As Google announces that their smart home gear will now be marketed under Nest, they forgot to mention a “small” detail: Google has decided to officially shut down the program that allowed developers to access data for Nest devices - Works with Nest developer program will be shut down on August 31, 2019, and with it goes the unofficial integration of Nest devices with SmartThings.
https://www.the-ambient.com/news/works-with-nest-shut-down-google-assistant-1583
Looks like google has decided to curl up into a little ball and cease the concept of integrations.
This is (unfortunately) a logical step for them after wrecking gmail integration.
It looks like they’re trying to get out ahead of some security/privacy issues.
The reasons for this are security and simplicity, according to Soucie. WWN allowed many partners to access data about Nest products that today Google doesn’t feel they should have access to. These include Home/Away data, motion, and temperature set points from its thermostat, and the ability to turn on and off Nest Cameras based on external events.
That’s not in and of itself a bad idea, but it looks like the transition is going to be a little bumpy.
It’s also interesting that it looks like they’re going to re-brand their display devices as “nest” rather than “google home.”
And loss of functionality is bad, if it really happens the way this article describes:
But with the demise of WWN Google has taken some of the “smart” out of the smart home, leaving an automated home instead. Nest still has its Home/Away Assist mode, that uses geofencing to operate your Nest devices, but the integrations with other partners, such as turning your Philips Hue lights off when your Nest goes into Away mode, are gone - for now.
Well this is really the nail in the coffin for nest (at least for me)…
They are essentially telling you how you can use your own equipment (overpriced equipment at that) and trying to force you to engage with Google Assistant so they can collect more meta on their end users. I really do understand the dilemma of having multiple services fighting for control.
Believe they are using “Google Nest” now. 
The thing is that the license agreements that we all don’t-quite-read allow them to do this.
Nonetheless, it’s crappy that this is occurring.
I can’t see how, once this change has been made, they will ever reverse it.
It occurs to me that, being google, they might decide to release their own colored lights and other products that will work within their own ecosphere.
That really does suck.
Super optimistic: maybe they’ll finally release an official integration with SmartThings
I want to believe this could be true but …
Received two emails…
Families around the world have embraced smart devices designed to make their homes more helpful. But the smart home – where products are meant to work together seamlessly to create helpful whole home experiences – is still too complex.
We believe all our connected home devices and services should work in a way that makes experiences more helpful, simple, and secure. Today, Nest and Google Home are joining together under one brand to make that happen, and to give you even more help at home. Introducing Google Nest.
Our products work beautifully together to help you stay informed, feel more comfortable and safe, keep an eye on home when you’re away, and be more connected to friends and family. Today, we’re taking our first steps on a journey to create a more helpful home.
One secure Google Account. Later this summer, you’ll have the option to migrate your Nest Account to a Google Account. Along with a more seamless sign-in experience across Nest and Google products, you’ll get access to all the tools and automatic security protections that come with a Google Account.
One developer platform. We want to unify our efforts around third-party connected home devices under a single developer platform – a one-stop shop for both our developers and our customers to build a more helpful home. To accomplish this, we’ll be winding down Works with Nest on August 31, 2019, and delivering a single unified experience through the Works with Google Assistant program.
One set of privacy commitments. As Nest redefines technology in the home, there’s an opportunity to explain clearly and simply how our connected home devices and services work, and how we will respect your privacy. Learn more about Google’s commitment to privacy in the home.
There’s no need to take any action right now. We’ll notify you when your Nest Account is ready for migration this summer.
Thank you for allowing us to be a guest in your home. We appreciate the trust you’ve placed in us – and we’re committed to keeping it.
To learn more, read our blog post or visit our What’s Happening FAQ page.
The Google Nest team
You received this mandatory email service announcement to update you about important changes to your Nest product or account.
© 2019 Nest Labs, Inc.
3400 Hillview Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94304
Privacy policy Terms & conditions
Works with Nest changes
Dear Works with Nest developer,
Today, Nest and Google Home teams have joined forces and are now Google Nest, and we want to share some news about upcoming changes to Works with Nest that will affect your product integration.
Works with Nest was created in 2014, at a time when there was no central platform to manage and control Nest devices alongside other smart home devices. Since we introduced Works with Nest, the Google Assistant has evolved into a leading connected home platform, letting users manage all their connected home devices from Google, Nest, and third-party device partners in one place.
Moving forward, we will wind down the Works with Nest developer program on August 31, 2019, and focus on delivering a single consumer and developer experience through the Works with Google Assistant program.
As a Works with Nest developer, you and your users will no longer be able to access and control Nest devices once the Works with Nest APIs are turned off on August 31. Because we understand this may impact your users’ experience with our products, we want to notify you well in advance so you can prepare for these changes.
Important dates, information, and resources to help you through the transition:
• Works with Nest API deprecation date. Nest device APIs will be turned off August 31, 2019.
• Nest Account to Google Account migration. Early this summer, we will invite Nest Account holders to migrate to a Google Account to align our systems, accounts, and platforms.
We appreciate you being a partner of Works with Nest. We encourage you to visit the Actions on Google Smart Homedeveloper site to learn how to integrate your devices or services with the Google Assistant.
Sincerely,
The Google Nest team
You received this mandatory email service announcement to update you about important changes to your Nest product or account.
© 2019 Nest Labs, Inc.
3400 Hillview Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94304
Privacy policy Terms & conditions
I got the same 2 emails, approx 20 minutes apart. They may stop me from integrating Nest with Smartthings or any of my other “Works with Nest” devices, but I will now NEVER buy a Google Home. I’m just an a–hole that way
It feels like every major player, and every company that fancies itself ‘major’, has an eye toward becoming the Lord of the Smarthouse Rings.
I guess this step is inevitable. They were open and cooperative, until they felt powerful enough. Soon as they feel they have the power, they close down and, in their competitiveness, become anti-cooperative.
As always, the one who suffers is the customer.
EDIT: as I think on this some more, it jumps out at me that the google ecosystem, as it seems to be developing, is all WiFi - while the Alexa system handles zigbee. Who knows about the future, but let me put it out here: perhaps the real path forward for Smartthings is to be sold to amazon? Certainly Samsung is proving themselves useless to this process. So then. An Alexa-Smartthings-Hue-Ecobee alignment to counter the closure of the WiFi-based Google ecosystem?
My two cents worth. A LOT of the Nest Devices were sold with the moniker “Works with Alexa”. Some smart lawyer (pun intended) is probably going to make a class action from this. And for good reason. The move is at BEST high-handed and self-profiting at the expense of the consumer.
Update:
This is also a big problem on the business model for most Internet of Things devices. If the device requires a Cloud to operate, then who pays for that cloud going forth. I can see a lot of cloud-based wifi devices having similar problems going forward!!!
Argh.
News from Google I/O shows they are throwing a lot of weight (and resources) behind the next generation of Google Assistant, and with all of the recent Nest API connection woes and hold on new users, it’s clear this change has been in the works for quite a while.
Hopefully, the API hooks will be similar and won’t force users to purchase some form of a Google Assistant device to make it work.
Just my personal opinion, but not a chance. Remember that SmartThings doesn’t have any patents and isn’t a particularly advanced or stable zigbee implementation. They don’t even make their own brand’s devices, they’re all OEM.
Amazon neither needs them nor wants them.
I could see Amazon eventually buying the Hue line from whatever Phillips is called these days. That would make sense in some ways. so far everybody else that Amazon has bought in the smart home category has had some heavyweight patents to bring with them, including blink and Mr. beams. Hue would fit into that.
So We’ll see.
Never mind, I found my answer on the What’s happening at Nest? webpage, here:
I’m a Works with Nest developer. Will I be able to access and control Nest devices moving forward?
No. The Actions on Google Smart Home platform does not provide open API access to Nest devices, so it cannot be used to access and control Nest devices. Instead, managing and controlling Google Home, Nest, and thousands of third-party smart home devices is done through the Google Home app and the Google Assistant.
Final nail, meet coffin.
Yeah, you’d have to rig a second speaker to sit next to a Google smart speaker to speak the desired commands. Ugh. 
IFTTT just sent an announcement that the Nest channels will be discontinued as a result of these changes as well.
