Hot take: Smart home gadgets are way too hard to set up for what they do

I bought a smart light switch for my living room last month, a brand called Kasa. The box said 'set up in minutes'. It took me over an hour and a half, no joke. The app kept losing connection to the switch, and I had to reset it like five times. The worst part was figuring out I had to turn off the circuit breaker, which the instructions barely mentioned. I was just standing there in the dark with my phone flashlight, feeling like an idiot. For a light that I can now turn on with my voice, which is cool but not exactly life-changing. Has anyone else had a setup take way longer than the 'easy' promise on the box?

4 comments

4 Comments

cameron_hernandez691mo ago

Ever think about how many people just give up halfway through? That's a ton of smart gadgets sitting in closets, still in the box. @the_sean's buddy almost hitting that point with his doorbell is the real story they don't tell you. The companies count on that initial excitement to make the sale, but the setup hassle means a huge chunk of their products never even get used.

shanew591mo ago

Yeah, those "easy setup" claims are basically a lie. The circuit breaker thing gets everyone, they always bury that in the fine print. Makes you wonder if the engineers have ever actually installed one in a real house.

the_sean1mo ago

Remember my buddy trying to install a smart doorbell? Honestly, he spent a whole Saturday on it because the app wouldn't see the device on his wifi. Tbh the worst part was when it finally worked, his dog barked at the chime sound.

felixlane1mo ago

Forget the wifi, @shanew59 is right about the breaker. My neighbor had to pull his whole door frame off because the old wires were too short after he shut off the power. Then the voltage checker showed it was still live anyway, so he basically wasted an afternoon. Makes you wonder if the people who write the manuals have ever even held a screwdriver.