topic Re: Expiration Prior to Purchase in Nest Protect

Expiration Prior to Purchase

godawgs — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 12:24:06 GMT

Is there any way to find the manufacture or expiration date of a Nest Protect before opening the box? I have the serial number on the outside packaging, but the “Replace By” date is only printed on the back of the detector. Does Google offer a lookup tool for serial numbers, or is opening the box the only way to see the expiration?

Hate to buy it, and it expires in a year or so?

Re: Expiration Prior to Purchase

EduardoN — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 00:17:35 GMT

Hi @godawgs,

Thank you very much for contacting this community! I understand you are trying to find the manufacturing or expiration date of the Nest Protect before opening the box. I know how frustrating it is not knowing when a device is about to expire, but I am here to help you.

I would like to ask you a few questions so I can provide you with more information.

Where and when did you buy this Nest Protect?
Could you send me photos of your Nest Protect box? Please when you capture the box please make sure to hide the Serial Number before sharing the photo.

Please feel free to share any additional details you think might be relevant.

Best regards,
Eduardo

Re: Expiration Prior to Purchase

DanCoco — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 23:51:09 GMT

Realistically, at this point it makes little sense to buy any new protects, even if you already have some. Production has ended, potentially even a couple years ago (when it was common to be getting "old" stock) Google has ended production before getting the protects into Google Home. (Beta doesn't count for life safety products.)

If you have an expiring or failing unit among other protect detectors, it would be safer to buy a non smart co/smoke detector than another Nest Protect.

I would also skip the First Alert model that Google sold the design to. Google has failed spectacularly in Nest software development and migration, that it's hard to trust them.

Re: Expiration Prior to Purchase

DanCoco — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 23:56:27 GMT

Are you just randomly asking for users to do things? Seriously what would sharing a photo of the box without serial number do?

Did you read the user's question and use context clues? Why assume they've purchased a detector already? Basic comprehension shows that they're asking if there's a way to know how many years they might get from an old stock device.

Re: Expiration Prior to Purchase

godawgs — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 13:07:01 GMT

Here are the image

Why do you need to hide the serial numbers?

Re: Expiration Prior to Purchase

DanCoco — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 13:23:46 GMT

@EduardoN

You got your pictures. Now please "provide [us] with more information." What is the expiration date of that exact unit?

Re: Expiration Prior to Purchase

godawgs — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 13:45:24 GMT

Come on? If I knew the expiration date I would not have posted in this group asking my question.

Guess you did not read the my question that started this conversation

Re: Expiration Prior to Purchase

DanCoco — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 14:37:24 GMT

I'm on your side. I'm responding to the "specialist" that is asking you to do random things that will actually never get you anywhere closer to an answer. They'll ask you to do random pointless stuff then never answer you when you respond. I'm calling them out on it.

Re: Expiration Prior to Purchase

godawgs — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 15:13:50 GMT

My bad. I thought it was @EduardoN replying.

will read it closer next time.

Re: Expiration Prior to Purchase

DanCoco — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 15:31:54 GMT

Nah all good. I totally get the frustration with these Nest products. And the "specialists" here. 😅

It's worse than the auto part store ppl asking you what color your car is before they can lookup what size wiper blade you need.

Re: Expiration Prior to Purchase

Frustratedddd — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 13:08:09 GMT

Sadly you need the serial number to give a year, and you have blanked that bit out.

Give me the 3rd and 4th numbers after AC and I will give you an idea of year if I can. What this means is, the 3rd and 4th numbers are the build date, so add 10 onto that number. That is the expiry YEAR - NOT year and month, just year.

Many thanks to the Mod who clearly has no idea of the product yet again.

Re: Expiration Prior to Purchase

godawgs — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 13:51:35 GMT

AC4718, so I am guessing 2018 with an expiration of 2028

Re: Expiration Prior to Purchase

Frustratedddd — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 14:11:28 GMT

Yes looks about right.

The box is the old one also if that helps, they changed to a newer design box some years ago.

That is in a shop for sale???

The newer box style.