admittedly, it’s hard to expect a company to keep supporting a product it no longer sells, but at the same time, why is this fully working system just being thrown away in the first place?

Google never once addressed why Nest Secure is dying. It just is.

The company’s announcement of the shutdown just says that services will end.

On April 8, 2024, Nest will discontinue support for Nest Secure.

Your Nest Secure will no longer work in the Google Nest app and won’t connect to the internet. You’ll no longer be able to use the Nest app to check the status of your Nest Secure, control your Nest Secure devices, or receive notifications from your alarm system.

Nest Secure leaves a legacy of, truly, being one of the best smart home products Google has ever made. The simple system was easy to install and use, integrated very well with other Nest products, and offered great self-monitoring features that often goes ignored by other security brands.

And the simple fact is that, right now, there’s nothing out there to replace it.

Google has poured a lot of money into a partnership with ADT, and it’s one that isn’t benefitting customers in its ecosystem at all. ADT Self Setup, which we reviewed last year, requires users to add yet another app to their smart home ecosystem, and it’s a decidedly one-way experience. ADT’s app will show Nest content, but it’s barely functional and, more importantly, you can’t use ADT’s hardware in the Google Home app at all.

ADT Self Setup is what Google is giving to Nest Secure owners as a “replacement.” Owners can get a system for free with a year of monitoring. It’s not a bad deal given Nest Secure is several years old at this point, but it’s not a functional replacement. It’s a bandage.

I get that Google has poured a lot into ADT when it comes to home security, but that partnership isn’t benefitting customers. Rather we, the customers, are getting stuck with functionality that’s just lost, and a company that’s seemingly indifferent about that.

What’s another potential reason for the death of Nest Secure? One obvious answer could be that Google is moving away from the Nest app.

Google has reiterated time and time again that moving these older Nest devices from the original app to the Home app is difficult on a technical level. And, yeah, I bet! But, if that’s the case, why isn’t Nest Secure getting that?

To date, Google has already moved Nest Cam Indoor and Outdoor to the Home app, with plans to move more in the future. These are also older products that have been discontinued for years. So why are they getting this upgrade? After all, Google could just replace those cameras with new ones if it wasn’t the save the trouble. Google is literally doing that with the Dropcam, which also shuts down on April 8.

I think that circles back to the ADT deal again. Google seemingly just doesn’t have interest in making its own security system, and ADT at least seems interested in reviving some of the good things from Nest Secure. But, again, that just doesn’t seem like a good reason to do away with a perfectly functional system.

Google’s ongoing practice of “sunsetting” products is one that I’m used to. And, frankly, I’m rarely saddened by them. Sure, they can be frustrating, but it’s usually in the pursuit of making better products later on. Keep in mind I said “usually.” For example, and I’m, sure many will disagree, the death of Google Podcasts earlier this week was, ultimately, for the best. That app had promise, but if those resources can instead be poured into improving YouTube Music, the app people actually seem to be using, it’s absolutely for the best in the long run, despite the pain it causes now.

But I don’t think Google can make this mistake again. People are well aware of the “Google Graveyard” at this point, and as a recent AMA showed, trust in Google’s smart home products is at an all-time low.

Shutting down products can only come with a good reason, and Google hasn’t given anything remotely resembling a “good reason” for shutting down Nest Secure. Customers are right to be angry about it, and as mentioned at the outset, Google needs to listen up and learn from this mistake. This can’t be repeated when it’s Nest Protect’s turn…

More on Smart Home:

• Review: ADT Self Setup is a solid security system, but it’s no Nest Secure replacement
• Google Home Essentials: SimpliSafe fills the security need Nest abandoned, for a cost
• Google Home app still can’t schedule Nest cameras, so it uses complex automation instead

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