Build an paid app on App Store

Hi there

I like to ask if it would be possible to make use of smarthing api to build an paid app to sell on App Store. I understand there is an official smart things app but I have some thoughts on the UI, maybe someone on app store would be willing to paid for it at 1.99$ :smile:

I was looking through app store, I did not see any other apps that works with smart things. Is it that the api only allow hobbyist to build for their own use only

Thank you so much.

First a question for clarification:

Are you talking about a SmartApp (an app that is installed via the mobile app and does specific task or function with devices within the ST world) or are you talking a new Mobile App (an app that would be installed on your phone or tablet and all you to interact with all or some of your devices)?

If you’re talking a SmartApp… I know that ST long term goal is to eventually provide a method for developer to make their own SmartApp and then upload them so that they can be easily accessed by other users, and perhaps even a store type setting where you would purchase said apps.

While this is the goal, this still seems a ways off. There is a method for submitting SmartApps for approval, but to the best of my knowledge no user created SmartApps have been approved yet.

If you’re talking a new Mobile App… I don’t know that there is an approved or available method for doing this. Seeing as this mobile app would need to have access to the ST cloud, this raises potential security concerns and so I’m not sure ST would readily approve access in this manner.

I suppose it’s possible you could try to interface directly with the existing mobile app and “scrap” the data from there, but this seems a clunky method.

Another option would be to setup your interaction with devices through Oauth. The downside to this is you only have access to the devices, not SmartApps. Additionally I’m not sure if you can pull data from device (like temp, motion, etc) in order to produce notifications. So I would think this would have to be something that runs along with the ST Mobile App rather than replaces it.

I would imagine using Oauth and the existing API a developer could create a SmartApp that works in the way that Home Automation Dashboard or actiON Dashboard does, you should be able to control devices, get device info, create notifications etc. A combination of the existing Web Dashboards and @johncoctosten UI idea for an iOS/Android App would be well, amazing. I wish I had the iOS/Android programing knowhow it’d already have something in the works.

What you may have an issue with is charging for it, I’d just contact support to ensure there is no issue there.

With the existing structure, you wouldn’t be able to do any advanced stuff, device add, device remove, device configure, SmartApp install etc.