>50% traffic from 0.2% of the users is far too big of a discrepancy to just explain it away with powerusers. Customers too have to follow a fair level of usage.
> designed to discourage effective use (while maximizing data collection).
What valuable data can they collect, if nobody is using it?
What permissions does the app have? If it has location data so it can open/close the garage door based on proximity, it can probably collect your location whenever the phone is on and that can be sold to data brokers. That's just an example. There is potentially a trove of information the app could collect and sell and not just when the user has the app open.
Of course if the app is never installed it collects nothing. I wonder if the vendor requires the app to be installed for initial configuration.
And IAC, it would be preferable (to me) to have a device that works entirely locally.
"Location" (while using App) and "Notifications". So it can locate you when you trigger it, but it can't track you all the time.
They do support allowing their paid partners (eg, Amazon) to open your garage door for deliveries. I think this last part is where they get "value".
I was not aware of there being ads in it, but I just looked, and you are absolutely right, there is an ad at the top. It looks like its for their home security camera.
Based on my experience with the company, I would not purchase additional products from them. Not based on my desire to use home automation or homekit, just on the fact that the app is poor.
The garage door openers themselves, however, which have battery backup and which open quietly and with a gradual slowing near the finish, are pretty decent. Mainly I wish they had a better, faster app, as the garage door is the smart home thing I used most (followed by maybe Rachio).
It used to ask me to provide a rating every time I opened the app. I eventually added a negative rating because it kept asking even after I had answered "Do not ask me".
I just want to get local access to my openers.
Legit solution would be for the company to allow local access to the garage door to check the state without needing to go through their servers.
