topic Re: How do I find the 'entry key' for my Nest Learning Thermostat? in Nest Thermostats

How do I find the 'entry key' for my Nest Learning Thermostat?

NigelG — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 12:26:53 GMT

Hi,

I have had a Nest thermostat for several years and operated it both from the device itself and via the Nest app on my android phone.

My wife now wants to use the Nest app on her phone to control our central heating. I can't add her Google account as a "Family" member in the Nest app: it pointed me to the Google Nest Home app which I installed on my phone.

In this I added her account as a "Home member" and installed the Nest app on her phone. I then tried to add the product, choosing the Nest Learning Thermostat option.

I chose "Thermostat with Heat Link" and it then asks me for the entry key.

How do I find this? Some web help pages say it is one the underside of the device: it isn't. Some say use the device, go to Settings / Nest App: it just says "this device is connected to an account". It does not show the key.

I'm stuck. Help!

Re: How do I find the 'entry key' for my Nest Learning Thermostat?

David_K — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:44:25 GMT

Hi @NigelG

You don't need to do this and in fact can't share access this way. Detailed steps below:

How to: Share devices with others - Google Nest Community

Re: How do I find the 'entry key' for my Nest Learning Thermostat?

Nigel_G — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:47:51 GMT

Hi David.

Thanks for your good advice. I followed the instructions, adding the Google Home app on my wife's phone, which has now connected to our thermostat (no key needed to be added) and I can adjust the thermostat temperature from both our phones. Great!

However, for some reason, a couple of options don't work on her phone:

a) Hot water shows as "Offline" (correctly shows as "Off until 05.30" on my phone)

b) Heating schedules are empty (correctly showing each day's schedule on my phone).

Any ideas please?

Many thanks.

Re: How do I find the 'entry key' for my Nest Learning Thermostat?

StephanieQ — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 00:05:44 GMT

Hi @Nigel_G,

Thanks for keeping us updated. I see that your wife has joined the home structure and has access to the Nest Thermostat, but the Google Home app on her phone is not reflecting the current hot water status or schedules correctly. I know how important it is for both of you to have full access; let’s take a look at this together.

One key thing to check for troubleshooting is her account's access level; when you add a person to the home, their access level depends on the permissions you choose to grant. Admin access provides full control, while Member access is more limited. It’s possible she needs Admin permissions to see those specific schedules and statuses.

Please double-check the access level you’ve provided. In this case, I suggest removing her from the home and re-inviting her as an Admin. For step-by-step instructions, you can refer to the information sent previously by @David_K, which is quite helpful. Also, please ensure that both the Google Home app and the operating system on your wife’s phone are fully updated.

Please let us know how it goes.

Best regards,

Stephanie

Re: How do I find the 'entry key' for my Nest Learning Thermostat?

NigelG — Sat, 07 Feb 2026 21:09:25 GMT

Hi Stephanie.

Many thanks for your advice. As suggested, I deleted my wife's "member" account and then re-invited her as an "admin" account. She now has full access to the previously inaccessible info.

Best regards,

Nigel.

Re: How do I find the 'entry key' for my Nest Learning Thermostat?

StephanieQ — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 00:06:18 GMT

Hi @NigelG,

Thank you for sharing the good news! I am happy to hear that adding your wife as an Admin resolved the access issue. When adding members to a home structure, these types of role conflicts can occasionally occur, but I’m glad that everything is now working as expected. Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any further questions!

Regards,

Stephanie