Back in May, Google announced that the Works With Nest program would be discontinued. The company urged customers to move their Nest accounts to Google accounts, but customers worried about broadened compatibility. Migrating an account means permanently destroying the connection between Nest and other platforms like Wink.
Google has since released a statement that these connections will continue past the August 31 cut-off date as long as customers take a few steps. Wink warns customers that they cannot disconnect Nest from Wink after August 31, or they will not be able to reconnect. Wink also tells customers not to migrate a Nest account to a Google account or all integrations will be permanently severed.
In a blog post from Nest, Google expands on these changes. The company says, “We’re committed to supporting the Works with Nest (WWN) integrations we think you value most and minimizing disruptions during this transition. Your existing devices and integrations will continue working with your Nest Account, but you won’t have access to new features that will be available with a Google Account.”
While users might not have access to new features, they will still receive all relevant security updates. That said, customers should consider transferring their accounts. Many of the new features are powerful and include integration to a fully connected suite of home devices and services. Migrating a Nest account means you can use a single account to access all of these services, including Google Home.
Wink’s statement implies the decision was unilateral and say that, while they want to provide the most support possible to users there are times when their “partners may make business changes and system updates which can heavily impact our users.” Wink issued an apology to its customers and promises to present alternative options as soon as they become available.
At present, there is no perfect solution. While users can still maintain their third-party integrations with Nest, doing so comes at the expense of other features. If you are a Wink customer, you’ll have to ask yourself what you value more: A single account to control all your devices or the current streamlined integration. You have until August 31 to make a decision.
