Abode is one of our longtime favorite DIY smart home/home security systems, and now its users can integrate Google Nest thermostats, cameras, and video doorbells into their homes and control them from the Abode app.
Abode has two smart home hubs: The Abode Gateway and the smaller Abode Iota, which has essentially the same capabilities as the Gateway plus a built-in motion detector and security camera. Both systems support Wi-Fi and are equipped with Zigbee and Z-Wave radios for broad smart home device support.
This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart home systems.
Abode supports IFTTT, but it also has its own easy-to-program rules-based automation system called Cue. Cue resides in the Abode app, and it allows you to program compatible smart home devices to trigger other smart home devices to perform actions. A simple example would be having the Abode system automatically arm itself—go into an “armed away” state—when you leave home and take your smartphone with you (the rule is based on geolocation).
With this new Google Nest integration, Google Nest thermostat users can create a Cue routine that automatically sets their HVAC system to an energy-saving “away” state when the Abode system is set to armed away. An Abode user with smart lighting who also has a Google Nest camera or video doorbell will be able to write Cue rules that turn on lights when motion is detected.
Google Nest devices that can be integrated into the Abode smart home system include:
- Nest Hub Max
- Legacy Nest Cam
- Legacy Nest Doorbell
- Nest Cam (wired)
- Nest Cam (battery)
- Nest Cam with floodlights
- Nest Doorbell (wired)
- Nest Doorbell (battery)
- Nest Learning Thermostat
- Nest Thermostat
Abode’s systems can already be controlled with voice commands via Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, and they are also compatible with Apple HomeKit. None of that will change with this new integration. In many respects, in fact, this is something of a restoration of a feature set that Abode users enjoyed until Google decided in 2019 to wind down its Works With Nest program.
Abode home security systems can be self-monitored or you can sign up for a professional monitoring plan that includes emergency response (police, medical, and fire) and cellular backup in case your broadband connection fails. Abode professional monitoring plans are affordably priced at $219.99 per year.
Author: Michael Brown, Executive Editor
Michael is TechHive's lead editor, with 30+ years of experience covering the tech industry, focusing on the smart home, home audio, and home theater. He built his own smart home in 2007 and used it as a real-world test lab for product reviews. Following a relocation to the Pacific Northwest, he is now converting his new home, an 1890 Victorian bungalow, into a modern smart home.