HELP! iOS App "Couldn't add device. You need a hub in home to add device" Wave GE attempt

Devices & Integrations
1

Smartthings App 1.7.09.16 iPhone 15 Pro Max (also iPhone XR) iOS 17.1.1
Smartthings Ticket 1546679

Steps
+
Add Device
Partner Device
GE
Add without QR Code

“Couldn’t add device. You need a hub in home to add device”

I HAVE A HUB. It is online. It supports over a hundred devices but cannot add any more. Tried 2 iPhones,

This is what smartthings told me after almost a week of escalation
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  • Ask to remove the device, exclude and re add to the app
  • Get a screenshot of the error along with app logs from after the issue occurs.

App logs Steps:
Go to Menu > SmartThings Settings > About SmartThings > Tap the word “SmartThings” 10 times> Report a problem > Select Frequency > Explain the issue in detail > Report > send to email support@smartthings.com > tag the ticket number 1546679

Thank you!"

  1. This advice makes no sense I can’t exclude what is not already there!
  2. The tap ten times (on the asterisk) only brings me to a menu where I can add a password not as instructed no idea how to generate log
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The instructions that you were given do make sense on Android; I don’t know about IOS. You go to the ‘Menu’ page in the app and then click on the gear/cogwheel/sprocket/cog icon top right to bring up the ‘SmartThings settings’ page. You then click on ‘About SmartThings’ near the bottom of the page. The rather unexciting page that appears has a hidden feature. If you click ten times in succession on the bold ‘SmartThings’ title it brings up the ‘SMARTTHINGS TEST MODE’ page and that is where you find ‘Report a problem’.

1 Like
3

You can do a general exclude even if a device isn’t part of your hub. It’s found by going to your hub in the app, tapping the three dots at the upper right, select Settings, then z-wave utilities, and then tap on zwave exclusion. As soon as you do that, tap on the up paddle of the GE switch. The mobile app will display a message that a device was removed.

Sometimes a switch may come with a zwave mesh already configured (like with factory testing and then not being reset, or you purchased a used device, etc.), or a problem was encountered during the join process to your hub.

I recommend trying to add the device using the Scan Nearby option. That seems to work way better for some reason. What’s the model of the GE switch you’re trying to add?

3 Likes
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Hello @orangebucket and thank you very much for your response.

I have followed your instructions carefully and it does indeed take me to the about page with three lines, the top one has a silly snowflake, then bold SmartThings Then version 17.09.16

Tapping ten (or 20) times on the bold SmartThings does nothing, I’m quite certain of it.
Same thing for tapping on the version number.

However, if I tap 10 times and say shazam! the snowflake does take me to another secret page

At the top of the screen it says “SETTINGS” then “MODE ON/OFF” then “Enter password”

The “MODE ON/OFF” is apparently a header that does nothing.
The “enter password” apparently requires knowledge of what the password is that I am supposed to enter.
This is indeed crazy. Anyone have suggestions as to what this password is? Perhaps this turns on the dev mode if I know the password, whatever it is.

@johnconstantelo Thank you as well for your response.

Your suggestion has actually revealed a clue as to where the problem may be.

Your instructions state that “it’s found by going to your hub in the app”. So here is the interesting thing. I see no logical way to “go to my hub in the app” When I login to the app it immediately takes me to the Favorites page where I am indeed able to access various buttons that work with my devices in my hub.

I have checked EVERY menu at the bottom explored every configuration setting I am able to find and NOWHERE am I able to find a way to “go to my hub” so tapping 3 dots at upper right is inapplicable as there is quite simply no way to my hub so no way to get to z-wave utilities for a z-wave exclusion.

Now I will admit that I have almost never used this “new” app but I have successfully added well over 100 devices to my hub using the old hub - I’m far from an expert with SmartThings but do not consider myself a novice either. The issue I am observing is that while the ST app logs me in and functions with my existing devices already setup it literally seems to be unaware that I own a hub and has nothing in the way of settings pertaining to the hub.

I am really baffled because I’m sure I’m not the only guy with an iPhone that has a ST hub and wants to add a simple device and remove a few from the hub and it seems I have stumped ST support and myself quite well. I’ve been trying to add my fan control which I used to enjoy talking to via Alexa for over a week and I don’t see any way it is going to happen right now.

When I go to show home status I can see SOME devices
1 humidity device
22 light devices
SHOCKING 84 devices offline
10 low battery (this does not appear to be accurate)
4 doors and windows

If I go to supported devices and type “GE” it shows 22 devices all of which have red marking “Hub required”

I’m 99% certain there is nowhere in the app where the Hub I own is actually mentioned anywhere so I get that the app doesn’t know I have a hub but it knows I have devices.

Any additional help greatly appreciated would also be happy to do a Teams or other remote type session if someone is kind enough to try to diagnose this and would work with your schedule as much as possible.

5

wait for it… this will be super complicated in the iOS app. get a snack and drink…

tap on Menu, click on Contact Us, take a long nap… come back and select Error reports… select your device and WHOA… send app log is automatically selected at the bottom.

of course… snack and drink and long nap are not required. :wink:

no need to tap something ten times like the android app. :sunglasses:

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Hi @Another1 ,

What do you see when you go to Samsung account? When you click on Hubs, does anything show up below Hubs or to the right?

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Hi @johnconstantelo

It’s there…
having issues uploading screenshots here but it shows hubs 1
hub id serial number firmware version

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@jkp

…I am resisting the temptation to inquire why ST own staff seems unaware of how their iOS app operates and I must go to community forum to get proper instructions, but nonetheless THANK YOU for the correct info

I remain concerned we are not approaching this the correct way - it is clear the app itself does not see the ST hub and thinks I don’t have one yet it sees dozens of devices from that hub so how it doesn’t think I have a hub no idea. But same problem on two separate iPhones and reinstalling the app on iPhone is of no use. Has anyone ever heard of a situation where the ST app doesn’t see the ST hub???

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OK this site likes Mac Chrome not Safari here are my screenshots it exists!

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this has been happening often since the recent app update. I imagine it will be resolved with the next app update.

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If you use the same site to look at your Devices, is the hub listed? It should be. Does it show it assigned to a Room? If it doesn’t can you assign it to one? You’ll then know where the mobile app ought to see it.

There is also another basic check in the mobile app. On the Devices page the three dot menu has a ‘Select devices’ menu. Make sure your hubs are selected there as you can’t add devices if they are deselected.

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@orangebucket Graham, I think you are on to something.

I discovered the hub was DESELECTED and was not assigned to any room. I selected it and assigned it to my office.

Regrettably, the app still parrots that I do not have a hub despite the fact that I can select it and see devices within it.

So here is where things stand - I can traverse to the room with the hub and select the hub even run wave exclude however I can’t figure out how to add a new device - if I could do that i don’t really care about the rest of the anomalies.

@orangebucket Is there an alternative way to active Z-Wave pairing so I can turn it on click the GE fan switch and then it will discover it and pair it with the hub. The app continues to think that the hub does not exist even though it lets me use the hub.

I have no idea what ST support is talking about have they replaced humans with AI?

Dear Customer,

Thank you for contacting us. We appreciate the opportunity to assist you.

I understand from your inquiry that you encounter difficulties with the SmartThings application on your phone, since you are unable to add your hub.

Similar issues can occur after updating the SmartThings application or installing a new Operating System version. To solve the issue, please delete any temporary files that might be stuck in the application and restart it by following the below steps:

Go to the Settings of your phone > Apps/Applications > (Application manager) > Search for SmartThings > Force Stop > Storage > Clear Cache and Clear Data.

  1. Check your network status: make sure the internet is available through the mobile phone internet browser through the Wi-Fi connection.

*Note: If WiFi connection and Internet using WiFi are not available

1-1. Check your mobile phone’s WiFi settings to make sure they are “On”

1-2. Check WiFi AP Selection in WiFi settings to see if in home (home or office) AP selection is selected for connection.

1-3. Check WiFi settings (Guide to set up 2.4G, confirm WiFi password, contact your WiFi provider such as KT/SKB/LGU+ etc., and AP manufacturer for internet access using WiFi)

In case the issue persists, please follow the below steps to send an error directly to the developer team of the SmartThings application so they can further investigate this situation.

How to get the log files:

SmartThings > Three Lines (Menu) > Contact Us > Error Reports > Check Send system log data > Submit. After following these steps there will be a ticket generated through Samsung Members.

If you encounter any other unexpected situation and have more questions, please do not hesitate to send us your request by using the “Contact us” option on http://account.samsung.com and our support team will assist you with all the necessary information.

You can also reach us by accessing our website at Samsung care, selecting “Sign in” > “App Inquiry” > filling in the form and tapping on “Submit”, or through the Samsung Members app on your mobile device.

Thank you for using our services. Your satisfaction is very important to us.
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@orangebucket Graham, This now resolves my issue

ROOT CAUSE: Hub was NOT selected and was not assigned to a room.
SOLUTION: Selected Hub, assigned to room, now when adding devices when I cancel out of the QR code scan it actually scans for devices.

ST support was hopeless they should have known this straight away…

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