Nest Thermostat E Display Too Dim

[SoaringBear]

Installed Nest Thermostat E and it functions well. However, the display is far too dim, especially with a mirrored surface.  My wife and I can't read the display well at all. Take how bright your screen is right now and reduce it 10 times.

On this model brightness is set automatically, so there is no adjustment. Reading posts in this community show that it is a longstanding issue. This is not going to work. Looking for other options.

[SoaringBear]

2 days later, no reply from a community expert. I also reached out to Google directly. No response.

[SoaringBear]

I spent 50 minutes on the phone with Google Nest support.

Because the thermostat was ordered through my electrical utility I was enrolled in a subscription named Nest Renew. That subscription turns down the brightness to save energy. 

A) They are saving millivolts 

B) Google said that if I cancel the subscription, this Nest thermostat will to dim to the point of being unreadable

---

@SoaringBear wrote:

Installed Nest Thermostat E and it functions well. However, the display is far too dim, especially with a mirrored surface.  My wife and I can't read the display well at all. Take how bright your screen is right now and reduce it 10 times.

On this model brightness is set automatically, so there is no adjustment. Reading posts in this community show that it is a longstanding issue. This is not going to work. 

---

[Markjosephp]

Hello SoaringBear,

Thanks for reaching out, and I'm sorry for the late response.

I completely understand your frustration with the dim display on the Nest Thermostat, especially considering the mirrored surface makes it even more challenging to read. Unfortunately, the brightness is set automatically without the option for manual adjustment. To make sure everything is covered here, can you provide us with your support ID number from your previous contact? Also, can you share a photo of your thermostat display so we can visualize how dim it is?

I'll look forward to your response.

Regards,
Mark

[SoaringBear]

Hi Markjosephp,

I called Google Support and I was in the phone with them for 55 minutes. They said that because I had enrolled in Nest Renew the Nest Thermostat was dimming at night to save energy. I disenrolled from Nest Renew and rebooted the thermostat. There was no difference at all.

I obtained a Nest Learning thermostat and is very bright.

The thermostat that was too dim reported temperatures 3 degrees too low per the Nest learning thermostat and an IR thermometer. It also reported humidity 10% too high.

[Markjosephp]

Hi there,

Interesting! Thanks for letting me know. Your Nest Thermostat can help you save energy in multiple ways when enrolled in the Nest Renew but it won't affect the thermostat's hardware features, including its brightness. Here are some examples:

• Schedule efficient temperatures when you’re away or asleep.
• Enable Home/Away Assist
• Manually set efficient temperatures at any time.
• Set your thermostat to OFF mode.

Can you share with me your support ID number from your previous contact? This is to see how the conversation went and check the steps that have been taken. Also, could you try to flash a flashlight on it to force calibration and try to see if it brightens the display?

Keep me posted.

Best,
Mark