Google Takout data download from the Nest thermostat stopped working this fall

[TG3D]

I've been donloading Nest thermostat data via Google Takeout for a few years, but something changed in the early summer of 2024.  First, the monthly CSV files vanished, leaving only the JASONL files.  I dealt with it in Excel.  Then, in November, the data creation time jumped from a few minutes to now a few days (4-5), the Nest ZIP data file is divided into many small ZIP files with random months and years, but the worst thing is, the JSONL format was changed and the data for some months are missing.

Has anyone noticed this issue?  No person at Google feels responsible to tackle this problem as Takeout is an orphn probgram with no separate support.  Terrible.

[JillG]

Hi @TG3D 

I'll escalate to the Nest Thermostat team. I haven't personally downloaded via Takeout in a year or so and not sure if there are any known issues to the team.  

Appreciate you taking the time to post to the Community re: Takeout data and Nest.

Jill

[JillG]

@TG3D 

The Nest team has been notified and they suggested reaching out to the Takeout team as well. You can find links here:  Google Account Help

[TG3D · Accepted solution]

Thanks for responding.  I received a reply from a Google One Support manager:

"Google has transitioned to using JSON files for Nest data exports in Google Takeout. While this might be less convenient for some users who prefer CSV files, JSON is a versatile format that can be easily processed and analyzed using various tools and programming languages."

So, another unannounced change made by professional programmers for professional programmers; thank you, Google, for being regular customer-friendly.  Yet the Google Takeout Nest page still claims that the thermostat data are exported in the CSV format.

I've tried different JSON-to-(CSV or spreadsheet) conversion options, but neither deals cleanly with the downloaded Takeout Nest files; most of them use APIs.  I'm really bummed.

[JillG]

Hi @TG3D 

Thanks so much for passing that info on. I will let the Community Specialists know that tidbit as well.

Hope you can find a more convienient way to use the Json but again, thanks for the news.

[Tanquen]

Had the same issue. I've seen companies moving over to JSON support from simple flat CSV files over the years and it stinks. Easy for them I guess, and all the end users can just build their own JSON to CSV conversion apps over and over.

Seems odd that they remove CSV when it is so easy to use in Excel and Google Sheets and replace it with JASON that has no support. Then not even bother to update the list of file formats on the  Google Takeout page. ??? 😞

It all worked like normal a few months back but now no CSVs.

It also broke the data up into 9 files to download even though each was around 250KB and missed any file from August 2024 and January 2025 from one Thermostat and September, December 2024 from the other. Seems all messed up now. 

[JillG]

Hi @TG3D 

We were discussing the file Takeout options and do you mind dropping a link to where you saw the Nest csv option? I see Takeout  has some options for Google Home only Json and Nest having some other file types.

Most appreciate it!

[TG3D]

Sure; here are the steps:

1.  Go to Takeout at https://takeout.google.com/?pli=1

2. Deselect All

3. Search (Ctrl-F) for 'Nest'

4. Click on Multiple Formats

5. Scroll to Nest; you'll see the following (I cannot attach a screenshot here:)

Thermostat - Sensor Data

CSV

Sensor readings from your devices including temperature, humidity, ambient light, far passive infrared, and near proximity data. The exact sensors are dependent on the type of Nest thermostat you have.

Machine readable CSV format.

Thermostat - Cycle times and Target Temp Data

JSON

Data about how long your heat or cooling was active and why including target temperature adjustments.

Machine readable JSON format.

Protect - Sensor data

CSV

Sensor readings from your devices including carbon Monoxide, Smoke obscuration measurements, temperature, humidity, and passive infrared readings. The exact sensors are dependent on the type of Nest Protect you have.

Machine readable CSV format.

[JillG]

Thanks @TG3D  I will send your post over to the Community Manager with the link and the info.

Appreciate you bringing this issue up in the first place and taking the extra time to relay the info to me.  If Takeout is going to be Json only then I want to be sure the documentation reflects that.

Jill

[TG3D]

Hi Jill,

Have you been able to get any substantive feedback from the Community Managers on what steps will Google take to fix the Nest Takeout mess?  It's beyond ridiculous, but not beyond Google MO, to leave loyal users in the dust; I hope they can see that Takeout does have some users who have been screwed with no good reason...

[TG3D]

Hello JillG,

Just wanted to call your attention to the sad fact that the Google Takeout process for Nest data is still totally broken.  I tried to dowoad the data this week again, and what I received after several days is 4 separate ZIPped files with a total size less than 900KB (with a claim that the total exceeds the 2MB limit...) with randomly distributed and incomplete monthly files (1.) 4/24, 2.) 3,5,6/24, 3.) 5,11/23 & 1/25 and 4.) 9/24. 

It's clear there is no logic, order nor any kind of quality control to the entire process... it's so un-Google...

[Tanquen]

Same for me. 😞

[JillG]

I'll send this info over to the Google Home team. THX!!

Please also drop a note to the Takeout Help site/form.

[Tanquen]

Sorry, that link goes to the Takeout page but the help link seems to go to the regular Google help.

[AndreaZ]

Hello, I also want to download the thermostat history in a common format (CSV or other) but when I follow the procedure on takeout I only get a bunch of JSON and not thermostat info. 

I've regularly purchased the device, what kind of support do you provide to loyal customers ? Or should I get rid of it and replace it with something that is actively supported ?

Regards

Andrea

[Tanquen]

I no longer get the CSV files it still says you will get but they told someone they are not going to anymore. Why would want a file format like CSV that works in Google Sheets and MS Excel?

Even if everyone is each willing to try and make their own JSON to CSV tool it's currently failing to even download complete data that was there a few moths ago. 

We weren't able to fetch all the data you requested. The list below highlights the services that had problems. You can still download your files, but please be aware that there will be data missing. Inside your export you will find an html file that will have more details about the errors.

I just keep getting this error with many months of data missing and then it breaks it up into 10 tiny downloads. They messed something up. 

I have to wait over a week to get this message. I don't see a way to just ask for a particular month.

We weren't able to fetch all the data you requested. The list below highlights the services that had problems. You can still download your files, but please be aware that there will be data missing. Inside your export you will find an html file that will have more details about the errors.

[AndreaZ]

Is there any update to this topic ? The ask is simple: be able to download a file containing the thermostat data for the past, either in CSV or other formats. At this moment, this does not work. And it is in breach of customer right to have access to her own data.

[nestuserbkpl]

 I have the same issue, if I only select thermostat (that apparently will be a CSV) the folder does not contain any information

[Tanquen]

That's what I was doing, just selecting thermostat and the end of last year it worked but now you no longer get a CSV and a bunch of the months are missing data and it breaks it up into many tiny files even though they're no near the size limit on the file. I just don't think enough people use it for them to care or to notice or to fix it.

[TG3D]

Now, after a few days' wait, I'm just getting an error message;  the Google Nest Takeout service has  collapsed.

[Tanquen]

That is the other fun part, I can wait up to 10 days or so just to find out that it didn't work.