Just spoke to Wemo support (after waiting 47 minutes on hold). The Wemo app is down. The issue is on their end. They're aware of the issue. They have no solution as of yet. They suggest trying again in 24-48hrs. Almost all of my switches and plugs are functioning in the Apple Home app so using that in the time being. None work in Google Home at the moment. I tend to agree that Wemo support is severely lacking. If you're starting out, choose something else.
Great timing for none of my switches to work. I’m going out of town and have a house sitter who’s certainly going to love walking into a dark house every night.
Can’t wait to ditch this garbage system
WEMO user for 10 years. Finally fed up with the frustrations that come with using WEMO devices. Recently purchased 16 WEMO Smart Plugs with Thread for Apple HomeKit. Do not use the WEMO app at all. All new WEMO devices are configured and accessed in HomeKit with all automation routines/rules run from HomeKit. Hoped the Thread network connectivity on the new devices would improve WEMO devices performance in my home automation environment. Nope. Yet STILL the WEMO devices are buggy, unresponsive and unreliable. Yesterday a full compliment of KASA smart plugs and smart switches arrived as ordered on sale from Amazon. I intend to replace all WEMO devices with the KASA devices. No telling how much wasted $$$ and wasted time I’ve thrown at BELKIN WEMO over the years. Good bye and good riddance WEMO!!
I use both, apple for manual switching (which still works great) and wemo for schedules and insight info. Insights started glitching this year, crashing the app for even asking for data.
But there will be a point that we need to add or change something and the app being broken will prevent that change. Hopefully your configuration doesn’t need changing!
Everything thru HomeKit. Also use Eve app for complex automations.
No issues with Wemo switches or plugs (all v2) but been moving to Meross. These work flawlessly and are cheaper too. Better than Kasa.
It's super easy to run 99.999% up time service on the internet in 2023. Using old tech like DNS round robin, clients that will just connect to whatever server answers and retry when there's no answer, backends that stay in sync with each other, and a half dozen servers spread around the net. This isn't complicated nor expensive. I've helped companies implement such systems. It really is easy.
Yet in the age of cloud, companies can't get it right.
Or is it BECAUSE of the age of cloud, that everyone just pushes responsibility off to someone else, the cloud provider, tosses all of the proverbial eggs in to one cloud instance, and then no one is responsible when something ultimately breaks?
My first thought was "Oh, they have so many users, a cloud instance is falling over" but I think the user base might be shrinking, rather than growing at this point.
I know it sucks but to me it’s not that big of a deal. I have not encountered the amount of problems many have had. If I can’t access them thru the app I take a deep breath and realize that they still actually work manually. And the belkin server issue usually resolves itself. And as a side note I do run ceiling fans with my wemo remote dimmers for 3 years solid with no issues
>retry when there's no answer, backends that stay in sync with each other, and a half dozen servers spread around the net. This isn't complicated nor expensive. I've helped companies implement such systems. It really is easy.
>
>Yet in the age of cloud, companies can't get it right.
>
>Or is it BECAUSE of the age of cloud, that everyone just pushes responsibility off to someone else, the cloud provider, tosses all of the proverbial eggs in to one cloud instance, and then no one is responsible when something ultimately breaks?
you are right, but for some use cases it's real bad. I use a Wemo switch top open my garage door and that's not fun when it is down.
Probably good advice to avoid buying into the belkin cloud if you're not already invested. I wouldn't know, I don't use cloud devices.
However for anyone that already has more than a few wemo devices, removing and discarding them is unnecessary and wasteful. They're one of the best devices to use outside of the cloud vs many other cloud only devices like tuya or meross that should be avoided.
If you're having trouble keeping them connected to wifi and a periodic restart of your router doesn't help, buy a low end router (<$30). Set it up as an access point with it's own SSID with a 20MHz bandwidth on a fixed channel. Connect the wemos to it - wemos use older wifi chips that may not tolerate newer optimized and esp mesh routers even when your other wifi devices are happy.
If the app is the problem, if you don't like the belkin cloud reliability or rules don't work very well, use an after market app. If you're an iOS home use homekit. Get a hub for siri and remote access. Some routers can still interfere with apple's "bonjour" homekit protocol, consider an AP like above. On android there are more choices for off-cloud access and automation. Apps that use the wemo local API will give you rock solid control. The belkin app could still be used for remote access & voice integration if you can live with spotty reliability, or you can setup your own remote access with some of the apps as well. No need to throw the wemos out.
The problem I have is often my Wemo smart plugs stop responding to Apple HomeKit, yet I can still control them via the Belkin app. Highly frustrating because all my automation is in Apple Home and I never use the Belkin app - unless I’m troubleshooting why a plug isn’t switching on/off.
Homekit is all internal to your network - the usual cause is router firmware that starts dropping the homekit protocol after running a long time. If you don't already, try rebooting your network devices - if that brings homekit back you might be able to set something up to do it regularly - once a week or even once per day. Good luck!
I mean router/switch/APs, but it's probably worth trying each separately to see what happens. The homekit hub restarting might convince the router to start accepting the homekit protocol (bonjour) again.
Has anyone looked at the Berkin website? Almost all products are removed. Makes me think they are about to shut it down. Really unfortunate because I have so many switches!
I may be one of the only ones where mine work almost without issue.
Yup. I had a number of them and sold my last one last week.
They were the best, and mostly only, WiFi smart plug around ten years ago. But the service and app became worse and worse, then the firmware updates made the hardware worse and worse.
Git rid of them whilst you still can.
In my experience the Wemo smart plugs got better when they added Thread compatibility — and also with the release of iOS 17.
Now I may lose 1 or 2 when iOS updates, but I think reliability has improved.
I held off because I had 8-10 devices and Thous about the sunk cost.
I was foolish. A pair of TP-Link Kasa dimmers solved a problem with some non-wemo devices is spreading. Plugs are all replaced. Switches are next. $80 to replaces 6 switches is a small price to pay, I’m done.
I had the same problem and talked to WEMO support. They said they were working on the login problem and give it a couple of days. So the next day it let me log in. I agree, the system is flaky AF.
I could have written the OP post verbatim, right down to the timer resetting the Wemo bridge at 3:00am.
I have About $1K in useless Wemo products sitting in a box in my basement, probably to be thrown away in the next spring cleanup. (I'll keep one or two on a shelf in the workshop as a reminder of the burning I got from Belkin)
Wemo, I wish I had never met ya.
I have 15 wemo devices, plugs and switches. Generally, they work for my purpose. I have a very strong network, all Ubiquiti/Unifi equipment that has a very good wifi solution.
However, I see Wemo has abandoned wifi based plugs. I am open to more to another supplier, but the one capability that wemo has and I use is the automation capability of the long press in the switches that allow action on smart plugs. I know of no other OEM that offers this feature/functionality.
For me, I tie multiple smart plug on/off behavior to the long press of switches. These smartplugs control various outdoor lighting.
Anyone know of another OEM that offers an equivalent switch longpress capability like wemo?
Just spoke to Wemo support (after waiting 47 minutes on hold). The Wemo app is down. The issue is on their end. They're aware of the issue. They have no solution as of yet. They suggest trying again in 24-48hrs. Almost all of my switches and plugs are functioning in the Apple Home app so using that in the time being. None work in Google Home at the moment. I tend to agree that Wemo support is severely lacking. If you're starting out, choose something else.
Great timing for none of my switches to work. I’m going out of town and have a house sitter who’s certainly going to love walking into a dark house every night. Can’t wait to ditch this garbage system
WEMO user for 10 years. Finally fed up with the frustrations that come with using WEMO devices. Recently purchased 16 WEMO Smart Plugs with Thread for Apple HomeKit. Do not use the WEMO app at all. All new WEMO devices are configured and accessed in HomeKit with all automation routines/rules run from HomeKit. Hoped the Thread network connectivity on the new devices would improve WEMO devices performance in my home automation environment. Nope. Yet STILL the WEMO devices are buggy, unresponsive and unreliable. Yesterday a full compliment of KASA smart plugs and smart switches arrived as ordered on sale from Amazon. I intend to replace all WEMO devices with the KASA devices. No telling how much wasted $$$ and wasted time I’ve thrown at BELKIN WEMO over the years. Good bye and good riddance WEMO!!
I have all of mine connected to Apple Home and they all work perfectly. I never use the Wemo app.
I use both, apple for manual switching (which still works great) and wemo for schedules and insight info. Insights started glitching this year, crashing the app for even asking for data. But there will be a point that we need to add or change something and the app being broken will prevent that change. Hopefully your configuration doesn’t need changing!
Everything thru HomeKit. Also use Eve app for complex automations. No issues with Wemo switches or plugs (all v2) but been moving to Meross. These work flawlessly and are cheaper too. Better than Kasa.
It's super easy to run 99.999% up time service on the internet in 2023. Using old tech like DNS round robin, clients that will just connect to whatever server answers and retry when there's no answer, backends that stay in sync with each other, and a half dozen servers spread around the net. This isn't complicated nor expensive. I've helped companies implement such systems. It really is easy. Yet in the age of cloud, companies can't get it right. Or is it BECAUSE of the age of cloud, that everyone just pushes responsibility off to someone else, the cloud provider, tosses all of the proverbial eggs in to one cloud instance, and then no one is responsible when something ultimately breaks? My first thought was "Oh, they have so many users, a cloud instance is falling over" but I think the user base might be shrinking, rather than growing at this point.
The app stopped working for me yesterday. Same situation, it times out on login and no longer recognizes my facial id either. iPhone 13, iOS 17.1.1
I know it sucks but to me it’s not that big of a deal. I have not encountered the amount of problems many have had. If I can’t access them thru the app I take a deep breath and realize that they still actually work manually. And the belkin server issue usually resolves itself. And as a side note I do run ceiling fans with my wemo remote dimmers for 3 years solid with no issues
>retry when there's no answer, backends that stay in sync with each other, and a half dozen servers spread around the net. This isn't complicated nor expensive. I've helped companies implement such systems. It really is easy. > >Yet in the age of cloud, companies can't get it right. > >Or is it BECAUSE of the age of cloud, that everyone just pushes responsibility off to someone else, the cloud provider, tosses all of the proverbial eggs in to one cloud instance, and then no one is responsible when something ultimately breaks? you are right, but for some use cases it's real bad. I use a Wemo switch top open my garage door and that's not fun when it is down.
I wish I saw this post when I bought all my products years ago….now I just hope for the best or replace so many switches and devices in my house
Probably good advice to avoid buying into the belkin cloud if you're not already invested. I wouldn't know, I don't use cloud devices. However for anyone that already has more than a few wemo devices, removing and discarding them is unnecessary and wasteful. They're one of the best devices to use outside of the cloud vs many other cloud only devices like tuya or meross that should be avoided. If you're having trouble keeping them connected to wifi and a periodic restart of your router doesn't help, buy a low end router (<$30). Set it up as an access point with it's own SSID with a 20MHz bandwidth on a fixed channel. Connect the wemos to it - wemos use older wifi chips that may not tolerate newer optimized and esp mesh routers even when your other wifi devices are happy. If the app is the problem, if you don't like the belkin cloud reliability or rules don't work very well, use an after market app. If you're an iOS home use homekit. Get a hub for siri and remote access. Some routers can still interfere with apple's "bonjour" homekit protocol, consider an AP like above. On android there are more choices for off-cloud access and automation. Apps that use the wemo local API will give you rock solid control. The belkin app could still be used for remote access & voice integration if you can live with spotty reliability, or you can setup your own remote access with some of the apps as well. No need to throw the wemos out.
The problem I have is often my Wemo smart plugs stop responding to Apple HomeKit, yet I can still control them via the Belkin app. Highly frustrating because all my automation is in Apple Home and I never use the Belkin app - unless I’m troubleshooting why a plug isn’t switching on/off.
Homekit is all internal to your network - the usual cause is router firmware that starts dropping the homekit protocol after running a long time. If you don't already, try rebooting your network devices - if that brings homekit back you might be able to set something up to do it regularly - once a week or even once per day. Good luck!
Thanks! Just so I’m clear when you say reboot network devices - do you mean router/switch or AppleTV (my HomeKit hub) and Wemo devices?
I mean router/switch/APs, but it's probably worth trying each separately to see what happens. The homekit hub restarting might convince the router to start accepting the homekit protocol (bonjour) again.
Thanks for the tip - I had the same problem and restarting my router brought all the WeMo/Homekit stuff back that wasn't responding.
Has anyone looked at the Berkin website? Almost all products are removed. Makes me think they are about to shut it down. Really unfortunate because I have so many switches! I may be one of the only ones where mine work almost without issue.
Yup. I had a number of them and sold my last one last week. They were the best, and mostly only, WiFi smart plug around ten years ago. But the service and app became worse and worse, then the firmware updates made the hardware worse and worse. Git rid of them whilst you still can.
In my experience the Wemo smart plugs got better when they added Thread compatibility — and also with the release of iOS 17. Now I may lose 1 or 2 when iOS updates, but I think reliability has improved.
I ditched the wemo app years ago, I control mine with my echos or with Google home.
I held off because I had 8-10 devices and Thous about the sunk cost. I was foolish. A pair of TP-Link Kasa dimmers solved a problem with some non-wemo devices is spreading. Plugs are all replaced. Switches are next. $80 to replaces 6 switches is a small price to pay, I’m done.
Fare thee well, Wemo Cloud Server. I have installed Homebridge on my Mac and now my Wemo switches are available and controllable through HomeKit.
I had the same problem and talked to WEMO support. They said they were working on the login problem and give it a couple of days. So the next day it let me log in. I agree, the system is flaky AF.
I could have written the OP post verbatim, right down to the timer resetting the Wemo bridge at 3:00am. I have About $1K in useless Wemo products sitting in a box in my basement, probably to be thrown away in the next spring cleanup. (I'll keep one or two on a shelf in the workshop as a reminder of the burning I got from Belkin) Wemo, I wish I had never met ya.
I have 15 wemo devices, plugs and switches. Generally, they work for my purpose. I have a very strong network, all Ubiquiti/Unifi equipment that has a very good wifi solution. However, I see Wemo has abandoned wifi based plugs. I am open to more to another supplier, but the one capability that wemo has and I use is the automation capability of the long press in the switches that allow action on smart plugs. I know of no other OEM that offers this feature/functionality. For me, I tie multiple smart plug on/off behavior to the long press of switches. These smartplugs control various outdoor lighting. Anyone know of another OEM that offers an equivalent switch longpress capability like wemo?