AQI reading displayed on Nest Hubs is from 4+ hours ago

[MplsCustomer]

The AQI reading that is displayed on the Photo Frame screen and on the Home Control screen on our Nest Hubs and Nest Hubs Max is NOT current, but represents the reading from over 4 hours ago. This has been particularly noticeable with Canadian wildfire smoke moving through Minnesota in the last 18 hours. At one point yesterday afternoon, the AQI reading on our Nest Hubs continued to show a reading of 34 several hours after the actual AQI had risen to 170.

This reading is consistently old on all four of our Nest Hubs and our Nest Hub Max.

If you click on the AQI (Air Quality Index) reading on the Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max to display the nearest readings from air now.gov or Purple Air, those readings ARE current. And the temperature reading on our Nest Hubs is current.

[aperezdeleon]

Hello MplsCustomer,

Thanks for reaching out.

It can be frustrating if the AQI reading isn't updating as consistently as you'd like, especially in your situation. Understandably, you want to get it working as soon as possible.

Since your Nest Hub retrieves current information when you tap the AQI reading, this suggests it's communicating as it should.

I would suggest trying the following:

• Perform a restart on any of your hubs by unplugging them from the wall and leaving them unplugged for about 30 minutes.
• Verify if the Nest Hub you restarted has a different AQI reading than your other Nest Hubs.
• Try asking Assistant what the air quality is to see if it gives you a different number than the one displayed on the ambient screen.

Let me know how it goes.

Regards,
Angel.

[MplsCustomer]

@aperezdeleon 

First, if "Fullscreen Clock" is selected under Photo Frame, Google Nest Hubs only display an AQI reading on the Home Control screen, and then ONLY when the AQI reading is "Moderate" or worse. And we only use "Art Gallery" (where the AQI reading is displayed on the main screen), on our Nest Hub Max.

So I changed one of our Nest Hubs to use "Art Gallery" under Photo Frame, so it was displaying the AQI  reading on the main screen.  Then I unplugged it for over 30 minutes. After plugging it back in again, it shows the same AQI as our Nest Hub Max (which it also did before unplugging it). And currently both devices show an AQI of 29, but if I click on the reading on either device, Google Assistant says the nearest AQI is 43, from Airnow, which is Good, and one other reading, from Purple Air, which is also Good. The screen shows a reading of 43 from Airnow, and a reading from Purple Air of 35. If we ask Google Assistant for the AQI on any of our Nest Hubs, we get the exact same results.

So the issue remains; the AQI reading displayed on all of our Nest Hubs is NOT the current AQI reading. And it seems that this is ALWAYS the case. So the only way to get the current actual AQI reading is to click on the displayed AQI reading or to ask Google Assistant.

I first noticed this on Monday of this week, when the displayed AQI reading on our Nest Hub Max was 34, and I stepped outside and the air reeked of Canadian wildfire smoke. So I stepped back inside, touched the displayed AQI reading, and discovered all of the nearest AQI readings were 150 or worse.

[aperezdeleon]

Hi there MplsCustomer,

Thanks for getting back to me.

I appreciate you gathering more information to investigate why the Nest Hub behaves this way.

Since the restart on your Nest Hub wasn't able to resolve the discrepancy between AQI readings I would suggest to:

• Turn off and then turn back on the Air quality readings in the photo frame settings.
• Change the photo frame settings to display the full-screen clock. Let me know what value it shows on the home control screen.
• Change the photo frame settings back to the gallery, but choose a different gallery instead.

As a last step, you could try factory resetting one of your hubs. After resetting, create a new home structure in the Google Home app and add the Nest Hub. Using a separate structure can help us determine if the Google Home app is related to this inaccuracy.

I appreciate your understanding.

Regards,
Angel.

[MplsCustomer]

@aperezdeleon 

I changed the AQI Reading setting from "Show" to "Hide", and then subsequently back to "Show" on one of our Nest Hubs and on our Nest Hub Max. There was no change in the displayed AQI reading.

As a Google Nest Support person, and as I pointed out earlier, you should know that, when "Fullscreen Clock" is selected under Photo Frame, Google Nest Hubs only display an AQI reading on the Home Control screen, and then ONLY when the AQI reading is "Unhealthy" or worse.  (Today, 5/17/2024, the AQI is "Moderate" and is NOT showing on the Home Control screen.) So currently, with "Good" or "Moderate" AQI levels, there is no way to access an AQI reading on a Nest Hub screen with a "Fullscreen Clock".

I changed the galleries under "Art Gallery" on one of our Nest Hubs and on our Nest Hub Max. There was no change in the displayed AQI reading.

And right now, 55 minutes after my earlier post, one of our Nest Hubs and our Nest Hub Max both still display an AQI reading of 29, but the two nearest actual AQI readings right now when the displayed AQI reading is clicked on are 40, as are the results from Google Assistant.  (Note that, when the displayed AQI reading is clicked on, 8 nearby actual AQI readings are displayed.)

So the issue remains; the AQI reading displayed on all of our Nest Hubs is NOT the current AQI reading, even though, when the AQI reading is clicked on, actual readings are displayed.  And from my observations, the displayed AQI reading does not change very often.

[aperezdeleon]

Hi MplsCustomer,
 
Thanks for your response.
 
Since you've been able to perform a factory reset and set up your hub in a different Google Home structure, and the problem persists across all your Nest hubs, I'd like to gather more information to help us identify the root cause and reach a resolution.
 
To do that, I'd recommend filling out this form. Make sure to let me know once you've filled out the form. I'll keep an eye out for your response.
 
Regards,
Angel.

[MplsCustomer]

Temperature readings are also not current on the clock screen.

[MplsCustomer]

Below is the response we received from Google Nest Support after completing the requested form, along with my responses.  I don’t understand the references to options that simply do not exist in the Google Home app, but you can judge for yourself:

I understand it's frustrating that the Air Quality Index (AQI) on your Nest Hub's Clock Screen or Photo Frame isn't accurate until you click on it.

I see that you already performed some troubleshooting steps, but the issue persists. Here are some additional troubleshooting steps that might help display the AQI directly on the screen:

Check for location accuracy:

• Make sure your Nest Hub is set to the correct location. You can check this in the Google Home app under your Nest Hub settings > Device information > Location.
  
  There is no “Location” option under Settings > Device information
  Location is not determined on the Nest Hub level, but under Settings > Home information > Home address.  Our home address is correct.
  
  
• If your Nest Hub uses Wi-Fi location, ensure your Wi-Fi network is stable and functioning correctly
  
  All Nest Hubs require Wi-Fi, and our Wi-Fi network is stable and functioning correctly

Restart your Nest Hub:

• A simple restart can sometimes clear up glitches or bugs that might be affecting the air quality data display. Unplug your Nest Hub for a minute, then plug it back in and wait for it to reboot.
  
  As noted earlier, I already rebooted our Nest Hubs

Check for software updates:

• Outdated software can sometimes cause issues with functionality. Make sure your Nest Hub is running the latest software update. You can check for updates in the Google Home app under your Nest Hub settings > Software update.
  
  Customers CANNOT check for updates and there is no Settings > Software update option.

Here are some additional things to keep in mind:

• Air quality can vary depending on your specific location within a city or region. The reading on your Nest Hub might not perfectly match what you're experiencing outdoors, especially if you live in a large area.
  
  This has nothing to do with the issue reported.  The AQI value on the Clock Screen is never current, seems to be hours old, and never matches the current values for the individual AQI stations that display when the AQI value is clicked on.
  
  

Nest Hub air quality data is based on reporting stations. If there are no reporting stations close by, the data might be less accurate or unavailable.

We have numerous AQI reporting stations close by.