Wyze app 3.0 - Released 7/24/2024

[Seapup]

@Crease

Would it be helpful to post this in the v3.1β topic? I’m not a beta tester and so don’t know if this issue exists in that version.

No, unless you are running beta 3.1.0.b535. But I can check the beta version to see if your issue exists there. Which app version are you running?

[Crease]

@Seapup

I can check the beta version to see if your issue exists there.

I appreciate that, and that’s the sort of thing I was thinking, that if it’s present in current production code, then it’s probably been carried into new beta code, as well, unless it’s been specifically addressed.

@Seapup

Which app version are you running?

Currently v3.0.0.519. When I went through the steps to reproduce just now, I could replicate the second issue (showing the populated group with an “Empty” label) but not the first (disordered Devices list). Closing and re-launching the app once again dismissed the “Empty” Group label.

This morning I see a production update available for v3.0.5.558 that I haven’t yet installed. I’ll try to reproduce the issues again at some point after installing that.

Thanks for the feedback!

[Seapup]

I’ll try to reproduce under beta 3.1.0.b535. When you say, “then backing out of the empty Group”, are you tapping the app’s back icon upper left or the Android back icon?

[Crease]

Good question. I tend to use Android’s back button at the bottom of the screen, but I’m seeing the behavior (again, today able to reproduce the second “Empty” label issue but not the first disordered list issue) when I use the app’s upper-left back button, as well.

[Seapup]

Using beta 3.1.0.b535 under Android 14, I created a cam group, gave it a name, added 3 cams. Backed out and verified cam group was functionally as expected. Removed 2 cams and verified. Removed last cam and verified empty group. No issue with empty group, group name and device list order. Added 3 cams back to group and verified. Everything checked out ok.

[Crease]

Maybe it’s an issue with a Group that pre-dates the v3.0 app? I just responded to the open ticket I have on these issues, and one of the Wyze Wizard’s suggestions was to “Recreate the Group”, so I’m wondering now if this won’t be seen on newly-created groups going forward. I’ll muck around with it some after I’ve updated to the new production app and rebooted the phone.

I appreciate your detailed testing.

[Seapup]

No problem. I’ll create a group from a different device running 2.50.x. Then run the test on that group under beta 3.1.0.b535. Back in a few minutes…

Update: Found no issues running the same steps as previous test.

[GabboCH]

I also have android v14 & 4 groups from the previous app which haven’t changed.

I have no issues with the order or naming it while creating new groups as you mentioned.

[GabboCH]

If you remove all your cameras from the favourites list or add them inside groups then the live stream doesn’t start when you open the app.

You can use the devices tab similarly to the old app to display a list of cameras without starting the live stream, however, currently you don’t get a thumbnail from the last live stream event, just an icon and the cameras name.

[Crease]

@GabboCH

I have no issues with the order or naming it while creating new groups as you mentioned.

Just to clarify the issue I’m experiencing, it’s not with “naming” Groups; it’s that the app labels a group as “Empty” even after I’ve added a Device to it until I close and re-launch the app.

As I told the Wyze Wizard when I updated my Support ticket, this kind of seems like the opposite of the behavior I previously described with the “Cameras as Chime” feature for Video Doorbell v2, where the app was indicating that I had a camera selected for use as a chime even after I had deselected all cameras.

@Seapup

I’ll create a group from a different device running 2.50.x.

You’re still creating a new group, though, which makes me wonder if this issue is affecting only groups that existed prior to the v3.0 app release.

It’s not a major issue, and I wouldn’t spend a lot of time on it, though I appreciate that others are trying to replicate it. (Maybe it’s just me!) I wanted to document it because I don’t think it’s the expected behavior, but there are certainly higher-priority issues with the app that should be addressed.

[Seapup]

No problem… I’ll test against an old existing 2.x group under beta 3.1.0.b535. Back in a few minutes…

Update: Found no issues/I can’t reproduce under beta 3.1.0.b535

[tmanch]

No thumbnail and no on/off option. Only in Fav you can turn off/on at least for cams. I have 4 cams in a group and I don’t want to group the other 7 cams which makes this app suck. I want immediate and full access to a cam w/o pressing twice. Seems like the LIKERS want to conform to Wyze’s ways when it should it be the consumer dictate the method of access. Previous version was so perfect for me. I had my 4 cam group and arranged my devices the way I wanted.

[peepeep]

@peepeep

They should put v2.5 app on TestFlight so iOS users can roll back because it will take several months for them to implement the above

Or at least disclose if it is:

Possible: We will consider it
Not possible: Apple prohibits us from doing it
Not happening: Possible, but not practical: We won’t be doing it

?

I thought I saw someone mention yesterday or so that you can restore backed-up apps from your Apple iCloud thing. Probably not or doesn’t apply here or would’ve been suggested and employed by all since years ago.

[Crease]

I actually kind of like @p2788deal’s suggestion:

@Crease

@p2788deal

Maybe Wyze should rename and publish the old app so the 2 versions can exist on the same phone.

Wyze Classic?

Maintaining a v2.5x fork isn’t likely to be a sustainable practice with Wyze’s resources, and eventually that version would have to be completely retired to account for security patches and compatibility with back-end changes, but I can understand an argument for giving users a time-limited choice to revert when it seems like v3.0 has completely broken some things for them, and there are certainly examples of companies providing something like a “sunset release” of a product that won’t be updated going forward because of OS compatibility or other constraints.

[peepeep]

I’m thinking more simplistically that people backup their phones to the iCloud and then could either restore the whole phone to a previous state or restore individual apps of an earlier version they would prefer.

Mostly wanted to reassert that Wyze:

@peepeep

At least disclose if it is:

Possible: We will consider it
Not possible: Apple prohibits us from doing it
Not happening: Possible, but not practical: We won’t be doing it

[Resist]

I noticed that the issue where you can zoom in farther in landscape mode versus portrait mode, still exists. Is that ever going to addressed?

[peepeep]

@peepeep

How much is enough beta testing, best practices, specifically? And how far from that standard are they falling short, expressed as a percentage?

@kkw825

It is too bad that Wyze does not provide an official guideline on software rollback. v3 is totally unusable. I suspect if their engineers have tested the app properly before releasing it to the public. They should test the app in different real settings (not only in a lab environment with perfect networking conditions).

@kkw825

Beta and the actual release could be very different. It is almost impossible to ask volunteers to test every code commit before the actual release, and therefore a regression or bug could happen without being noticed.

A better way is that Wyze can monitor the key performance metrics of their app, like connection failures/latency, latency to retrieve live/recorded video, app response time, so that Wyze can detect regressions/bugs in an automatic fashion, and perform software rollback if a key performance metric regresses.

Wyze should also build such an automation to test their nightly builds, rather than solely relying on volunteer beta testing. Clearly, v3.0 is a failure because of multiple regressions found.

@peepeep

Does Wyze already have some automated testing utility for connectivity diagnosis/remediation in-house?

2019 OFFICIAL

@WyzeTao

We are working on updating the error messages to be more helpful. The scenarios are complicated. It is hard for us to be always accurate due to different network setup.

Wyze does have connection automation in house. They all passed before we release a new firmware. However the failures are mostly because of so many types of network setup (different ISPs, Telcos, router setup). That is the tricky part of the problem. If we have a consistent repro, we will be able to track down. Take the ‘LTE can’t connect’ as an example, most time it is one customer reporting issues → Wyze couldn’t repro → asked the customer (sometimes with a diagnostic tool)-> problem doesn’t show anymore or not enough info → fail to investigate.

 

[carverofchoice]

I don’t believe zoom difference is considered an issue, so, no, it won’t be fixed. If anything, they are likely to make landscape stop zooming in as far if we push them to make it match.

I say this because there have been instances in the past where some cameras were allowed to zoom in really far, and they fixed/changed it to not allow it to zoom in as far anymore. So the “fix” has historically been to make it zoom in less far, rather than the other way around, so I wouldn’t complain about that one too much or they’re likely to make it match the more limited zoom of portrait view since reducing the zoom is what they’ve basically always done and I would prefer that to not happen. I want MORE zooming. There have been plenty of times where I either save a video so I can zoom in using Google Photos instead, or I turn on the Magnification accessibility feature on my phone so I can zoom in more than what Wyze allows.

Unless you are talking about the issue where it doesn’t zoom at all on one of the models…yes that is being fixed.

[Resist]

I was talking about where you could zoom in much farther in landscape. But yeah I see your point and would rather they fixed other issues. Still, it doesn’t make sense or them to reduce the zoom capability, granted it’s all grainy at that point anyway but still.

[p2788deal]

Two words: regression testing.

At most system shops, they also practice “code reviews”. I understand Wyze is short-staffed but it costs more to fix the resulting bugs than doing code reviews.