To think the smart Alexa stuff is shite?

[caffelattetogo]

Why are all the smart bulbs and devices such utter shite? I don't want to download and set passwords in third party apps to make a fucking lightbulb switch on. Why is it all so glitchy and inefficient?

Phillips Hue

If you don’t want it, then why would you have it and knows it’s glitchy?

I use it. Literally never had an issue

@Conkersareback I did get those a couple of years ago. They were much easier to set up, but were glitchy - only switched on or off when asked about 20% of the time. The rest of the time it said the devise was not responsive.

Mine are great!

So it's more than one type you've got issues with? What made you buy more when you weren't happy with the first lot?

I love mine, I control everything on the Alexa app. I can dim the lights or change the colour.
I plug my slow cooker into the smart plug and time it to come on or I can turn it on from my phone while at work. I also have a halogen heater plugged into a smart plug and I switch it on from my phone when I leave work. I can lie in bed and switch all appliances off without having to go around putting each thing off at the wall.
Could I live without all this... Yes...do I want to... Not now that I've got the hang of it 😊

I do want it. I've bought multiple ones. They are long-winded to set up. There must be a better way. Having to download third party apps and put in multiple passwords and verification codes is horseshit.

It's not when you have few lamps instead of one main one on. I like these.

Plus I turn off things when i don't need them without having to go to the socket switch, which is often behind furniture.

Great if you have 3 lamps and 3 Christmas lights!
"Alexa, good night"

Did you buy all from same brand or different ones?
I got app, synced, sorted. All in all, forst set up about 10 min, adding new ones in is couple of minutes.

@Conkersareback the first set, the Philips ones, only respond sometimes. So I've tried a couple of different brands, each of which needed third party apps. The robot vacuum needs two separate apps, one from the manufacturer, one to link it to the Alexa app.

I like the idea of smart bulbs and tech, but the practicalities are far from impressive.

Well you can't. But equally you said you don't want to download and set passwords in third party apps to make a fucking lightbulb switch on.

I feel like you choose one or the other?

By contrast, each time we buy an echo or a dot, I plug it in and it works. I just wish the rest of the stuff was so easy.

I think your problem here is mixing brands so having to have number of apps.

If you keep to one brand, you have one app so you can control even if alexa is down and they connect to alexa

@softpilllow if you pay the money why can't you have both?

Well that's fine for you, don't use them.

For me they're great.

As OP said, slow cooker, heating (I lie in bed abs say Alexa set home to ....), saying Alexa home off etc.

You can't convince me that the app etc are difficult, because I don't think they are.

@Conkersareback I wasn't trying to.

I love my smart devices, if there's a separate app I just let Apple make a secure password for it. I can control my lamps, some wall lights, heating, kettle, electric blanket, Sonos system, cctv cameras, burglar alarm and I'm sure more I've forgotten at the touch of a button on my phone or a few words to Alexa. I may be over 50 but I'm loving the 21st century!

I like the idea of Alexa's smart tech, but the set up is poor, or at least has been in my experience.

You are the one saying you don't want to?

I love mine. While, yes, I’ve been known to swear a lot while squinting at the tiny print on the instructions while flicking the damn thing on and off again to get the blasted thing to blink… it’s soon forgotten as I merrily say “Alexa, turn sticky on” or set up my routine to gradually turn Billy bulb off over 15 min at bedtime.

The cats especially love that the space heater is turned on in my office promptly at 7am, but get a little grouchy when it goes off at 4pm.

I’ve learned the Bluetooth ones are crap, but the wifi ones are much more reliable and easier to set up.

I think it’s like any other tech… always a bit glitchy and complicated when it first come out, but gets easier and more intuitive as it evolves.

But I’m guessing you have set up the purchase to pre-register to you… how the hell is a random lightbulb going to know what to connect to?

I give you that it would be nice to skip the bulb mfg app… but you learn to start buying the same brand to cut down on the need for different ones. I only use them for setup and shove them in a folder to be forgotten about until I connect a new bulb.

@softpilllow huh? I do want to. I want it to work. I keep buying smart tech. Having to download an app, create a username and password, verify my email, request a verification code, pair the thing, put in my Wi-Fi router code and password and work out how to use a badly designed app is a nuisance. Then I've got to pair that with the Alexa app, and have yet another app cluttering up my phone. There must be a better way.

I completely misunderstood you. I took 'I don't want to...' to mean just that.

@saltinesandcoffeecups that makes sense to stick to one brand I suppose. I just upped I'd fold one that worked and didn't need all this messing about.

Find

I have one app for all the smart bulbs and plugs regardless of brand and that links to the Alexa app. It's called smart life. There's no codes or anything. I'm not sure what exactly you're doing