Google Nest Community

Bingo. 

No they won't.I suggest getting a Honeywell or try the Ecobee. Your nest could ruin your compressor.

That was my thought!  I'm the same way. I kept turning off all the "smart" features and I was like, "I'll just buy a $30 dumb one!"

Does Echobee "need" the C-Wire? At some point, Google must acknowledge that is has nothing to do with the C-wire. Ours worked for five years with no issues, and in April/May of '22 (when the firmware was updated), things changed. Admitting that would...

I went through all the research and explored several options. I opted to skip the "smart" tech and use a Honeywell. Nest promises to work without a C-Wire, yet their first response it you need a C-Wire. Get a Honeywell.