NEST YALE LOCK UPDATE
In a May blog post, Google said it would update several devices, including the Nest Hub Max, to let them act as Matter controllers in the same blog post, it said the Nest Hub Max would also be able to act as a Thread border router. As it is not possible for the Nest Hub Max to support multiple Thread networks (or network configurations), it will no longer be able to support interoperability with the Nest Guard, Connect, or Nest x Yale lock.” The Nest Hub Max has had a Thread radio and router in it since launch, but getting it working required some tinkering. Laura Breen, a spokesperson for Google, told us “users who do not own either a Nest Connect or Nest Guard and are impacted by this update will receive a coupon code good for one free Nest Connect from the Google Store or be directed to contact Support to receive a Nest Connect for free.”īreen says the workaround is necessary because “the connectivity built into the Nest x Yale lock, Nest Guard, and Nest Connect are based on an earlier implementation of Thread, and their implementations do not support features required for Matter. Anyone with either device that doesn’t already have a Nest Connect or a Nest Guard security system will need a Nest Connect to reconnect them. The July update breaks that functionality for the lock and for the Nest Guard door sensor. But the Nest Hub Max, launched the following year, included a (somewhat hidden) Thread border router, which meant people could connect the Nest x Yale Lock to it without a bridge, and a few people did. Some context: when the Nest x Yale Lock launched in 2018 as one of the first “ Thread-ready” devices, it needed either a Nest Connect bridge (bundled with the lock or sold separately for $70) or the now-discontinued Nest Guard home security system in order to connect to the internet and the rest of the Nest ecosystem. Nest Detects that are out of range of Nest Connect or Nest Guard will not be able to connect to Wi-Fi and report their status in the Nest app. Users will still be able to lock and unlock the door using the keypad on the Nest x Yale Lock. At that time, users whose locks are connected to Wi-Fi via a Nest Hub Max, or that are out of range of their Nest Connect or Nest Guard will not be able to lock or unlock their door with the Nest app.
NEST YALE LOCK SOFTWARE
Once this software update rolls out, Nest Hub Max will no longer support bridging or range extension. Per a post on the company’s Nest community page, Google says:
Next month, a “small number” of people could find themselves temporarily disconnected until they add another dongle (ugh), but at least the dongle will be free (hooray again).
The Google Nest Hub Max is getting an update to prepare it for Matter support (hooray!) but will lose the ability to connect directly to the Nest x Yale Lock (boo).