Family Nest Get the app

How to

The everyday things, one screen at a time

The numbers on each picture match the steps next to it. For how things work and why, see the FAQs; for what changed recently, What's new.

Add a family member

  1. Open the Family tab. Under Members, below the list, tap Invite a member.
  2. Send them the six-character nest code, let them scan the QR code, or tap Share Invite to send the link.
  3. On their phone they install Family Nest, create their own account (just a name) and enter the code under Have an Invite Code? The link opens the app with the code already filled in.

Every member needs their own account. Signing them in with yours would show you both as one person on the map; alerts, history and SOS need to know who is who.

Family MEMBERS Maria (you) maria@example.com Battery 100% James Mcgill NEST ADMIN Battery 100% Alice Battery 100% Show all (4) Invite a member SETUP & ACCOUNT Places Family & Devices Premium Active My Profile Settings Help & Feedback Map Safety Nest Family 9:41 Invite to McGill's Family Scan to get the invite NEST CODE K7P2QX Share Invite Share on WhatsApp Anyone with this code can join your Nest — share it only with family. 9:41 Join or Create Your Nest Have an Invite Code? Enter the 6-character code shared with you to join an existing Nest. K 7 P 2 Q Paste Code Join Nest What is this code? Create a New Nest Don’t have a code? Start your own Nest and invite others. Create Nest Wrong account? Start over 9:41

Add a place

  1. In the Family tab open Places and tap Add Place. Search an address, or move the map until the pin is where it belongs, then tap Next.
  2. Name the place, or tap a type (Home, Work, School…) and it is named for you. Set the Alert zone with the slider; 150 m or more works best.
  3. Tap Save Place. Tell your Nest, on by default, posts the new place to everyone's feed.

Who alerts you here on the same screen is where you choose whose arrivals and departures you hear about; the next guide covers it.

School Search an address Pinned location 573 Rutland Ave, San Jose, CA 95128 Next 9:41 Save this place Pinned location 573 Rutland Ave, San Jose Move pin Home Home Work Apartment Gym Alert zone 150 m Who alerts you here 3 of 5 people Tell your Nest Share this new place once it’s saved. Save Place 9:41

Get notified when someone arrives or leaves

  1. In the Family tab open Places, tap the place, then Who alerts you here.
  2. For each member, tap Arrives and Leaves to turn them on or off.
  3. All on / off flips the whole nest at once. With everyone on, members who join later are covered too.

Joined a nest that already has places? The map asks once: Get place alerts? Turn on covers every place and member, Choose opens Places so you can pick, Not now leaves it. These choices are yours alone; they do not change what anyone else is told.

Save this place Pinned location 573 Rutland Ave, San Jose Move pin Home Home Work Apartment Gym Alert zone 150 m Who alerts you here 3 of 5 people Tell your Nest Share this new place once it’s saved. Save Place 9:41 Who alerts you here Done Get notified when these members arrive at or leave this place. Only you see these settings. All on / off J James Arrives Leaves A Alice Arrives Leaves I Ian Arrives Leaves 9:41 Home McGill's Family 4 members James Mcgill 573 Rutland Ave, San Jose, CA Moving at 27 km/h · 9:41 AM Maria (Me) At Home · Milpitas Map Safety Nest Family Get place alerts? Your nest has places like Home, School. Get a notification when someone in your nest arrives or leaves? Turn on Choose Not now 9:41

Follow someone live

  1. On the Map tab, press and hold a member's marker, or their row in the panel below the map.
  2. Or tap the marker to open their card and tap Live.
  3. The live view keeps the two of you and the road between in frame. To … at the top of the sheet picks the destination and shows the ETA; Expect them by turns that into a check-in with one tap. It works in picture-in-picture too.
Home McGill's Family 4 members James Mcgill 573 Rutland Ave, San Jose, CA Moving at 27 km/h · 9:41 AM Maria (Me) At Home · Milpitas Map Safety Nest Family 9:41 573 Rutland Ave, San Jose, CA 95128 27 km/h · Updated just now · 4.8 km away History Live Message Expect Today 1 drive · 27 km At Office · Cupertino 1:47 – 2:42 PM 27 km drive Since 2:47 PM · 1 stop 9:41 Home To Home Hide ETA: 22 min | 27.4 km Expect her by 10:13 -5 +5 Alice Leaving School · Cupertino Updated just now Message Call Add Tag Add Place Expect 9:41

Share where you're heading

  1. Open the Safety tab and tap Share Live Location.
  2. Under Heading to, pick a place on the map or search for one. Your link then shows the route and when you will arrive, and sharing ends when you get there.
  3. Choose how long, 15, 30 or 60 minutes, and send the link. It opens in any browser; nobody needs the app.
  4. Watch Over Me and Arrival Check-ins are on the same tab: ask your nest to watch one journey, or be told when someone reaches a place on time.
Safety SOS Emergency SOS Alert your whole nest with your location. Emergency ContactsAlso notified on SOS DRIVING Speed AlertsLimits per driver · speeding episodes Nest DriveWeekly driving score, events & coaching LOOKING OUT Share Live LocationA link anyone can open · 15, 30 or 60 min Watch Over MeLive watch on a walk, run or late drive Arrival Check-insKnow when someone reaches a place on time Map Safety Nest Family 9:41 Share Live Location Done Share where you are, by link Anyone with the link sees you move on a map until the time runs out. They don’t need Family Nest or an account. HEADING TO (OPTIONAL) Home Your link will show the route and when you’ll arrive. Sharing ends when you get there. For 15 minutes For 30 minutes For 60 minutes For 6 hours Premium Until I stop Ends by itself after 24 hours. Premium The link is private: only people you send it to can open it. It updates as you move — no extra battery. It stops working on its own when the time is up. 9:41

See a trip's details

  1. Tap a member's marker, then History (or tap the drive in the Nest feed). The day's stays and trips are on the Timeline; tap a trip.
  2. The road driven is drawn with its stops, coloured by speed. The panel lists each road with its posted limit and, in red, where and for how long it was exceeded.
  3. A flag marks where the driving finished.
  4. A dashed stretch is a gap the phone could not follow; it is drawn along the probable road.
Timeline Stats Fri, 08 Aug 1 drive · 63 km · 1 hr 8 mins Weinprobierstand, Eltville am Rhein 6:23 – 10:10 PM · 3 hrs 46 mins 63 km drive 5:15 – 6:23 PM · 1 hr 8 mins Frankfurt am Main Until 5:15 PM Location Options 9:41 4.2 mi · 19 min Trip Details STARTED8:05 AM 573 Rutland Ave STOPPED 6 MIN8:12 AM Elm St & 3rd Ave ARRIVED8:24 AM Office, Cupertino 4.2 mi DISTANCE 19 min DURATION 22 mph AVG SPEED 44 mph TOP SPEED Smooth trip — no harsh events Night trip Over the posted limit 1 min · up to 7 mph over 1 Maple Ave limit 35 mph 42 mph · 1 min 2 Elm St limit 25 mph within 9:41

Change the map style

  1. The small pill on the right edge of the map holds the map controls. Drag it up or down to park it where your thumb likes.
  2. Tap the layers button on it.
  3. Pick Automatic, Map or Satellite; Auto, Light or Dark; and a theme. Nest and Classic are free; Silver, Atlas and Ocean come with Premium. Live traffic is the switch at the bottom.
Map MAP TYPE Automatic Map Satellite Streets and place names, easy to read at a glance. STYLE Auto Light Dark THEME Nest Classic Silver Atlas Ocean Calm and clear, so people and places stand out. Live traffic Busy roads in orange and red. 9:41

Get back in after a reinstall

  1. Install Family Nest again from the App Store or Google Play and open it; it opens on Welcome back.
  2. Check it is you — Continue as …? — and tap Continue.
  3. Setting up a phone for someone else? Tap Use another account instead.

Your nest, history and places are where you left them. Moving to a new phone instead? That is under Family → Family & Devices.

Welcome back Continue as maria@example.com? Continue Use another account Setting up this phone for another family member? Tap ‘Use another account’ — every member needs their own account so locations never get mixed up. 9:41