Article Summary:
As long as smoke levels aren’t too high, all Nest Protects can be silenced by pressing the Nest button. If you have a 2nd generation Nest Protect, you can also use the Nest app on your phone or tablet to hush an alarm.

Sometimes when your smoke alarm goes off, it's only because you've burnt the toast. That's why we've made Nest Protect easy to silence, so you can focus on addressing the problem without a loud alarm distracting you.

App Silence lets you easily hush a 2nd gen Nest Protect with the Nest app — there's no more getting out the ladder or fumbling with a broomstick while the alarm is sounding. With App Silence, you can quickly hush the alarm with your phone and focus on dealing with the problem.

How can I tell which Nest Protect I have? >

What you need to use App Silence

For App Silence to work, you'll need to have the Nest app installed on your phone or tablet. You can download it for free from the iTunes App Store or Google Play. You will need at least one 2nd gen Nest Protect added to your Nest Account. You also need to have your phone or tablet's Bluetooth turned on, and be signed in to your Nest Account.

Learn more about Bluetooth LE >

How to use App Silence

You'll only be able to silence the alarm when you're within a few feet of the Nest Protect that originally sounded the alarm.

It's important to make sure you've checked conditions at that alarm before silencing Nest Protect.

Press the bottom right white Silence button until the Nest app tells you the alarm has been silenced.

Note: The Nest app will tell you if you're out of range, or if smoke levels are too high to silence the alarm.

You'll need to press and hold on the large button until the Nest app tells you the alarm has been silenced (about two seconds). This is to help make sure that you don't accidentally silence an alarm.

1. When there's smoke or carbon monoxide (CO), you'll hear your Nest Protect speak and, if you have working Wi-Fi connection, you'll get an alert on your phone or tablet. Tap it or swipe it to open the Nest app.

2. Go to the Nest Protect that detected the smoke or carbon monoxide.

3. Press the Silence button.

4. Next, press and hold — just to be sure.

The app will tell you that the alarm is being silenced and the button's colored ring will show you its progress.

Your Nest Protect will quiet down.

Which alarms can't be silenced with the Nest app?

App Silence may not hush your Nest Protect if:

1.You're too far away from the Nest Protect you're trying to silence. The Nest app will tell you if you're out of range. Make sure you're in the same room as the Nest Protect that originally detected smoke or CO. Move closer to that Nest Protect and you should be able to silence it.
2. The smoke level is too high. Under the relevant codes and standards, alarms cannot be silenced if smoke exceeds a 4% obscuration level. This is an industry rule that all alarms follow for your safety.

Which Heads-Up alerts and Emergency Alarms can I silence? >

3. You're trying to silence a 1st gen Nest Protect. The Nest app will tell you if and when you can use App Silence.
4. You have already silenced a CO alarm 3 times with the Nest app. If CO levels are still at emergency levels, then Nest Protect will continue to alarm. Move to fresh air.

Note: Even if you have silenced a CO alarm 3 times with the Nest app, you can continue to silence the alarm by pressing the Nest button on the Nest Protect that first detected the problem.

Silencing alarms if you have 1st and 2nd gen Nest Protects in your home

If you have both 1st and 2nd gen Nest Protects, silencing an alarm will depend on which type of Nest Protect first detected the issue. Don't worry, you won't have to guess because the Nest app will tell you what to do.

• If a 1st gen Nest Protect detects smoke or carbon monoxide, press the Nest button on it to silence the rest of your 1st and 2nd gen Nest Protects.
• If a 2nd gen Nest Protect detects smoke or carbon monoxide, you can silence your Nest Protects (both 1st and 2nd gen) either by using App Silence or pressing the Nest button.

For instance, if the 2nd gen Nest Protect in your kitchen detects smoke, the 1st gen Nest Protect in your bedroom will speak up, telling you there's smoke in the kitchen and sound an alarm. You'll get an alert from the Nest app on your phone that there's smoke in the kitchen. When you go to the kitchen and use App Silence to quiet down the kitchen Nest Protect, the 1st gen Nest Protect in your bedroom will quiet down too.

Silencing when multiple Protects detect smoke or carbon monoxide

Sometimes, more than one alarm will detect smoke or CO at the same time. When this happens, the Nest app will tell you each Nest Protect that has sounded a Heads-Up or Emergency Alarm.

If you're within BLE range of both Nest Protects, you'll be able to silence them both. Otherwise, you'll need to go to each one that detected smoke or CO, and silence them one at a time. The rest of the Nest Protects in your home will also be silenced. No matter what, it's important to check the situation at each alarm any time you're silencing it.

Testing App Silence range

To silence, you should always go to the Nest Protect that detected the issue, and you'll need to be within BLE range. You can get an idea of the range by running a Safety Checkup since both App Silence and Safety Checkup use BLE to connect to your phone or tablet.

Start a Safety Checkup with the Nest app. If Safety Checkup won't start, you'll need to move closer to a Nest Protect. If it starts, you're within the same range you'll need for App Silence.

Learn more about Safety Checkup >

Will App Silence work with 1st generation Nest Protect?

No. App Silence uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), a short range wireless signal that connects the Nest app to your Nest Protect. Only the 2nd generation Nest Protect has BLE. You can hush 1st gen Nest Protects by pressing the Nest button on the Nest Protect itself.

What is Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and do I need it to use Nest Products? >

Can App Silence be disabled?

Yes. App Silence is not for everyone. For example, you may want to disable App Silence if you have young children who have access to the Nest app, and you'd like to prevent them from accidentally silencing the alarm. App Silence can be disabled at any time in the Nest app. Here's how:

1. Choose Protect on the Nest app home screen.

2. Tap the Settings icon in the top right corner (it's shaped like a gear).

3. Select Alarm options.

4. Tap Silencing alarms.

5. Switch off App Silence.

Note: If App Silence is disabled, you can still hush Nest Protect by pressing the Nest button on Nest Protect itself.