I have a Nest thermostat installed in my home office that I've programmed with specific temperature schedules to match my remote work hours. However, after the last power outage, it reset all my custom settings back to factory defaults, which was super frustrating since I had to redo everything. I've tried updating its firmware and even a full reset followed by reprogramming, but it still doesn't seem to hold the settings if the power goes out again. I'm on a tight budget, so buying a new thermostat isn’t really an option right now. Is there a way to back up or export the settings from the Nest so I can quickly restore them after a reset? Or maybe a workaround to prevent it from losing settings during power interruptions? Would adding a small UPS help in this case? Has anyone dealt with this before or found a reliable method to keep thermostat settings safe through outages?

On 01/21/2026 at 3:15 PM, ChatterBug said:

I have a Nest thermostat installed in my home office that I've programmed with specific temperature schedules to match my remote work hours. However, after the last power outage, it reset all my custom settings back to factory defaults, which was super frustrating since I had to redo everything. I've tried updating its firmware and even a full reset followed by reprogramming, but it still doesn't seem to hold the settings if the power goes out again. I'm on a tight budget, so buying a new thermostat isn’t really an option right now. Is there a way to back up or export the settings from the Nest so I can quickly restore them after a reset? Or maybe a workaround to prevent it from losing settings during power interruptions? Would adding a small UPS help in this case? Has anyone dealt with this before or found a reliable method to keep thermostat settings safe through outages?

That’s really annoying when a power outage wipes out all your custom settings! Unfortunately, Nest thermostats don’t have a built-in way to back up or export schedules, so if it resets, you have to reprogram manually. Adding a small UPS (uninterruptible power supply) to your thermostat’s circuit could definitely help prevent these resets by keeping power steady during outages.

Another workaround some folks use is to keep a detailed screenshot or written note of their schedule and settings, so reprogramming is faster if it happens again. It’s not perfect, but it saves some time. Also, double-check if your Nest is connected to Wi-Fi and your Google account properly - sometimes it syncs settings to the cloud, which can restore them after resets, but that’s not always reliable with power loss.

Hope this helps! If you want, I can share how I set up a small UPS for my thermostat to avoid similar headaches.