8
Just spent 4 hours trying to get my new smart bulb to connect...
Got this new smart bulb from a brand I hadn't tried before, figured it would be a quick 10 minute setup like the others. The app kept saying it couldn't find the device, even though my phone was right next to it. I tried resetting the bulb about seven times, turning my router off and on, and even moving it to a different lamp. The real kicker was the fix... I had to turn off my phone's mobile data completely, not just be on the wifi. The instructions never said a word about that. It was such a simple thing that wasted my whole evening. Has anyone else hit a weird phone setting that blocked a gadget from working right?
4 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In4 Comments
patel.shane1mo ago
You had to turn off your mobile data? That's such a random fix for a light bulb. How did you even figure that out?
4
scott.olivia11d ago
Wait, I used to think stuff like this was just people overcomplicating things too, didn't I? I had a smart plug that would just stop working at random times, and I was ready to throw it out the window. A friend told me to try turning off my phone's mobile data while setting it up, and I was like "no way that's the problem." But it actually fixed it, the plug connected in like 10 seconds after I turned off data. It's weird how your phone hopping between wifi and mobile data can just confuse these little gadgets so badly.
10
logan_wood1mo ago
It sounds weird but it works. The smart bulb uses wifi and my phone was fighting for bandwidth. Turning off data let the bulb connect properly.
6
murray.robert1mo ago
Actually, that fix makes perfect sense. @logan_wood is right about the bandwidth fight. These devices need a clear path on the local network, and your phone hopping between signals messes it up. It's not the gadget's fault, it's just how modern phones work.
2