There’s been a lot of discussion about the negatives of the new app, so I thought I’d start one about the positives. Who knows, maybe there is some SmartThings dev out there that is having a bad day and will read this and feel better Feel free to add your feedback and let’s keep this thread positive!
the UI. Obviously this is opinion, but I like the design of the new app better.
Smart Home Monitor now has an entry delay. As I understand it, SHM in the new app is designed from scratch using the new REST API and they added an entry delay. You can pick 0, 15, 30, 45 or 60 seconds. You can also dismiss alarms from the card on the dashboard.
The custom rule builder. They brought over some of the smart apps from the Classic marketplace, but there’s also a custom rule builder that is a Core/Webcore Light. It can have multiple conditions and multiple actions, even with the same device. You can even add delays and timers for individual devices.
tgauchat
(ActionTiles.com co-founder Terry @ActionTiles; GitHub: @cosmicpuppy)
2
This is a great thread.
The “new App” is something I’m looking forward to, with a few concerns:
Members of this Community / “the developer community” haven’t been told about all these new features and characteristics of the new app, nor the details of what is or will be deprecated from the old app. While I don’t request an exact timeline, surely there is a master plan as to what the new app will be comprised of?
New SmartThings customers are told to go directly to the new app, without being given an explanation of the readiness (or lack thereof) of it vs. the advance features they may be able to use (in the meantime) in the Classic app.
The exact relationship between the new App and the new API is not clear. Is the new API mandatory for SmartApps and/or DHs to run in the new App? … I think SmartApps work, but not all of them (there are no Routines to be called, for example); but DHs do not work, since the UI is different. Is the deprecation timeline for the old App and the old API the same? Or will the Classic App be deprecated (and possibly disabled) long before old SmartApps cease to be compatible?
Why is the Community Forum so quiet these days? Are folks quietly buried in development for the new App and/or new API; or are we all waiting for those to stabilize first. Or is it just the lack of development advocacy from SmartThings? Or is there a completely different Samsung Forum for the new API?
Some of my community device handlers have magically started working in the new app. Haven’t really found a rhyme or reason to why some work and some don’t. For example, @RBoy lock device handler works and my Xiaomi contact and motion sensor works. So it seems like maybe they are making the new app work with both dev platforms. Which I’m sure is quite the challenge.
My most critical functions are all custom… and are all stable (with the exception of presence-based rules, which have gotten unstable in the past few weeks as presence itself destabilized).
I will gladly wait until ST gets this stuff worked out before I move.
On the new app I have about 40% of my devices that don’t work as they have custom DTH’s while the remaining that do work are primarily ST devices although some of the older ST devices such as the original motion sensor don’t work at all in the new app. So it will be interesting to see at what point percentage wise will ST decide to end the classic app and go with the new app only (will it be 75% of the devices work or 80% or what) and at that point if all of my devices are not operational in the new app I will be looking to another solution outside of ST. The current 60% operational is not good enough and it needs to be near 100% and there is no reason it should not be.
Just noticed you can filter notifications by device. This is handy because the new app generates some notifications by default without any rule setup. I.e. robot vacuum alerts, moisture detection, etc.
There’s also a pretty robust how-to section with embedded YouTube videos. This is something the Classic app never seemed to have, so users would end up here or the support site with basic questions. The how-to card is on the dashboard by default, too.
I was just trying it out (maybe too soon), my account was converted last week. I’m not seeing SHM on dashboard and approx 1/2 my devices say can’t connect.
This looks pretty cool! I am sure when the app is ready it will be a better app than what we have now, but since every device I have is critical to my home security I must wait to switch until it is close to ready.
Keep up the good work guys and keep giving us positive feedback to build our enthusiasm.
yeah, devices, most marketplace and community smart apps, and scenes should all come over. SHM and Routines do not. So you have to setup SHM in the new app as a separate installation than the Classic app.
I am hugely happy that my Samsung tv is controllable via automations, movement detected outside triggers the tv to switch to the camera input on the Tv instantly
I have found a slight lack of flexability where by if the front door is knocked the tv switches to camera input but i dont have an option to switch back to the original input after a user defined time so im left with the wrong channel on the screen after viewing the camera feed
Apart from that and the missing on command im very happy with the tv integration
I was migrated already but I have not even downloaded the new app because it was my understanding that using it could potentionally mess up your setup on the classic app and as not everything is functional in the new one could put you in a difficult position… How safe is it? Is there anything I should not dononnthe new app?
There is also the ability to set the card color. So I’ve organized my devices by color based on whether they are a sensor, actuator or entry point to my house.
Feel free to add your feedback and let’s keep this thread positive!
