Nest Auto Schedule Won’t Turn Off: 5 handy Steps To Fix

Nest auto schedule is an exceptionally beneficial feature.

Alphabet’s marketing literature claiming that Nest pays for itself is based entirely on smart technologies, such as machine learning and auto programming.

However, the auto schedule confuses when it doesn’t turn off. 

Your Nest auto-schedule won’t turn off if there are other programmed settings or conflicts with the default features, such as eco mode, savings finder, and auto-learning. User-selected home/away assist and preset safety settings can create hurdles, too.

Nest smart home devices, including thermostats, have various default settings and programmable features that can overlap or have overriding effects. This guide discusses all such issues and the solutions so that you can turn off your Nest auto schedule completely. 

Why Your Nest Auto Schedule Won’t Turn Off

Nest programs an auto-schedule in due course using machine learning.

A Nest thermostat notes the temperatures you select on the first day, including the mode.

Then, Nest keeps learning from the second day through the first week and detects patterns.

Nest continues to tweak its learning over several days until it has a lucid understanding of your selections, personal preferences at different times and on days, adapts for variations and eventually sets up your auto schedule, which is a default feature from the outset. 

Now, you should be able to turn off this auto-schedule function without any glitches.

However, the problem arises when you factor in the other default settings.

Nest has default auto-learning, eco mode, and safety temperatures that are maintained even when you select the off mode.  

Hence, your auto-schedule won’t turn off entirely because Nest will continue running the eco mode or maintaining the safety temperatures.

Besides, you may inadvertently create multiple schedules due to the ways Nest recognizes different modes of heating and cooling.

You can use this checklist to detect the reason why your Nest auto schedule won’t turn off:

• Check for multiple schedules & modes: heat, cool, and heat-cool, etc. 
• Check if auto learning is enabled (it is on by default).
• Check if the eco mode is enabled (it is on by default).
• Check if you have activated the savings finder.
• Check if you have selected the home/away assist feature.

5 Steps To Turn Off Nest Auto Schedule

Nest thermostats are preprogrammed to maintain the safety temperatures even when you turn them off.

The feature works irrespective of auto schedule.

Thus, your auto schedule may be actually off if your Nest thermostat is only heating or cooling to sustain the safety temperatures.

1. Turn Off All Schedules

Nest programs auto schedules for 5 modes: heat, cool, heat-cool, off, and eco.

You may have multiple user-selected schedules in heat, cool, and heat-cool modes.

Turning off the auto schedule won’t disable those you have in all three modes. Thus, turn off all the schedules.  

Nest thermostats have auto, basic, and temperature schedules, depending on the model.

Your auto schedule may be off, but other programmed settings will continue to work.

Hence, your Nest thermostat will appear to run its auto schedule because of the saved settings. 

Turn off all the schedules if you don’t want Nest to regulate anything significant unless you choose a mode and temperature. 

2. Turn Off Auto Learning

Auto schedule learning is the feature that enables Nest to program the required and your preferred settings.

Once you have the first auto schedule, Nest continues to auto learn to adapt and makes changes in time.

You must turn off auto learning, too.

According to Google, turning off auto schedules should disable Nest’s learning ability.

However, you will still have the schedule that is already in place. Thus, Nest will run that schedule unless you clear or reset it. 

Here’s a comprehensive official guide to disable auto schedule learning.

It is essential to note that clearing all existing schedules will require you to intervene every time you need to change anything manually.

Otherwise, the Nest thermostat will remain on per the last action. 

3. Turn Off Eco Mode

Your Nest thermostat will switch to Eco mode when no one is home.

You may have the default settings for the Eco mode or manually set the temperatures.

The Eco mode will continue to function in every scenario, irrespective of whether the auto schedule is enabled or disabled.  

Disable the Eco mode If you don’t want Nest to automatically switch when you aren’t home.

Here’s a complete guide about how the Eco mode works.

Turning off Eco will not disable the safety temperature function, so Nest will regulate the heating or cooling even if you aren’t home.  

4. Turn Off Savings Finder

Some Nest versions have a savings finder feature.

This function is not active until you have a schedule and Nest has analyzed enough information to suggest better temperature settings or autoregulation.

Disable the savings finder if you don’t want Nest to automate any changes. 

5. Turn Off Home/Away Assist

You may have enabled home/away assist for Nest to switch to Eco mode or a selected schedule when no one is in the house.

Disabling the auto schedule will not affect the home/away assist feature. Nest will switch to Eco or the chosen schedule if it senses the house is vacant. 

Disable the home/away assist feature to shut all probable auto schedules completely.

However, Nest will still have its mandate to maintain the safety temperatures.

This feature is active by default. Also, you can select the safety temperatures based on your needs or preferences. 

Change these temperatures on the thermostat or through the Nest and Home apps.

You may deactivate the safety feature, but that will mean your house may get super hot or cold in your absence.

Also, you can turn off the safety feature only on the thermostat, not on the apps.

Final Thoughts

Enabling and disabling any of the smart features is a cakewalk, whether on the Nest thermostat or app.

However, disabling one directly or indirectly correlated setting will not turn off everything else.

Thus, you have to decide on the extent to which Nest will automate your experiences.