The Neato cloud server needed to keep the shuttered company’s robot vacuum cleaners running is being closed down three years earlier than promised, turning the smart devices into dumb ones.
The parent company had initially promised that the MyNeato app would continue working until 2028, but has now backtracked on this and is ceasing support before the end of this year. It’s a further reminder of the importance of sticking to smart products with either HomeKit or Matter support …
Smart products bricked or turned into dumb ones
Sadly, there’s nothing new about a company failure resulting in smart products being completely bricked or, at best turned into dumb ones.
Many apps require access to a server, so when a company goes bust or otherwise ceases operations and the server goes offline, the smart functionality can be lost. In the worst of cases, a product can be rendered completely unusable.
We first highlighted this issue back in 2023 when e-bike company VanMoof went bust, leaving customers facing the prospect of being unable to even unlock their bikes.
While unlocking is activated by Bluetooth when your phone comes into range of the bike, it relies on a rolling key code – and that function in turn relies on access to a VanMoof server. If the company goes bust, then no server, no key code generation, no unlock.
Fortunately, in that case a third-party company stepped in with a solution and the company was subsequently rescued.
It was a similar story last year with smart home company Brilliant.
If the company’s servers go offline, then Brilliant light switches will continue to operate, but you won’t be able to edit existing scenes, create new ones, or add new devices. That would be a severe blow to customers who have paid a steep price for devices which were marketed as semi-pro kit, with each switch costing between $399 and $549.
Neato robovacs will only work manually
Neato Robotics closed in 2023, but the parent company promised that the MyNeato app would remain functional for a further five years. However, The Verge today reports that the company has emailed customers to renege on this promise.
Users are receiving emails notifying them that their Neato robovacs will no longer have access to cloud services, meaning they can’t be controlled through the robots’ MyNeato app anymore.
In an email obtained by The Verge, Neato Robotics explained the decision to users, stating, “Since Neato ceased operations in 2023, Vorwerk has continued maintaining the Neato cloud platform to honor the original five-year service promise. However, cybersecurity standards, compliance obligations, and regulations have advanced in ways that make it no longer possible to safely and sustainably operate these legacy systems.”
This means the only way to use the cleaners is manually pressing the start button, and it won’t be possible to edit the cleaning routines or select any options for selectively cleaning specific rooms or zones.
The importance of HomeKit or Matter support
As we’ve said previously, such events underline the importance of only buying smart home products that have either HomeKit or Matter support.
There’s no perfect solution, as some features may be exclusive to the company’s own app, or require access to the company’s server. But only buying devices which are either HomeKit or Matter compatible will at least ensure that they can’t be bricked if a company goes down. It will always be possible to maintain usage of at least core functionality – including editing and creating new scenes – through Apple’s Home app.
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