Google and branding have a complicated relationship. The company has never been especially good at sticking with a single direction, often reversing course or renaming an entire product line after it’s been released. The “Works with Nest” program is being replaced by “Works with Hey Google” program, and the transition might cause some confusion to customers using Philips Hue lights with certain Nest products.
Philips Hue will discontinue its integration with the Nest Thermostat, Nest Cam, and Nest Protect starting later this month on November 17. The company states that this is only temporary while Google builds existing Works with Nest features into the Google Home app, and that it will continue working with Google to bring new features through the Works with Hey Google program. Things like Home and Away Routines will be available in the Google Home app, and Philips Hue light bulbs that are connected to Google Assistant will be still able to be controlled via Nest smart speakers and displays.
Google has been planning the transition for a while now. New Works with Nest connections stopped being accepted last year, but the path forward hasn’t been quite so clear for existing integrations. With today’s news, it seems like Google still has some work to do in order to ensure smooth transitions for WWN integrations currently in use. The company hopes to get existing functionality replicated quickly, but there’s no solid return date yet.
