Insteon app (new version)

[pipe7]

Yesterday the INSTEON app was updated, first update in a long time. Happy to see it, and looks like it MIGHT have push notification support (although not currently working for me). Also launches a LOT faster. This looks to be the universal app they were talking about a while ago.

Anyway, it will not connect to my hub (tries but then gives connection error), and notifications don't work either. Has anyone got it to work? Or any other insight? I can't find any documentation about this new version, no changelog and nothing on the INSTEON site.

 

[Jazmac]

Some devs are lazy like that. Documentation is usually not as important as getting the software right.

 

[bellyer]

pipe7 - I was able to login without any problem to the new app. The app is much cleaner and smoother to use and seems less glitch. I'm just hoping that I will actually be able to use my Insteon HD WiFi video cameras with this version of the app. Off to test it out...

 

[bellyer]

No dice on getting the HD camera going. There seems to be no password field on the page for entering your camera's login details. Grrrrrr.

 

[pipe7]

Some devs are lazy like that. Documentation is usually not as important as getting the software right.

But in this case they got neither right.

 

[pipe7]

pipe7 - I was able to login without any problem to the new app. The app is much cleaner and smoother to use and seems less glitch. I'm just hoping that I will actually be able to use my Insteon HD WiFi video cameras with this version of the app. Off to test it out...

Good to hear is working for you. Have you tried on your home wifi AND cellular data? I should have mentioned that I was able to log in while at home connected to my local wifi last night, but cannot hit it today remotely (at work). Will try again at home tonight to see if it still works from there or not. Maybe remote settings need a tweak with the new version, what worked with the old version may not necessarily work now.

I was reading on the INSTEON forum and someone else not able to connect now as well. Also noticed someone on their with the same complaint about HD cameras too.

Have you had any luck with push notifications?

 

[DiesIrae512]

Getting same problem as described over a cell data connection. Seems to work over WiFi.

 

[jeffreymclean]

I'm having a lot of issues. I can log in to the app on the same wifi where the insteon hub is but the following thing are broken:
1) log in from remote (outside my nextwork, ie cell network)
2) can't get any data from the thermostat, or control the thermostat
3)Create a new scene
4) manually control a scene
5) some of my scene's schedules have stopped working, and I can't edit them to get them working again.
6) probably more, but that is enough
The only thing that works is controlling a device (not a scene) from the app if I'm log on the local wifi. Everything else seems to be broken.

 

[synth80s]

I'm not going to sugar coat it -- the latest Insteon app for Windows Phone is a disaster and the latest Windows 8.1 app lost existing functionality. Both updates were rolled out on 6/16-6/17, and both need to be rolled back ASAP. Some of these flaws have been noted by previous users, but to confirm my experience:

Windows Phone App v1.20

• The app no longer works remotely (i.e. over mobile data networks) at all, only over local wi-fi where the Insteon Hub resides. When connecting remotely device status is unavailable, device control does not work, and the app repeatedly pops up a "can't connect to hub" dialog box about every 10 seconds. It's completely infuriating. What is the point of a mobile phone app that doesn't work remotely?
• Even on a local wi-fi network, Insteon thermostat control is completely broken.
• Cortana voice integration/control is now completely broken.
• There's probably more, but I stopped using the app because it's so useless.

Windows 8.1 App v1.20

• I have only tried it on the local wi-fi network and Insteon thermostat control is completely broken.
• I have not tested the app much further, but I wouldn;t be surprised to find other issues.

Simply stated, it was a complete mistake for Insteon to deploy the latest Windows Phone app. It adds no functionality that I can discern, and it is badly broken. Given Insteon's track record of bug fixes, I don't expect them to address these issues soon, so their only move is to roll it back ASAP. I'm hearing that both apps represent a new unified universal app, and it I get the sense that Insteon is focusing on Windows 10 and their new Hub Pro which, oddly, is LESS functional than their standard hub even though it is newer and wears the laughable "Pro" moniker. The Hub Pro inexplicably ditches compatibility with a long list of Insteon devices, so I'm concerned that the latest apps represent the future of Insteon support for a system that I deployed only a year ago. Considering that Insteon is a closed, proprietary system and that they control all the hardware and software, it is beyond comprehension that they can't make everything work together. I might expect this when cobbling together a multi-vendor solution based on loose standards, but a single vendor solution? Inexcusable.

I have contacted Insteon Support several times and they have no answers. Their support techs simply say that it's all in the developers' hands so they sheepishly say they have no useful information and they can't make any promises. Twice they've offered to have a support supervior contact me to discuss my suggestion of rolling back these apps, but neither of the 2 supervisors returned my calls. The wait times for their phone support line were quite long both times I called this week (30-45 minutes) so I have to think they are causing themselves some serious pain with these shoddy updates.

ROLL BACK THESE CRAP APPS, INSTEON!

 

[Richard Gunther]

My experience so far is that it's still slow to load, and I can't agree with anyone saying it's a cleaner experience. They haven't fixed up any of the broken workflows (e.g., scenes), and the layout—at least on my small 635—is comically large. I'm assuming this was their attempt to move toward the universal platform, but in my opinion, this is a pretty ameteurish re-release of their app. Makes you wonder if they (a) have any Windows Phone users on their dev and testing team and (b) test as thoroughly as they should.

 

[pipe7]

New update a few days ago, it finally works from outside of home! BUT, it appears the email alerts I was receiving from my sensors no longer work. Probably looking at another 2 months for them to fix that unfortunately. So not sure if this is an improvement or not. And still no push notifications.

 

[WPit]

Current workaround for W10M devices: https://connect.insteon.com/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=/

Very limited, of course.

Hope it helps.