Features that used to work but are currently broken
These create a very high frustration level, because they used to work and then just stopped working.
For example, for awhile you could no longer add a second user. This then bubbles out a bunch of different issues. This problem existed for at least six weeks before being fixed. I’m still not sure whether this is fixed or not.
Integration with third-party services breaks from time to time. Several broke a day or two ago, I’m not sure if they’re fixed yet.
Platform Instability
I have a routine that does nothing except at eight in the morning it changes the house from “asleep” status to “home” status. It failed to run at least four or five times in the last two weeks.
The impact of that depends on the other rules and schedules we have set up. Someone who has an alarm set up might find that the alarm goes off when the person walks in the kitchen for breakfast. At my house, we have motion sensors that turn on overhead lights at night, Sidewall night lights in the middle of the night, and nothing during the day. So when the mode doesn’t change, the Wrong lights come on.
I myself am quadriparetic, and have a touchless switch that is supposed to unlock my door from the inside. Last week I had to call my neighbor to come over on three different days just to open my front door because the SmartThings systems were erratic. (The door also randomly unlocked when we hadn’t done anything) it is possible for me to unlock the door manually by myself, but it takes about 10 minutes and is very tiring.
One night about ten days ago my housemate was watching a World Series game. He went in the kitchen and made some popcorn. He was walking back out of the kitchen carrying the popcorn when first the lights went out, and then the television randomly changed to a different channel. Not a good day at my house.
SmartThings support told us that “the platform had a few hiccups.”
When SmartThings works as intended it is my favorite home automation system, but it will run great for five or six weeks and then there will be a week (or three) like this.
How much of a problem that is for any one household just depends on what they’re trying to do with it.