How to remove permanent hold on a Honeywell thermostat
Quick Answer: Press the button labelled Cancel, Run Schedule or Use Schedule, depending on your model. On touchscreen models, tap the Permanent Hold text on the home screen first, then choose the cancel or run option. On older button models, press Hold once more. The thermostat returns to its programmed schedule immediately. Permanent hold is a setting, not a fault.
A permanent hold means the thermostat is ignoring its programme and holding one temperature until you tell it to stop. Someone set it, or it was set during a power event. Nothing is broken, and clearing it takes one button press once you know which button your model uses.
Which button cancels it on your model?
| Type of thermostat | How to cancel the hold |
|---|---|
| Touchscreen with a Permanent Hold label on screen | Tap the Permanent Hold text, then Cancel or Run Schedule |
| Models with a dedicated Hold button | Press Hold again to cycle it off |
| Models with a Run or Run Schedule button | Press Run Schedule once |
| Models with a Cancel button | Press Cancel |
| Menu-driven smart models | Menu, then the schedule or hold entry, then Use Schedule |
If none of those appears, nudge the temperature up or down with the arrows first. On several models that turns the permanent hold into a temporary one and the cancel option then appears.
Temporary hold versus permanent hold
- Temporary hold keeps your chosen temperature until the next scheduled change point, then hands control back to the programme on its own. Some models let you set the end time yourself.
- Permanent hold keeps it indefinitely. The schedule does not resume until someone cancels it.
Neither is a malfunction. Permanent hold is genuinely useful if you are away, working from home on a different rhythm, or you have decided the programme is wrong and want one setting all day. Our guide on turning off the schedule on a Honeywell thermostat covers the case where you want that permanently. If yours says "Temporary" rather than "Permanent", see what temporary hold means.
How to set a permanent hold
- With the thermostat running its schedule, set the temperature you want with the arrows.
- The display shows Hold, Hold Until or Temporary Hold.
- Press Hold again, or tap the hold text, until it reads Permanent Hold.
Older button models work slightly differently: press Hold first, then set the temperature.
If it will not come off hold
Work through these in order. Most cases are the first two.
- Check for a lock. Several Honeywell models have a screen lock or a limited-access mode, often used in rentals and offices. A locked thermostat accepts no changes and does not always say why.
- Replace the batteries. A thermostat low on power behaves strangely before it dies, and a display that responds but will not save a change is a classic symptom. See how a low battery affects a thermostat.
- Restore the default schedule. On menu-driven models, Menu, then Preferences, then Restore Default Schedule. This clears the programme and the hold with it.
- Power-cycle it. Remove the batteries, or switch the HVAC breaker off for 30 seconds, then restore. A full restart clears a frozen display.
- Restore factory defaults, as the last step, because you lose all settings and schedules.
One method we are no longer publishing: the old version of this page told readers to put the batteries in backwards for a few seconds. That trick is documented for some specific older models and not for others, and inserting batteries reversed into a device that is not designed for it is not something to try blind. Look your model up first.
Where to get model-specific help
Honeywell Home thermostats are made and supported by Resideo, which licenses the Honeywell Home name from Honeywell International. That is why searching for "Honeywell" support can lead you to the wrong company's site.
Go to Honeywell Home support, which has a manual lookup and per-model support pages for the T-series and others. The model number is on the back of the thermostat body, visible when you pull it off the wall plate.
Frequently asked questions
How do I remove permanent hold on a Honeywell thermostat?
Press Cancel, Run Schedule or Use Schedule, depending on the model. On touchscreens, tap the Permanent Hold text on the home screen first and the option appears.
Why does my thermostat say permanent hold?
Because it was set, deliberately or by accident. It holds one temperature and ignores the programme until cancelled. It is not an error message.
What is the difference between hold and permanent hold?
A plain hold ends at the next scheduled change point. A permanent hold does not end until you cancel it.
Will permanent hold increase my energy bill?
It can, if the held temperature is one you would normally only run part of the day. Holding a comfortable temperature around the clock costs more than a schedule that sets back overnight or while the house is empty.
My thermostat will not let me cancel the hold. What now?
Check for a screen lock, then replace the batteries. Those two cover most cases. After that, restore the default schedule, then power-cycle, then factory reset as a last resort.
Does cancelling the hold delete my schedule?
No. Cancelling a hold hands control back to the schedule you already have. Restoring defaults or a factory reset is what erases it.
Is Honeywell Home the same company as Honeywell?
Not any more. Honeywell Home thermostats are made and supported by Resideo under licence from Honeywell International, so support and manuals come from Resideo's Honeywell Home site.
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