🕰️ Ecobee thermostats are designed to follow your custom schedule and comfort settings—but sometimes they seem to do their own thing. Whether your home is too warm during the day or the thermostat doesn’t switch modes as expected, it’s likely due to a few settings that need attention.
In this article, we’ll explore why your Ecobee isn’t following the schedule and how to fix it using simple, effective steps.
🔍 Common Symptoms
- Ecobee doesn’t change to Home, Away, or Sleep at the scheduled time
- The temperature stays the same all day
- Heating or cooling runs when it shouldn’t
- Ecobee overrides your schedule without notice
📅 Check the Schedule
Ecobee uses a time-based schedule combined with Comfort Settings.
✅ Fix:
- Go to Menu → Schedule
- Tap on each day to confirm that Home, Away, and Sleep events are correctly set
- Ensure each Comfort Setting has the correct temperature preferences
Pro Tip: Make sure the time zone is correct under Settings → Date & Time
🚶 Review Smart Home/Away and Eco+ Settings
These smart features adjust your schedule based on occupancy and energy savings—but they may override your programmed preferences.
Smart Home/Away
- Uses motion sensors to detect presence and switch to Home or Away mode.
Eco+
- Introduces energy-saving algorithms and may delay heating/cooling based on energy demand.
✅ Fix:
- Go to Menu → Eco+
- Turn off Smart Home/Away
- Disable Smart Recovery or Schedule Optimization
This will stop Ecobee from automatically adjusting temperatures based on learning or movement.
📶 Check Room Sensor Behavior
If you’re using remote sensors, their occupancy readings can override your schedule.
✅ Fix:
- Go to Menu → Sensors
- Review which sensors are participating in temperature control
- If “Follow Me” is on, Ecobee uses only occupied rooms to determine temperature
To avoid this:
- Turn off Follow Me
- Let Ecobee average temperature across all selected sensors regardless of motion
🔁 Reboot Ecobee Thermostat
Sometimes schedules get stuck due to a software glitch or connection delay.
✅ How to Reboot:
- Gently pull the Ecobee off its wall mount
- Wait 30 seconds
- Reattach and let it restart
This soft reset can restore normal schedule operation without deleting settings.
✨ User Tips from Reddit & Forums
- “Eco+ was overriding my Sleep temps with some weird energy-saving logic.”
- “My schedule wasn’t followed because the time zone was off after a firmware update.”
- “Turning off Follow Me stopped the constant switching between Home and Away.”
- “I had to delete and recreate my whole schedule after an update bug.”
🛠️ Factory Reset (Last Resort)
If Ecobee still doesn’t follow the schedule after adjusting all settings:
⚠️ Warning: This will delete all settings and preferences.
To reset:
- Go to Menu → Settings → Reset → Reset All Settings
- Follow the prompts to reconfigure Wi-Fi, schedule, and HomeKit (if applicable)
✅ Summary Table
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Schedule not updating | Review and edit daily events |
| Unexpected changes | Disable Eco+ and Smart Home/Away |
| Erratic sensor control | Turn off Follow Me |
| Time-related issues | Check and correct time zone |
| Persistent override | Reboot or factory reset device |
When your Ecobee isn’t following its schedule, it’s usually due to smart features overriding your preferences, a sensor misconfiguration, or a simple glitch. With the steps above, you can bring your home comfort back under control.