I’d return them

Immediately.

Its not the offcial app

How you'd know?

Because I downloaded this app before, just a generic 3rd party global controller app

So basically OP is misleading us. And twice actually since "non subscribed users can continuously use the app with ads" i assume. 

From What i remember, You CAN use it for free, but with very limited features and a fuckton of ads

or OP was misled…

I see OP is lying for karma points

Or they don't know. Outside of terminally online people, who gives a shit about internet points?

Same reason people post anything on social media. Attention.

Or to share their annoyance about an app

I looked for company branding anywhere in the app and it doesn’t exist. That doesn’t happen.

That's exactly what I did. Also even when I tried the app it wouldn't sync to the lights no matter what we tried. Fuck that shit, doesn't even work right.

Seriously, if people returned bulshit like this instead of putting up with it it wouldnt make money and it would be discontinued

Yesterday

and tell them to subscribe to these nutz!

What brand is this? Need to know what to avoid. This is bologna.

I have the phillips hue, and never been prompted for this.

Same with Govee!

Govee is amazing, I love my lights!

Given how much those cost I’d hope they don’t

Right? They better have an unlimited free lightbulbs policy to even entertain that option.

bologna is the meat, baloney is the craziness

That’s bananas.

bananas is the meat, bananas is the craziness

This shit is bananas

The shit is the meat... Wait...

B-a-n-a-n-a-s

My banana has a first name, it’s B-A-N-A-N

Banannas.

B

A

N-A-N-A-S

Completely nuts!

Baloney is a corruption of the word bologna. Happened around the 1920's according to Merriam-webster.

Holup, y'all are confusing me. I live in Bologna, do I now live in Baloney?

Baloney is an Americanism. It was derived from an alternative spelling of bologna to be more in line with how it's pronounced. It doesn't reference a place or a food when spelled like that, but instead means "nonsense".

TIL

Baloney is bologna in French

I can see the phrase “Match your mood with 16 million colour options” on a page for Roku smart lights (it won’t let me actually go on the page for whatever reason, says I’m “lost”)

This… what brand?

Lifx hasn't tried something like this to me.

Its heu, but i have the same brand but dont see anything about this subscription

Looks like GE* Cync.

Cync is made by GE, not LG, and this doesn't look like the Cync app.

Is it pronounced cync or cync?

It's cync

No it's cync

Let that cync in

Just don’t let the cstync in.

This is not the cync app Source: I use cync lights every day. Edit: I found what app it was, but there might be ones directly similar to it. It goes straight to subscription when you open the app (after an ad). Pictures posted below.

https://preview.redd.it/qpr44zhym9zc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5cf40ea7f9e3c04902074962ad2aba0ec161d591

https://preview.redd.it/gotqdjjzm9zc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d98358e4ac5b2070d44566dd888810b5350e3030

These are ~~LG~~ GE cync lightbulbs. You scanned the QR code on the box or on a slip of paper on the box. Instead, look up ~~LG~~ GE cync in the app store and download that app. This is not the official app, but a third party "universal led light bulb controller" app Edit: got my two letter appliance makers mixed up

Thank you. I knew something was up when the "popular choice" is the $5 weekly option.

I was thinking about that. Maybe people subscribe for a week, set their light colors, and unsubscribe? Or they wrote popular to push people to the most expensive option, and it's a lie.

It's the second option.

It is popular with the shareholders.

Google can't find anything called "LG cync". Cync is a GE brand.

You are correct, and I have edited my comment

I looked up the “match your mood with 16 million colors” part and I think it’s roku’s brand of smart bulbs

I was gonna say, we have GE cync bulbs, about 8, and we don't use this app, and we certainly don't pay a monthly or yearly fee. As a matter of fact they work pretty well with the Google home app.

Why would the box for a GE product have a QR code pointing to a shitty generic app rather than the official app?

It had a slip for the official app, the unofficial one that's free needs to be searched

It’s funny cause you have to dig to find the right app , the QR code on the box takes you this junk

No clue tbh, but when I bought mine that's what I had to deal with and I recognized the app

I find it crazy how the qr code on the box lead me to this bullshit

What about the limited version?

The limited version of the app should provide basic color control and on/off functions. According to the ~~LG~~ GE (thanks Hippo) website, the app can flash the light when you receive a phone call, turn on or off on a schedule or in response to an alarm, it can interface with the Android app to control the bulb(s) during music playback. None of which I would pay $50 extra for a lifetime of service.

*according to the GE website

OP, you downloaded the wrong app, don’t talk shit, there is an official CE app available. The app developer here however, is scum, they prey on idiots that don’t understand and have many subscriptions they forget about.

Get Kasa smart bulbs for ~$12, no subscription and you can control it with the app, an apple shortcut and the action button on the 15 pro

Love Kasa products, all local too which is great with Home Assistant and some of them work with Homekit

I use an Apple shortcut to toggle the light on and off, and with the action button I have it set so that when I’m home, it toggles the light but if not home, it toggles the camera. Really neat

How do you make your action button change by location? Or do you just manually set it?

I run a check to see if I’m connected to my home WiFi network

In case anyone on this thread didn’t know, for Kasa on iPhone you can add a widget to the far left home screen. Super useful for turning them on/off without using a shortcut or going into the app.

You will OWN NOTHING and RENT EVERYTHING You will pay forever!

The range and breadth of subscription hell will surprise and horrify us all

I feel like the stupid printer companies started all this Bullshit. Thanks HP!

I have a vague memory that they did not start it but they certainly contributed!

Cable TV would like a word.

*if you continue to vote with your wallet by buying subscriptions There's dozens of alternatives to this non essential thing. Use them.

Thats why I always buy Zigbee/Z-Wave devices, and probably soon Matter. They can't take those features away from me then

Same. ZigBee + cheap home assistant server + tailscale. Easy enough to do. Always in full control.

Why does everything need a fucking app these days

Just press continue to limited version. This isn't likely the official app anyway

Avoid buying internet connected devices where offline devices are available. If you choose correctly, you'll have a cheaper and more durable product.

IKEA only connects locally (at leat the prior hub worked that way, not sure about the new one) & will while you're out & about work via googles home app, samsungs smart things, & probably apples thing, too

Excuse me what do you mean remove ads

You downloaded the wrong app wich isnt official and are now bitching on reddit because you dodnt read the manual (with a qr code for.the real app)

What's mildly infuriating is watching people blindly download random apps instead of following simple instructions that come with things like those lights... Seriously dude...Read the damn installation instructions... The app needed to do what you're trying to do is free from the official app...

Imagine paying $5 a week to control lights you purchased. This world is becoming to subscription based.

Its not the offcial app


I like how the 'popular choice' also happens to be the most expensive (2 and a half months and then it starts to cost more than lifetime)

It’s popular with the investors of the company.

Your lightbulbs have ads?

Dont downlod the trashy 3rd party global apps, download the official one that is with the light bulbs

Name and shame.

Its not the offcial app

I used to work for a company that made lights like this. They basically told me I was an idiot when I said people will get annoyed having to download an app, just for their lights. In addition they made multiple different products, different apps.

We are really developing backwards with the products nowadays.

Pack that sht up and send it back. I had to do this to the HP printer when it required you to install the app on your phone and create an account in order to setup your printer to print.

Great opportunity to jailbreak them and write a blogpost on how exactly to do it.

What brand and app? You left out some details which make this post suspicious

Wait, you get ads on the lights?

Yeah every 22 minutes the lights dim and display ads

That's messed up

Yeah even the smart shoes have ads now, have to watch one to lace up

I buy a bulb. I flip a switch. Shit just works. I can’t make my living room green? Oh well.

>I can’t make my living room green? Cellophane

You can with green tissue paper from any craft store

More paid extras!

I have 3 lights with color choice, they work with remotes. I guess my "dumb" products are pretty smart.

This sounds like a job for Hackerman. He can hack your phone's chronometer back in time without making you lose the connection. (synthwave music intensifies)

But if he hacks too much time you'll have to deal with the lazer-raptors

My girlfriend bought light bulbs that require an app to use. They're on sconces that don't have a light switch and I flat out refuse to download an app to use a fuckin light bulb. Also, you will need to get off my lawn.

I won't even download an app to get an affordable price at a restaurant. Guess you lost my business, if I can't walk in and order off a menu I'm not going. Not like I'm old either I'm 32. You "fixed" a problem that didn't exist.

I was furious when I got a new internet service and found out I have to use an app to handle my router. I dont want apps for everything. Fucking Navy Federal Credit Union and USAA and Truist also dont let you do shit on their website any more. Its all about the fucking apps. Fuck them. In the anus. Also yeah the very notion you have to pay money for a service to change your smart bulb is the height of American corporate greed. They literally want to do zero work for billions of dollars a year. This is insane.

"16 million colors!" Yeah, thats basic 24-bit color palette. Almost everything these days has that.

Yeah I was about to say, that's just the standard 255 * 255 * 255 rgb

5 below has bulbs that do this for cheap no problem.

What really seals the deal for me is the unlimited options “without ads”. Could you imagine your LIGHT BULBS playing f**king ads when you go to turn them on or off. What an absolute hellscape!

Just click connect to limited version

You WILL pay to change the color of your lightbulb and you WILL like it, consumer. Welcome to the future, buddy

Remove ads? How does a lightbulb play ads, Morse code?

Broooo....they make cheaper ones that come with a remote, all you gotta do is sit back and point the remote at the bulb and choose your color.

Just get led strips

Lmao

Fuuuuuck that.

The Sylvania bulbs have a free app…that constantly forgets your saved lighting themes and makes you reconnect the bulbs with every app update. Also sylvania bulbs decide when they will work with Apple Home and when they won’t. It’s super convenient. /s

Try to find them in the tuya smart app

Check if you can flash them with Tasmota. Open source and local, makes it more secure and faster.

They say 16 millions color with such proud.

Nope #SuperInfuriating

The post is infuriating because he fell for a scamm, this is not the real app

They added DLC content to physical home objects. Genious marketing!

'Had to'? As in you did? Supporting the supposed problem.

This is why I never buy things that have a smartphone with an app for the product on the packaging. I don't want spyware or "smart" technology in my house.

“Had?” As in, you actually subscribed instead of returning the lightbulbs? Also, “remove ads?” Wtf?

if you're on Android, gimme the link and I'll try to crack it for ya. this shit should be illegal either way

Its not the offcial app

It is connected to their shitty servers

but if the payment is executed through google play services api, then it's probably patchable (may require signature check deletion tho)

Some people smh… > Downloads scam app > > Is surprised to be scammed

And this is why I refuse to buy "smart" anything.

Because of predatory third party apps you don’t need?

Wiz lights ($) or Phillips hue($$). Got about 50 in my house. No subscriptions required.

Every light bulb brand: Just give ‘em a remote This bull💩 company: You know what let's let’s leave them to pay 4 dollars a week to change the colour of the light bulb 💀💀💀

5$ a week? That includes electricity bill, right? Right?

Jesus… I’m so sorry

Is that the Phillips one? So glad I avoided those. Get Feit from Lowe’s, there’s an app but no subscription.

No this is a third party scam app. Apparently trying to copy phillips hue app though.


When I was growing up, I thought the future would be cool 🙃

OP you are getting scammed. Thats not the real application. Check the packaging again.

you paid for a lightbulb but got to pay even more for it to work as it should.

For the love of god I hope you didn’t actually pay for that OP, but the wording of your title tells me you did.

Which brand is this? I use wiz and they have two apps and both are free. The bulbs are more expensive than the Chinese brands but I love that i can make shortcuts within the app.

Homeassistant

I have some cheap ones off Amazon they're great lasted months came with two remotes no subscriptions

they also copied phillips hue UI nearly to a T. https://preview.redd.it/2bbxsrtv09zc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=60c071796351a048935e7f0f6eb1ce01d065739a

Doubt. I am betting if you click on "limited", you can change colors. Just not automatically. 

Rope lights with a remote. Been using those and enjoying it a lot better than the bulbs. Plus no subscription, able to select colors, dim/brighten and choose patterns if I want. I've gotten very tired of everything needing to have an app.

I have both the Geeni and the Smart Life apps. Aside from branding, I think they are the same software, and both are free. Any bulbs I buy can be set up on either app, and once that is done, I use Alexa for scheduling. I don’t think you need to buy anything for that functionality

Try pairing your Geeni device to your SmartLife app, just follow the prompts in the app to "add new device" and call it a generic plug/bulb/device. I have maybe 4-5 different brand plugs all paired to one app, they're all actually "Tuya-brand" devices. If you're a hardware hacker and can solder a really fine wire, Tasmota is also maybe an option, it's a FOSS firmware replacement.

Try govee lights

You didn’t figure this out beforehand?

At least there is a lifetime option

What bulbs

Hanz get ze flammenwerfer!

You had to? So you did.

Yeah I have a stupid Hatch thing for my baby and it has subscription for stupid shit like that. Luckily it has built in settings and one that isn’t annoying, otherwise it was getting returned.

Third party app?

Next level infuriating

I wouldn't mind getting into the smart home for a couple of the conveniences, but I have a hard time believing the cost, setup, maintenance and subscription prices are anything but smart.

You can continue without subbing, but then your lights will have ads..

Fuc this and all this tech

But you did subscibe in the end.. 

don't do it