Nest has introduced a major update to its app and services today, adding family accounts for up to 10 individual users per account and phone-based geo-tracking for smarter auto-home/away activation.

As long-time users of the Nest Learning Thermostat, Nest Cam home monitoring camera and Nest Protect smoke alarm products we've been waiting what feels like an age for location-based information to be introduced for smarter learning. 

Until now it's been all too easy for the Learning Thermostat to think you're away from home when you're not, by simply not walking past it enough. That's all about to change: version 5.3 of the app will breathe new life into the Nest family of products, by monitoring your - and those in your family account's - location.

But that's not the sole way the system will decide whether you're at home or not: the products will continue to use their sensors to detect for home presence, should, say, you have a guest over freezing half to death.

By introducing geo-tracking any Works with Nest product - from Philips Hue lights to Yale locks and beyond - will get smarter without the necessity of a Nest Learning Thermostat being installed too. Nest Cam also adds a privacy feature, preventing constant motion-based recording when you or your family are at home, if you wish.

Nest says this geo-tracking technology won't be tracking you non-stop, therefore avoiding draining battery life of your phone. It also promises that the system will continue to get better and better over time thanks to these new features.

The Nest app is available for iOS and Android and version 5.3 will be available to download for free after 14:00 on 10 March. We'll be updating our full reviews once we've determined how much of a difference it makes to the Nest experience.