Moved into new house. Can't access settings on Nest Thermostats

[glee]

Hi!  We just moved into a new home with lots of Nest Thermostats.  Some are nest thermostats and some are the nest learning thermostats.  On the nest learning thermostats, I can adjust temperature, but I cannot access settings, cannot link to bluetooth or wifi, and obviously can't set up in the Google Home app.  On the nest thermostats, I cannot even control them temperature so it is freezing in those parts of the home.  All nest thermostats have been wired to the HVAC, so that should not be the issue.  It seems to be an issue of gaining access to these devices.

Everything I read tells me to start with the "settings" and do a factory reset, but when I touch the settings icon (or any other icon), nothing happens.  Please help!  Thank you!

[David_K · Accepted solution]

Which model of thermostat do you have? You can check here:

How to tell which Nest thermostat you have - Google Nest Help

If any of them are the Nest Thermostat (2020 model), they cannot be locked with a PIN so simply reset it and set it up with your account using the Google Home app. The QR code and setup key are physically printed on the back of the thermostat.

Restart or reset a Nest thermostat - Google Nest Help
Get started with your Nest Thermostat - Google Nest Help

For the Nest Learning Thermostats, is it possible they're locked with a PIN? If so, you'll need to reset it using a computer.

1. Connect the Nest Thermostat display via USB to a computer.
   
2. Verify that the Nest Thermostat mounts (appears as an attached drive icon).

• If the Nest drive will not mount: Restart the thermostat and the computer.
• If the Nest drive still won't mount: Connect another device to the cable to see if it appears as an installed device.
• If it doesn't appear, use a different cable/port/computer.

If the Nest drive is successfully showing up on your computer, can you see a technicalinfo.PLIST file? If you get this far let me know and I'll ask a community specialist to assist with next steps, as these can't be shared publicly in the community.

Once reset, using a computer, you'll then be able to set them up using the Nest app (not Google Home app). The QR code and setup key are in the settings on the thermostat itself and are not printed on the device. Follow these steps:
Add your Nest thermostat to the Nest app - Google Nest Help

Congrats on the new home and happy holidays!