Google is finally adding this key feature to its new Nest Learning Thermostat

Key Takeaways

• Google’s August-announced 4th-gen Nest Learning Thermostat has a sleek and stylish display that is impaired by a lack of manual brightness controls.
• User feedback is now forcing Google’s hand at a software update that optimizes auto-brightness and adds manual brightness controls.
• Users can expect the controls to land on their devices “in the coming weeks” via a software update.

Google’s latest 4th-gen Nest Learning Thermostat is crafted to look like a piece of art, from the outside at least. Compared to its predecessors, the sleek and stylish new thermostat features much slimmer bezels, complete with a bigger 2.7-inch domed LCD display.

However, despite the bigger and better display, early buyers of the new thermostat have aired their frustration with the device’s subpar auto-brightness feature and a lack of manual controls, resulting in poor screen visibility in various lighting conditions.

We reported on a few user complaints late in August, and numerous other ones made their way to the web subsequently. Google seemed to have taken notice, as it has just announced a software update that will not only optimize the thermostat’s auto-brightness feature, but also give users manual brightness controls — something we expected to be available from the get-go.

The upcoming software update was announced by a community manager in a Nest support post, via 9to5Google. Users can expect their 4th-gen Learning Thermostat to get the update automatically “in the coming weeks,” paired with a notification in the Google Home app’s Message Center to alert you of it.

Manual controls might not extend to the Google Home app, at least for now

Once updated, users will be able to find the new manual brightness controls by navigating to the Settings Menu on their thermostat → Device Settings → Display Brightness. From here, users can choose to continue using the auto-brightness feature, which Google says should perform much better now, or opt for fixed manual controls.

While this wasn’t explicitly said, the way Google’s announcement was phrased suggests that manual controls might be limited to on-device adjustments. The tech giant might roll out support for brightness control through the Google Home app in the future, but that is just speculation. Regardless, this brings users one step closer to a satisfying and seamless 4th-gen Nest Learning Thermostat experience.