anyone else think smart home gadgets are way too overhyped for how unreliable they are

[PurpleFencepost]

like yeah sure it’s cool you can turn off your lights with your phone but then the app glitches or the wifi goes out and suddenly you’re standing in the dark yelling at a bulb like it’s gonna listen... or the thermostat decides it knows better than you what temperature you want and ignores your settings entirely. plus half the time they stop working after two updates and youre stuck with a $200 paperweight. i get wanting convenience but at what cost honestly. seems like we traded simple switches for more headaches dont even get me started on the privacy concerns

 

[scruffy_pockets]

yeah no kidding, my smart lights decided one day they were just done taking commands from the app. had to flip the switch like a caveman for a week til i got it sorted and dont even get me started on the 'smart' fridge that thought milk was expired when it wasnt like, thanks for the heart attack at 2 am i get the appeal of yelling at alexa to turn on the tv but when it only works 60% of the time id rather just use the remote. seems like every 'upgrade' is just another way to make simple shit more complicated and expensive

 

[datawrangler92]

yeah i get it. my 'smart' lights decided to flicker like a horror movie last week for no reason. spent an hour resetting them only to find out the app updated and broke compatibility. cool feature, thanks. honestly tbh i think most of this stuff is more about novelty than actual utility. like sure, automating blinds sounds neat until you realize you still gotta manually fix it half the time id rather just stick with stuff that works consistently. also, dont even get me started on the privacy concerns half these devices are basically tiny spies in your house. not worth it imo.