If you’re having problems with your Nest smart thermostat, it may be necessary to go through a factory reset. This can also be helpful when you’re selling the equipment and want to clear all of your data from it. A factory reset returns the smart thermostat back to its original, out-of-the-box state.

This process is different than restarting your smart thermostat, which retains your settings and effectively turns it off and on again. A reset will clear all settings on the thermostat, so be prepared to go through the full setup process again.

Before you start, be sure to record your wiring information for future reference. You can find this under Equipment in the Nest Thermostat’s Settings menu.

No, you cannot reset a Nest Thermostat from the app. You can remove your account from the thermostat, however. This is an important step before committing to a full factory reset. Here’s how to do it:

This will disconnect your account from the thermostat, and you can now do a factory reset on the Nest Thermostat.

Here are the steps to follow to factory reset a Nest Thermostat.

Once complete, all of your personal settings, including connection to the Google Home app on your phone, will be removed. At this point, it should be safe to get rid of the thermostat.

The factory reset process detailed above should cover all the necessary steps for handing off your Nest Thermostat to someone else. If you’d like to be more selective about the data you erase, it’s possible to reset individual features from the thermostat’s Settings menu. Here’s what you can do:

Restarting a Nest Thermostat is a good starting point for troubleshooting. After all, you don’t want to go through the trouble of setting everything up from scratch if you don’t have to.

The process for restarting the Nest Thermostat differs by model. For the Nest Thermostat E and the Nest Learning Thermostat, you’ll need to press the thermostat down until the screen turns off, then release it. Next, press and release the ring. It should turn back on with the Nest logo appearing.

The process for restarting the regular Nest Thermostat is quite simple. Just take it off its mounting base, remove its two AAA batteries, and place them back in the device.

Those instructions should help you reset your Nest Thermostat for just about any occasion. Smart thermostats are superb appliances that can help lower your electrical bill.