Hi all. I’m not a big forum user but I’ve been using Smartthings for I think over 2 years now and I have about 80+ devices connected overall. I’ve got loads of different rules set up using Core mainly and I have a V2 hub and still on classic android app. Oh and I am in the UK.
In two weeks I am moving. New house is a pretty different layout so I am likely having to rewrite the majority of my rules again.
My questions are should I stick with Smartthings and if so is it worth going to V3 and completely starting again on the new app?
I remember the massive outages in the old days and stability seems much better now. But the rate of new features is frankly shocking! I am sure I was notified of the new mobile app over 8 months ago and still no word when I’ll actually be migrated. I’m starting to think it won’t ever happen!
So should I not even bother with Smartthings now?
If so, should I get a V3 hub and start from scratch and use the new app? But if that’s the case will I actually LOSE some functionality?
But if I stick with V2 is the platform basically dying with no new feature support likely to occur anytime soon?
We used to get excellent feedback from all company levels on this forum but seems like that doesn’t happen any more so not sure my questions can actually be answered well but here is hoping!
If you’re happy with the hub you have now, I would just move it to the new house and make your new rules using the same app that you use now. You can always change later.
The following thread discusses the specific differences between the V2 classic app and the new V3 app.
On the other hand, if the new home means you’re going to need to invest a lot of money in additional new devices, then I would just start your candidate list from scratch, with the V3 hub as a potential candidate. And if you are going to start from the beginning, then the following thread has my suggestions for how to start the planning process:
If it’s working to your liking I wouldn’t change hubs. However, removing all the wall switches and such seems like a PITA. I would probably add the value of the switches wired devices to the home sale and replace them with new ones :). You can always change hubs to different smart platforms and migrate your devices.
Cheers both, it does seem like migrating would be an issue from reading that thread. I can’t believe core can’t change SHM mode! That seems such a basic requirement and a lot of my rules are built off having presence sensors trigger routines and set SHM modes.
I don’t think I’ll need lots of new devices in the new home just probably new rules for layout and how we will use that house compared to this.
I was hoping that v3 would add a load of great new features and the new app would be pretty much there considering how long it’s been but that doesn’t seem to be the case currently.
@JDRoberts I’m a bit confused actually on the v2 vs v3 thing. Can I use a v3 hub with the old classic mobile app? I read through the feature difference thread but not sure where the app change begins and the hub differences end.
I’m presuming that most of the new features and changed features (like not being able to change SHM mode automatically) are part of the hub v3 as it requires a back end change.
Logically though the old app might not totally work as it must also require changes to work with the new hub.
You must use the new V3 app in order to do the initial setup for the V3 hub. After that, you can use either or both apps with the V3 hub. But with the understanding that the V2 classic app is going to go away eventually, we just don’t know when.
It may help to remember that the SmartThings platform has three separate code bases: the code that runs on the hub, the code that runs in the app, and the code that runs in the cloud.
Smart things is in the process of transitioning from one cloud structure (which uses groovy) To another (which does not use groovy), but they are not there yet.
So there are a lot of moving pieces right now, and which ones work with which hubs is not always predictable, you just have to look feature by feature.
