You may think your Google Nest thermostat is only good for regulating your home's temperature, but this is not the case. There's plenty you can do with your Nest thermostat that stretches far beyond hot and cold.

Let's discuss some awesome things you can do with your Google Nest thermostat.

1. Get Hydration Alerts

person drinking a glass of water

It's easy to forget to drink water, and certain environments worsen dehydration in our bodies. Your Google Nest thermostat can alert you when it's particularly dry in your home and remind you to drink some water to stay hydrated.

This feature can be used via IFTTT, or If This Then That, a technology that allows you to make cross-platform connections between different devices. Almost all the extra features we'll be discussing here today use IFTTT.

2. Monitor Humidity Levels

When our homes get humid, it can affect us, our pets, and our plants. Even our tech devices can suffer from consistently high humidity levels, so it pays to have a device that can help you stay in the know.

Your Google Nest Thermostat can keep track of the humidity in your home. If you react badly to high humidity, this can help you take extra steps, such as activating your dehumidifier, before the air gets too moist.

But things don't stop there. If you have houseplants and want to keep them healthy, Google Nest can help. You can connect your Nest Thermostat to your WeMo smart humidifier to alter the humidity in your home in certain circumstances. If the humidity drops below 40 percent (which can be harmful to houseplants), your Nest thermostat will note this and activate your WeMo humidifier.

When the humidity reaches 60 percent, the humidifier will then be turned off. This allows your home's humidity levels to stay within the optimum range for your houseplants.

3. Use Voice Control With Alexa

If you have an Alexa speaker in your home, you can control your Nest Thermostat speaker using just your voice. By connecting your Alexa speaker to your Nest Thermostat, voice demands can be given to Alexa and then communicated through to your Nest speaker.

Using this handy feature, you can alter your temperature, activate Away or Eco mode, and turn your heating or air conditioning off altogether, all without having to make a move.

4. Save Energy When Away

As energy rates continue to climb upward, most of us are looking to cut down on our monthly and annual elecricity bills as much as possible. Having a smart thermostat can help massively in this venture, as these devices tell you not just how much energy you're using, but can lower your energy usage wherever possible.

For instance, you can activate Eco Mode on your Nest thermostat, which allows your home's temperature to drop a little when you're not home. This way, your home isn't being constantly heated in your absence. Over time, this can save you big bucks.

Unlike a typical energy meter that tells you how much energy you're using on average, your Google Nest thermostat can also tell you exactly how much energy you've used each day. This can help you keep track of spikes or drops in your energy usage.

5. Connect to Apple HomeKit

That's right, your Nest thermostat can be connected to Apple HomeKit. This allows you to control your Nest thermostat via your iPhone, iPad, or other Apple device, meaning you don't have to physically interact with the thermostat in order to make changes or perform functions.

If you use Apple devices in your home, this may prove a valuable feature. You can also use Siri via Apple HomeKit to control your Nest thermostat using voice commands.

7. Connect to Your Smart Blinds

If you use Neo smart blinds in your home as well as a Nest thermostat, the two can work together. If you connect your Nest thermostat to your Neo smart blinds, your blinds will automatically be pulled down once the temperature in a given room exceeds a certain value.

This can prevent your room from overheating, helping you, your family, and your pets.

A Nest Thermostat Is More Versatile Than You'd Think

If you've got a Nest thermostat, you may be sleeping on some great features. Smart home tech is designed to make your life more convenient, and the Nest thermostat is no exception to this rule. If you want to see what your Nest thermostat can do for you, try implementing some of the handy features listed above.