(iOS v 2.6.62) Is anyone else as unhappy with this new app as I am?

Have ya slogged through this yet? :slight_smile:

https://forums.wyze.com/search?expanded=true&q=pink%20order%3Alatest

That’s the broadest search sorted by “Latest post” but you can play around with sort and search terms, of course.

Thanks for the perspective, Frederik, it helps.

Yep, that’s the one:

I found it quite interesting.

Teaser: Voice as a solution :slight_smile:

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Hey qlang

Skeptical, eh? Because of your experience in the process/field?

Not skeptical, more like I can’t believe the how simple bugs get through testing. I do have some experience with testing, as I was once reassigned to do the work due to severe manpower shortage with one company I worked for.

Some of the bugs I’m seeing should have been caught with simple test cases.

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The testers don’t see them as bugs or issues. They follow their testing script and are able to complete the tasks as outlined so it isn’t a bug to them. Regular users come along and can’t figure out how to do something and try a different way. This causes a “bug” to them. It happens frequently when User Experience isn’t the focus and adding functionality takes priority to the detriment of the App. I guess they will try to fix this in 2 years according to posts above. That will lead to a lot of frustrated users.

Some will over look prices and move on to competitors. Personally, I am at about the second point.At least I have only invested a few hundred dollars (four cameras, 6 plugs, 4 bulbs, two sensor starter kits and additional sensors) into the company so moving isn’t a large loss.

I had to buy two sensor starter kits because unlike their guidance, one bridge isn’t enough to cover both floors of my 1600 square foot house and they don’t sell the Bridge by itself for some reason. Not a large house by any means. It is covered by a single Hue hub so not sure why the Wyze Bridge can’t do the same.

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That’s the point, the scripts are not sufficient. Coming up with good test scripts and/or soliciting both designers and developers for additional test scripts, is part of the test group’s function.

As for previously-fixed bugs turning up again, this implies that the test scripts are not being updated.

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Agree. They need to test basic usage in a home environment.

Can I read the light font on a light background? No.

Can my Dad easily watch the cams on his PC? No. Workarounds don’t cut it for my Dad.

I am sure there are many tests to perform for a camera to be used by anyone.

I remember someone asked for an app dark-mode. I still have good eyesight but it’ starting to deteriorate. The app can use a high-contrast, alternate skin.

Here’s a little poll that may be of interest.


Click here to go to the separate live topic where you can see results and vote.

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To @Frederik and anyone else who might be interested:

From my outsider’s point of view (I have average-plus tech knowledge and skills) the poll question above is pertinent and satisfying.

From your insider’s POV, is it a good question - or is it flawed, insufficient, or just the wrong question altogether?

P.S. I’m not sensitive, speak frankly (if you choose to respond.) :slight_smile:

I’m glad you guys are rethinking how all the products work together and how that is structured in the app. Have you guys considered a “virtual switch” functionality? It seems like it would be super simple to implement. It’s basically just a smart plug, without the physical plug. If it was integrated into the ecosystem, it would basically bridge every gap in functionality between the main Wyze app and its integrations with Alexa, Google Home, IFTTT, etc. I did a wishlist item about it here: Wyze Virtual Switch

Mainly this is useful so that every tiny rule that’s possible to set in Wyze doesn’t necessarily need to be duplicated in Alexa/etc, especially since you guys don’t have much control over Alexa’s UX. But it can also be a way to give customers what they want, regardless of “Works with” certification issues. Don’t get me wrong – I think it’s important to meet the standards that Amazon is setting. But if that’s impossible in certain scenarios, (you mentioned that the camera motion detection isn’t available in Amazon because of this) it would give customers an easy way to get the functionality they’re looking for with only one easy extra step. (Instead of the event triggering an action directly, an event in Alexa triggers a virtual switch state change, which triggers an action in Wyze. Or an event in Wyze triggers a virtual switch state change, which triggers an action in Alexa.)

Julia is right about the problems and it worked better before. I used to easily step through the video using pause/play so I could zoom in on a picture. I hope they soon restore these functions.

The poll is disingenuous. The people working on the app are different from those working on firmware. Who are different than working on hardware. Or at least they should be.

The issue isn’t really stability over innovation. They should use innovation to create stability. The App developers would work to improve the user experience over just adding features. This doesn’t mean to stop adding features. It means to think about how they are presented to the end user without just sticking something in a menu somewhere.

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The biggest problem is that people have no idea what does it mean 60/40 vs 80/20. Is that feature quantity versus time allocated? Practically, they can not relate that to what they will get or how it is going to impact their experience with the app.
Most people want to have a feature rich app but super simple way to use everything because they don’t understand technology and even less software development best practice. There is only a fringe of users that are tech savvy that want to have something hyper configurable. That’s why Apple is being successful: over simplification and making decision on behalf of the users.

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It is a general recommendation. It depends on where you are placing the bridge and the structure of your house. Also if you want to enhance the reach of the bridge, keep it away from the camera by using a USB extension. Only a few inches make marvels. :wink:

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And this isn’t available in the support documentation because?

Innovation in service of stability. Ok. Interesting.

What immediately came to my mind was a behind-the-scenes video Wyze released in support of Person Detection (where two challenges were the hardware “space” they had to work in, and keeping the analysis “local” to the user, versus the cloud.)

The engineers (?) they interviewed looked “happy” (in the classical sense - they had been presented a super tough problem, they applied ALL their native abilities and discovered NEW capacities, and they succeeded.)

To an engineer, I’m guessing this is a “sexy” problem. Succeed and your peers will praise and hate you, your career “stock” will go up, etc.

Versus innovation in service of stability, which is kind of… dull.

If you do that right, the customers’ experience will be happy, but in a generalized and unspectacular way. Consumer Reports. Career “stock” in a trading range.

Zzzzzz…

We are dedicated to making your experience with our current app and products as intuitive, stable and reliable as possible… it is our Job One.

Job Two is to bring you exciting new products and features (eg 1,2,3) to surprise and delight you with the wonders of tech.

If we find that Job Two is compromising Job One, we may slow Job Two in favor of maintaining and enhancing Job One.

Don’t worry, you will never be bored - Job Two will never be dormant. Whenever humanly possible, we want you to Have it All! :wink:

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Have to agree. This kind of info would be very useful to us as @Mavens
I keep a cut and-paste file of useful stuff for frequent problems but a central stash we could all access (& maybe add to) would be nice.
Comments @Frederik?

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I like that idea , if anyone was able to add to it, it would have to be approved first so it wouldn’t get all cluttered up with bull crap

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