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Community Project Brings Remote Control Back to Aging Nest Thermostats

The experimental NoLongerEvil firmware gives 1st- and 2nd‑generation units a testing path after Google removed cloud features in October.

Overview

  • Google ended app and cloud support for the first- and second‑generation Nest Learning Thermostats on October 25, leaving them to operate only as local thermostats.
  • Developer Cody Kociemba’s NoLongerEvil project is available for testing now with plans to open‑source it soon.
  • The method requires flashing a modified bootloader and kernel via the OMAP DFU interface to redirect device traffic from Google’s servers to nolongerevil.com.
  • A web and PWA interface restores remote temperature and mode controls along with basic status monitoring through the independent service.
  • Developers label the effort experimental with a risk of bricking and advise against using it on critical systems; support is limited to 1st‑ and 2nd‑gen models as Google offers a $130 discount toward a new unit.