The smart home devices you choose shape not only how connected your home feels, but also how convenient, comfortable, and safe it feels. For many homeowners, Google's Nest Protect Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm has been important to provide smart fire and carbon monoxide (CO) detection in the event of home emergency.
If you’re looking for a Google Nest Protect replacement for an expiring alarm, you don’t have to start over. First Alert, America’s most trusted fire-safety brand*, and Google Home have come together to support end-of-life users.
The First Alert SC5 Smart Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm works with and is the direct Google Nest Protect replacement — designed to fit seamlessly into your existing setup backed by First Alert's legacy of trust and reliability.
Why Nest Protect users need a replacement option
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms don’t last forever and need to be replaced at least every 10 years. If your Nest Protect is reaching that age or you’ve started to receive end-of-life notifications, it’s time to plan your replacement to help ensure continued detection.
How to replace
One of the biggest concerns with upgrading or replacing alarms is the installation. The First Alert SC5 alarm is available in battery and hardwire options to meet your replacement needs with user-friendly features to make it simple:
- Same mounting bracket: The First Alert SC5 and Nest Protect use the same bracket, so you can twist out your old unit and mount the new one in its place.
- Quick connect adapter plug: If you’re replacing a hardwired alarm, the First Alert SC5 comes with a compatible adapter plug — no rewiring required.
- Interconnect alarms: The First Alert SC5 can be easily interconnected with existing Nest Protect alarms for whole-home alerts. When one alarm detects danger, they all sound together, helping to ensure that everyone in the home is alerted.
- Voice alerts with Heads-up Warnings: One of the standout features of Nest Protect is its voice alerts with Heads-up Warnings. This feature provides early indication of an emerging smoke or CO event before it becomes an emergency, plus tells you the type of danger and its location in your home. With the SC5, you don’t lose that functionality.
Need help finding the right Nest Protect upgrade? Learn more about your replacement options here.
Keep your smart home connected
The SC5 is compatible with both the First Alert app and the Google Home app. You can add it alongside existing Nest Protect alarms in the Google Home app to expand coverage or manage replacements, all from the same platform. This makes the SC5 alarm more than just an alternative to Nest Protect.
Why choose First Alert
First Alert has been a trusted brand in fire safety for more than 60 years, pioneering innovations in smoke and CO detection. Millions of households already rely on First Alert products to help protect what matters most. When you choose the SC5, you’re not picking an alternative to Nest smoke detector devices. You’re choosing the device Google Home has worked with as the Google Nest Protect replacement option.
Key takeaways:
- First Alert, America’s most trusted fire-safety brand*, and Google Home have come together to support Google Nest end-of-life users.
- The SC5 is designed as a direct Google Nest Protect replacement, offering seamless integration, advanced fire safety features, and trusted detection from First Alert.
- Replacement is simple with the same mounting bracket, quick-connect hardwire adapter plug, interconnect capability, and voice alerts with Heads-up Warnings.
- The SC5 works with both the First Alert app and Google Home app, ensuring a connected smart home experience with your other devices.
*First Alert Brand Trust Survey, April 2025 – Results are based on the responses of 2,000 adult homeowners, ages 25 and older, living in the U.S. who completed an online survey asking them to choose from ten brands in the home security category.