Nest to Require Two-Factor Authentication for All Accounts From This Month

[TechieGeek]

I can't believe I'm actually considering spending several hundred dollars on a different thermostat because I'm being forced into Google's tracking program. Jesus.

The Honeywell Home T9 looks alright. It's not as sexy as the Nest, but it supports Homekit!

Nest was purchased by Google many years ago. This change isn’t a “force into tracking program”.

A lot of people use the same password across multiple sites. When one site gets hacked, the hackers are able to use that password to get into the other accounts as well.

Hackers were logging into people’s Nest accounts and people were blaming google instead of realizing they themselves made a mistake by using the same password on multiple sites.

Using 2FA means that even if someone has your password, they still need a one-time-pin to get onto your account.
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They just lost a buttload of customers by doing this.

Why?

 

[TVGenius]

Wasn’t particularly thrilled when I saw my thermostat reboot recently and noticed the nest logo was replaced with a multicolored G at startup. I wouldn't have a problem migrating my Nest stuff to a Google account, seeing as how I have all my personal email run through my own domain and hosted on G Suite, except that they refuse to allow G Suite accounts to be used for this exact purpose... so I’m kicking the can for now, hoping they’ll give in.

 

[Vjosullivan]

I can't believe I'm actually considering spending several hundred dollars on a different thermostat because I'm being forced into Google's tracking program.

I'm not sure which is worse: That half the posts on this thread are trolls or that their authors really believe them.

 

[Radeon85]

2FA should be a requirement if companies offer it. I've 2FA all of my possible accounts, just over dozen so far.

Just look at Nintendo a short time ago, hackers went after all the non 2FA accounts as they were easy targets. You have to be stupid in this day and age not to enable it, if you get hacked because you didn't enable it when it's offered then tough luck.

 

[TechieGeek]

2FA should be a requirement if companies offer it. I've 2FA all of my possible accounts, just over dozen so far.

Just look at Nintendo a short time ago, hackers went after all the non 2FA accounts as they were easy targets. You have to be stupid in this day and age not to enable it, if you get hacked because you didn't enable it when it's offered then tough luck.

Exactly. There's articles and articles of people blaming Nest. Check out this one: https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/01/31/chicago-family-watched-nest-security-cameras/

"He says his trust in Nest is shattered. He wants to return the system.

“What I’m truly upset about, other than the obvious, is that it seems like the executive leadership at Nest fell asleep at the wheel,” Sud said."

Or this one: https://www.washingtonpost.com/tech...eoples-homes-effectively-allowed-hackers-get/

I agree that the right move is to make 2FA mandatory, since god knows people won't stop using the same passwords on every site.

 

[DotCom2]

Google already sends all of their feeds to the NSA so, why make it hard just to the end user to get into their account ?
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No, the devil works at Google !!!

LOL!! SO RIGHT!

 

[td241]

I had 2FA enabled before, but it was by mobile phone. I had to change my number, and Nest said there is no way to 2FA any other way--they told me to reset all my devices and create a new account.

I've been locked out of my own account since November or so. Hoping this email 2FA gets me back in.

 

[SuperCachetes]

Why do you need it for Netflix?

Access to account details.

That, and it's also a comparatively larger hassle to reset everything via phone support when someone in another country commandeers your Netflix account and locks you out. Ask me how I know.

 

[td241]

Nest support was gracious enough to suggest that I buy a new phone and service plan, and ask the provider to give me my old number.

I had 2FA enabled before, but it was by mobile phone. I had to change my number, and Nest said there is no way to 2FA any other way--they told me to reset all my devices and create a new account.

I've been locked out of my own account since November or so. Hoping this email 2FA gets me back in.

 

[randyhudson]

This is just an attempt to grab people's phone numbers, or other marketable data.

 

[Robert.Walter]

Dodged google bullet by just being too slow to buy Nest products before google bought them.

Still happily dodging that bullet. No way google.

 

[SeattleMoose]

Thank you for this article. I didn't realize Google owned Nest. I don't buy anything "Google" if I can help it.

 

[timborama]

Cancelling Nest in 3,2,1...

 

[RalfTheDog]

You don't need 2FA every time you change the temperature. It is for adding new devices to your account or when you wish to make an administrative change. Don't get me wrong, the day Google acquired Nest, I switched over to Ecobee. That does not change the fact, 2FA is a good thing.

 

[FelixDerKater]

This is the most annoying advance in "security" in many years.

 

[sananda]

Perhaps coincidentally, I just wanted to turn on my heating so opened the app on my phone but can't log in. Using exactly the same email and password I was able to log in on my MacBook. So now it seems I can't use the iPhone app.

 

[name99]

It's 2020, everyone should have 2FA enabled and every company should have 2FA for all accounts... I'm looking at you Netflix.

The problem in this particular case is not a user hostility to 2FA, it's Google's complete lack of understanding of their own product line!
In particular ALONG WITH 2FA, this transition requires you to move from a Nest account to a Google account. That doesn't seem too bad does it? Well, EXCEPT that, for the purposes of Nest, a Google account CANNOT BE a Google-managed domain, it has to be an @gmail.com account.
AND THAT is a huge problem because quite a few people (perhaps not numerically large, but a disproportionate number of early adopters and tech evangelists) moved their domains to run mail hosted on Gmail back many years ago when that was both free and encouraged by Google.

So there are a group of people who simply CANNOT move their Nest accounts to Google, without the hassle of creating a never-used gmail address just for this purpose.
One response is to just put up with the hassle.
A second is to look at the cost/value Nest provides compared to the competition (hint, it ain't that great anymore) and decide "to hell with Nest".
I know which one I have chosen...

 

[impulse462]

I can't believe I'm actually considering spending several hundred dollars on a different thermostat because I'm being forced into Google's tracking program. Jesus.

The Honeywell Home T9 looks alright. It's not as sexy as the Nest, but it supports Homekit!

seriously that picture in the article reminds me of the description of the televised screen in every apartment room from 1984

 

[LV426]

Everytime I log in it’s going to ask for this?
Like Everytime I go into the app?
Someone explain

No. The Nest app rarely asks you to login. Updating iOS to a new version can trigger the app to require a login, for example. This change will add an extra step on the rare occasions that the app does ask you to authenticate.

 

[nt5672]

Tossed my Nest the week they were acquired by Google.

 

[lavebugalex]

So migrating to google account will disable your works with Alexa ;(

 

[Stryder541]

I can't believe I'm actually considering spending several hundred dollars on a different thermostat because I'm being forced into Google's tracking program. Jesus.

The Honeywell Home T9 looks alright. It's not as sexy as the Nest, but it supports Homekit!

A number of years ago i switched from Nest to Ecobee which uses HomeKit including with the room sensors. You can use any degree of automatic or manual scheduling you need. When I upgraded my furnace/AC to a newer, more sophisticated setup with an all house humidifier the Ecobee was able to control all the new capabilities. The reporting and graphs helped us diagnose a problem with the old setup and support has been great. I strongly recommend.

 

[MisterSavage]

It's 2020, everyone should have 2FA enabled and every company should have 2FA for all accounts... I'm looking at you Netflix.

There was a story a year or two ago about how many Google accounts had 2FA enabled and it was appallingly low. Something like 10%. I'm glad they're enforcing it.

 

[Mr X]

Sad day when Google purchased Nest and ruined it.

I made a massive mistake by migrating to a google account. 10 months later there is a massive thread on Google support from angry customers like myself who received no warning that doing so would mean that you can no longer view your Nest security cameras on the Nest App on Apple TV or... get this.... Android TV’s

Can't sign in to Nest app on Android TV after Google migration - Google Nest Community

 

[joediianni]

Do you mean that's all you want it to do or are you saying it doesn't work properly?

I didn’t write that post but can relate and say yes I just want it to just function as a thermostat and also work better than it does. Nothing but problems with controlling temp, adjusting degrees, schedules, etc since the Google monster started to digest Nest.