Do NOT Install v2.20.1 (1204988) of SmartThings Classic App [iOS] !

[geeji (JJG)]

If you do, like I did, you will get an obnoxious pop-up window, which completely obscures the SmartThings dashboard, cannot be closed, and makes SmartThings Classic unusable.
And if, like me, migration to new Samsung SmartThings App is impossible because of region issues, you will end with $xx00 worth of SmartThings junk.

Once more, SmartThings has shown its very peculiar version of “upward compatibility”, except that this time it looks like the final end of the road.
Once more, SmartThings has shown its total disregard for early adopters (August 2014), those same adopters who enabled SmartThings to stay afloat up to now.

Disappointment is way too weak to describe my feelings towards this betrayal which annihilates literally MONTHS of work on SmartThings (I developed my own custom handler for a Fibaro Device initially unsupported by SmartThings) and makes $2000 worth of Things a gross pile of junk.

I apologize for posting this warning way too late for most people trapped in the same quagmire. Up to now, I thought my difficulties were a simple problem of migration, but after a dozen of exchanges with SmartThings support, I realized it was deliberate.

This is a dire warning not only for early adopters but also for all home automation fans : the so-called “standards” are not stable enough to ensure smooth upward compatibility, the cloud-based solutions give all the power to the cloud masters and big companies like Samsung (or Apple, or Google, or…) will always optimize their bottom line first, and treat “marginal” customers like collateral damage.

I suppose a talented US lawyer could see there an opportunity for a juicy class action suit, but although the same concept exists in Europe, the likeliness of winning and the local number of SmartThings customers is way too low.

Thanks anyway to all SmartThings community members which helped me with my set-up and which used my custom FGK-101 Handler, keeping it functional up to now. It was nice iterating with all of you across the Atlantic, sharing a common passion.

[theblueglow]

are there any alternative apps?

[Kevin_Reene]

Any devices that operate with ST will operate with other platforms, some better. Yes you have lost dev time (sucks, yes) but HA and Hubitat are both options to you. $50 or $130 and two weeks of evening dev time away isn’t really THAT big of a deal to get everything back up and running, is it?

[JDRoberts]

@Kevin_Reene

Any devices that operate with ST will operate with other platforms, some better

GE zwave classic switches have status update issues with many other platforms, including Hubitat. SmartThings added platform code specific to addressing some idiosyncrasies of these devices. So if you have a lot of these, they will work for basic on/off on other platforms but you may not get a status update If The switch is changed at the wall.

Also, Schlage zwave locks have some idiosyncrasies that causes them to not work on all platforms. Including Hubitat.

So while most devices can be moved, you do have to look at your exact set up to see what you might need to replace on a different platform.

[JDRoberts]

@geeji

I suppose a talented US lawyer could see there an opportunity for a juicy class action suit

Not likely: smartthings is covered by the terms of service that every smartthings customer agrees to when they create an account, although I know not everybody reads the fine print.

Will SmartThings ever change the Services?
.
We’re always trying to improve the Services, so they may change over time. We may suspend or discontinue any part of the Services, or we may introduce new features or impose limits on certain features or restrict access to parts or all of the Services.
.
In some cases, the changes we make to the Services may cause older hardware devices, third party services, software configurations or setups to no longer work with the Services, and you may be required to upgrade or change these devices, services, configurations or setups in order to continue using the Services.
.
We’ll try to give you notice when we make a material change to the Services that would adversely affect you, but this isn’t always practical.
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Similarly, we reserve the right to remove any Content (including any SmartApps or device or external service connections provided by SmartThings or by third parties) from the Services at any time, for any reason (including, but not limited to, if someone alleges you contributed that Content in violation of these Terms), in our sole discretion, and without notice.

https://www.smartthings.com/terms

So customers were told that the company was not guaranteeing continuity of service. Those type of agreements have held up in US courts in the past. It’s frustrating, and it may not be good customer relations, but it’s not illegal.

[RBoy (www.rboyapps.com - Making SmartThings Easy!)]

@JDRoberts

Schlage zwave locks have some idiosyncrasies that causes them to not work on all platforms

The good news here is that we have a patch for those idiosyncrasies (for SmartThings) through the Universal Enhanced Z-Wave Plus Lock DTH

[frenchian]

Oh dear.
I’ve just bought into ST to discover that Samsung are about to mess it all up. Even if at the end of the day all turns out ok, I’m seeing a period of real hiatus coming.
As such as soon as my kit arrives (yes, it hasn’t even arrived yet), it’s going to be sold and I’m now looking elsewhere.

[geeji (JJG)]

The main feature I am trying to keep running is a Single Location / Multiple Hubs read-only view of temperatures, reported thru battery operated Fibaro FGK-101 (now discontinued) fitted with optional DS18B20 temperature sensors.
In total, a dozen v1 Hubs with a dozen Z-Wave FGK-101.
Direct smartphone view of those temperatures would be nice (as with SmartThings App, as long as it worked) but Internet browser viewing is equally acceptable.

The multiple Hubs are needed because of geographic dispersion (multiple buildings, spread about 1/4 mile).
Back in 2014, the SmartThings support of Multiple Hubs within a Single Location was the key feature which made me select SmartThings. Too bad SmartThings deleted this feature with v2 Hub introduction 2 years later, forcing this upward INcompatibility, even for V1 Hubs…
Note that LoRa transmitter modules would likely allow consolidation over such a distance, but they were not available by 2014.

Based on your own actual experience, has anybody something to recommend, which would be worth for me to investigate further ?

I would like NOT to invest much in new hardware (at most 1 single new hub/controller) and NOT spend weeks/months configuring the new system, as I did 6 years ago with SmartThings.