Have a strange problem with the above switch.
Twice now, several days apart, it has reported 16% battery (cr2032)in the ST app, but when tested with my battery tester reports 2.95v and 95% capacity and when reistalled reports 60%.
The battery tester has been reliable, otherwise.
Anyone having similar issues?
IKEA’s battery reporting is terrible. I have a round dimmer which goes dead without any notice and the battery is flat, meanwhile the previously reported battery was 60% or more. (Using IKEA’s own batteries.)
The on/off switch (dimmer) has similar reporting as well.
Yes, most of my other tradfri on/off switches only last about a month (not relying on reported %). Those usually die before reporting less than 20%!
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Really? How often are you using them daily? My square shaped ones lasts quite long (months), but not so often used.
The round dimmer puck is not used often neither, but dies quickly.
They might be used about once or twice per day.
I have the same experience … the battery lasts less than a month for both of my Tradfri on/off square switch. I was hoping to use these reliably, but the battery dies so quickly and they become unresponsive. I just got these a few months ago from IKEA. The firmware version in ST app shows this: 0x22008631. Not sure if it would be updated to a higher version if I got the Tradfri hub which might help the battery issue (I really don’t want another hub). I got these because I hate the SmartThings Button (does the same thing for me … the battery dies quickly or it loses it’s connection to the hub and I have to re-pair constantly). I don’t know what is a reliable button type device to trigger routines, etc. but I am having really bad luck with both of these types of devices.
The only device that works perfectly and reliably are the Alexa Buttons which Amazon no longer sells (very reliable in running routines).
The 3 switches I am using are 0x22010631. Apears to be a later version although with the same first and last digits and only the middle changing its hatd the fathom the coding.
Sometimes batteries last less than a month. They go from about “20%” to dead (less than 1 volt) very quickly.
Am trying some different brands, Sony, Energizer, Panasonic but not much better survival yet.
I do get a little longer with the ST buttons, but their CR2450 batteries are dearer.
As an alternative to flaky hardware buttons, I created IFTTT widgets using the DO Button functionality in IFTTT to run my ST/Hue/Wyze/Harmony routines/tasks and it’s working really well. On both my iPhone and iPad I have the IFTTT widget towards the top so I can just click on them to run. Since I almost always have an iOS device on me, it’s a pretty good alternative. I can just swipe left while the device is still locked to run the items. I would still love to have a dependable button type device, but this is a pretty good alternative in my use case.
I have found IFTTT very flaky here in Australia and especially slow. An example is my garage door closing notification can arraive after I am several suburbs away. I think the longest so far is 2 hours.
Another premature battery failure, new 1July dead (2v) 28 July. About 4m from ST hub down the corridor. Only pressed probably 6 - 8 times over month.
These are proving totally useless!!!
What batteries are you using?
The particular above battery was a Sony. But I dont get much better results with Panasonic or the orig Ikea.
Does seem to vary a little between each unit.
Am trying to determine if it is worse for distance, ie > than about 4 - 5m? Or out of line-of-sight, even thru plasterboard walls.
I hear you…I am going through batteries like crazy with these devices. So upsetting…I don’t understand it myself. Does anyone NOT have battery issues with these devices? If not, I wonder what is different here for them vs us whose batteries die prematurely. I don’t get it.
Hi,
I am also using the same Ikea dimmer switch and seeing very fast battery drain.
Has anyone tried Sengled smart switch, and can tell how is the battery life for the Sengled one?
Thanks,
I’ve read some reddit posts about these IKEA devices. Your best option is to return to IKEA and hope that your replacement will have a better QC/QA check. The quality of the devices is not the highest standard as it seems to be the situation.
Just replced 3 batteries in ikea (square) buttons, all failed while showing 87% in ST app. Actual voltage 1.9 - 2.2v). 2 were Ikea batts (lasted 1 and 6 months) and one Sony (lasted 5 months). All were close to ST (Wifi) Hubs. So my automation to show poor batteries will have to go from 20% to 87% ?!?!
It is more like a hardware issue. The battery reporting was never accurate neither…
One of my two IKEA square buttons battery always depletes quick. I bought them together. And when I put new batteries in they always show 87%, then suddenly drops. The buttons are horrible (but the design and functionality is almost perfect) … I can’t seem to find a good button experience with SmartThings (I hate the SmartThings Button itself … always disconnects along with bad battery performance as well). I don’t think the IKEA buttons would work with Alexa properly (using the built-in hub in the Echo Show 10) … and I really don’t want to get the IKEA hub (way too many hubs already).
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Mine were giving me at least a few months mostly. Recently, however, the same buttons are now dying within a month, two now within 3 days, even with ST reporting 100% battery (althoght this was previously the mythical 87%). The batteries are Sony, Energizer, or Duracell, and I confirm the batteries are indeed flat.
Have just noticed that several of the buttons had paired via a hube Very short life downstairs and 7mtrs away (ST WiFi version) rather than the main hub (also ST Wifi) in the same room (~ 4mtrs directly in front). I have a feeling that the very short battery life started around when I added the dowstairs hub.
[Given that the IDE does not recognise the downstairs hub other than as a Serial number, I can not diagose further]
I have now powered it down and reconne ted to the main hub, so I will report if the issue improves.
Otherwise it is off to the Hue Dimmer, connected direct to ST [although the latest one I have tried refuses to do any Automations, even via ABC smartapp, which has worked [and still does] for another HueDimmer. Both the Dimmer and the controlled devices work individually but not via Autom’ns!