As far as I understand, Apple insisted that HomeKit devices be manageable locally with cloud connection optional. Your device can still do cloud connection, but Apple devices will only talk to it locally though a HomePod or an AppleTV or some iDevice that you leave on your home network.
So it's not really how they are choosing to continue to support these products, and more of a byproduct of how HomeKit works.
I guess I’m conditioned to expect this stuff to die one way or another when something like this happens. I shall cautiously reframe my expectations…
Generally the only reason you'd need an app to pair a HomeKit device is if the SRP key isn't printed on the box, and as far as I know that was limited to some early devices that were shipping while HomeKit was in beta (I know LIFX lights were in that camp for example. After Apple announced HomeKit, they said that all existing lightbulbs will become HomeKit compatible through an OTA upgrade. But of course you had to use the app to get the HomeKit code)
HomeKit is a local protocol. The Apple device connects directly to the outlet or lightbulb it's trying to pair over bluetooth or through local mDNS.
Weave was designed from the start (circa 2013) with local control in mind. However features based on local control were a tough sell inside Google after the acquisition (as one might imagine). Today, many of the pivotal people in the Matter effort are ex-Nesters, and they, along with their (equally passionate) Apple counterparts have been strong champions of local control.
> After this date, several Wemo products will no longer be controllable through the Wemo app.
That makes it sound like some Wemo products will still be controllable through the Wemo app. But when you read the rest of the article, there are zero details that indicate this, or even imply it. This bit seems to contradict that notion entirely
> The Wemo app will no longer be updated after January 31, 2026, and can manually be removed from your smart device.
It would be great if these devices could still be controlled/configured locally via the app, but I'm guessing that won't be the case. If they froze the functionality in time, I wouldn't be as unhappy. But if they're basically turning their products into bricks, I'm pretty not thrilled.
Yesterday was getting tempted by Zigbee again and then this arrived at my email. This is the last straw and decided to go full steam ahead [0]. btw the dongle is 25% off on amazon atm (prime day).
[0] It's this one, not tried it yet (fingers crossed it will work): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09KXTCMSC
I do have that particular Sonoff dongle - as well as a ZBT-1 - and I can vouch that the dongle works as well as the Hue hub it replaced, controlling a couple dozen lights.
(Obligatory prime-day-is-not-much-of-an-actual-discount so don't worry if you miss out on this sale - https://camelcamelcamel.com/product/B09KXTCMSC)
It looks like there's third-party work to make Sonoff ZBDongle-E (which is _not_ the linked device) do both at once, but that's not officially supported…
Only tip I have for you is that everyone suggests to use a USB extension cable with these to get it away from your PC or whatever device. My dongle is sticky-tacked to my office wall.
Imho there should be some kind of electrical standard of how these things are controlled (specified in voltages, relays, ... and not changing over the years nor between companies), and then have something that can be interchangeable that can be upgraded "with the times" to control all this.
Matter is a new standard that is incredibly slowly rolling out, the problem with it is that it isn't the 'full picture' because it only specifies a protocol but not the physical medium. So you can have matter devices over TCP/IP that have to be connected to Wi-Fi, or matter devices over Thread radio (more akin to Zigbee). Wi-Fi will come with its own set of headaches since you have to have some dumb app or whatever to use, to get the correct credentials onto each individual IoT device.
TCP/IP and its associated network and transport protocols are not going to be outdated in our lifetimes.
Not that I've yet found any decent devices that don't cost a fortune that do anything with Thread, other than apparently a half dozen things I own are Thread Border Routers (hubs). I have all these hubs and nothing for them to speak to.
By "static feature set" I mean to draw a contrast between these plugs and light switches, and say, a device that has to have a web browser or which needs to access an external API that may need to change to reflect changing external factors. Literally nothing needs 'updating' about a simple relay. It turns on and it turns off. Same now as in 2010.
Smart home tech really should be fully cost-free to keep working indefinitely. All these "cloud" and "mobile app" integrations that 100% of them have are what makes these EOLs happen, since the company needs to maintain servers speaking a certain API version, or push firmware updates out for every device ever made, and keep updating a mobile "app" just to keep it running.
The solution to this has been with us for over a decade: the Zigbee and Z-wave model. The devices speak a standard interface and talk to the owner's choice of standard hub forever. (If Sonoff goes out of business tomorrow my Sonoff devices will all still work perfectly fine.)
Belkin could have shipped Zigbee-compatible devices even when their first WeMo device came out, but they thought it was more profitable to make proprietary stuff.
Empty apology, for an act that legislators, regulators, and the market shouldn't tolerate.
> If your Wemo product is still under warranty on or after January 31, 2026, you may be eligible for a partial refund. Refund requests will not be processed before that date.
Someone needs to lead a class-action suit, with a settlement that is many multiples of whatever the company thought they gained/saved. Get it publicized for well-deserved brand damage. Make it hurt enough that shareholders are angry at the CEO and board.
I don't think companies can be sued for discontinuing cloud services that are required for older devices to keep working, otherwise Google would have surely been sued over their Nest security system shutdown, among other things. Maybe a shareholder derivative lawsuit could make sense, but Belkin isn't publicly traded, and presumably whoever owns them is OK with this decision (and wouldn't want a costly lawsuit).
apparent•6h ago
The most reliable Wemo devices I have are the older ones. The oldest, which I got off Craigslist, is rock solid. The newer outlet plugs are super flakey.
I was already unlikely to buy new Wemo products, given their trajectory. But now that they're abandoning their stable products, I'm definitely never buying Wemo again.
Anyone have suggestions for good wall plugs and light switches?
bradac56•6h ago
They will work with any Z-Wave/Zigbee compatible controller.
SirFatty•4h ago
pkulak•3h ago
EDIT: From what I can tell, the Belkin integration _is_ local push, so I don't know what the big deal is. Does removing "support" just mean no more updates? If they aren't already, hook those guys up to Home Assistant and you can keep them until you die.
mattmaroon•3h ago
"Wemo products configured for use with Apple HomeKit prior to January 31, 2026 will continue to function via HomeKit in the absence of Wemo cloud services and the Wemo app."
So I'd assume that if you can use something without WeMo services or apps, you'll continue to be able to.
apparent•3h ago
urda•2h ago
For light switches I tell everyone I know it is either LUTRON or nothing. Your time is not worth messing with anything else, and Lutron has been in the game long enough they have demonstrated commitment to their products. Finally, my Lutron system has been one of the few IoT devices I have ever had that was truly "set and forget". Once the Lutron switches and shades were bound, they have been perfect ever since for me.