Imagine if that fridge you acquire simply 5 years in the past instantly up and died—and never due to some technical glitch, however as a result of the producer intentionally reached out and deactivated it, completely. You’d be livid, proper? And you’d in all probability need a refund, too.
As wild as that situation sounds for a serious equipment like a fridge or a TV, it occurs extra typically than you’d assume within the sensible residence world. From the doomed Dropcam to the deserted Revolv sensible hub, there’s an extended, unhappy parade of sensible residence gadgets which have changed into paperweights.
We’ve compiled a listing of 12 notorious examples of killer sensible residence merchandise that—for one motive or one other—had been deserted by their producers.
These deactivated sensible residence devices have both principally or utterly ceased to operate. In some instances, the makers of those bricked gadgets supplied refunds, or a reduction on an upgraded or substitute product. But in different situations, clients had been left excessive and dry.
Read ‘em and weep.
12 stone-dead sensible residence devices
Amazon Echo Look
Launched: 2017
Original record worth: $200
Date deactivated: July 24, 2020
Amazon
It was a heady idea: an Alexa-powered sensible digicam that would scan your each day outfits and provide you with trend recommendation. Indeed, the Echo Look was one of many unique “look what Alexa can do!” gadgets, predating such out-there Alexa devices because the Echo Loop (Alexa on a hoop) and the Amazon Astro (Alexa on a robotic).
But the Echo Look by no means actually took off—partially, maybe, as a result of the Look’s digicam lacked a privateness shutter, a minus for a tool that’s supposed to sit down in your bed room dresser. In May 2020, Amazon introduced that the 3-year-old Look would go dark simply two months later.
Amazon did offer Echo Look owners a free Echo Show 5 in compensation, however nonetheless, the $90 sensible show didn’t precisely cowl the $200 asking worth for the dead-as-a-doornail trend digicam.
Amazon Echo Connect
Launched: 2017
Original record worth: $35
Date deactivated: February 29, 2024
Amazon
Landing proper across the similar time because the doomed Echo Look, the Echo Connect unlocked a killer Alexa characteristic: the flexibility to make telephone calls in your landline utilizing voice instructions. All you needed to do was plug your landline cable into the again of the Connect field, no extra charges required.
But as landlines gave method to cell telephones and Alexa gained the flexibility to put calls from cell phone numbers, the Echo Connect started to look more and more outdated, and some bad reviews didn’t help.
Still, Echo Connect customers had been caught off guard when, in February 2024, Amazon gave them just some weeks’ discover that the Connect would soon go dead. On the brilliant aspect, every Echo Connect proprietor obtained a $10 Amazon present card for his or her bother.
Revolv sensible residence hub
Launched: 2013
Original record worth: $299
Date deactivated: May 15, 2016
YouTube
One sensible hub to rule all of them? That was the concept behind Revolv, a fire engine-red gadget full of seven wi-fi radios that allowed you to manage sensible merchandise from completely different producers, all from a single app.
That was, on the time, a killer idea—so killer that Nest, which had itself just been acquired by Google, snapped up Revolv’s parent company in 2014 and promptly yanked the hub from retailer cabinets.
Initially, Nest promised to maintain present Revolv sensible hubs up and operating. But by early 2016, Revolv owners learned that their hubs would stop working entirely by May of the identical 12 months, leaving them caught with $300 paperweights whereas scrambling for alternate options.
Iris by Lowe’s Home Automation platform
Launched: 2012
Original record worth: $50 hub, $99 Security Pack (with varied contact and movement sensors, plus a keypad), $129 Automation Pack (contained Security Pack elements plus a sensible plug and button)
Date deactivated: March 31, 2019
Lowe’s
Lowe’s jumped into the sensible residence market early, going all-in with a hub (a second-generation hub landed in 2015 as a free improve for unique hub house owners) and quite a lot of sensors, safety cameras, smoke detectors, and different sensible elements.
But from the beginning, Lowe’s Iris platform was beset with problems, from a prolonged and bug-ridden setup course of to promised options that had been sluggish to materialize (equivalent to skilled residence monitoring), whereas assist for third-party sensible manufacturers arrived solely in dribs and drabs. Lowe’s ultimately rolled out a raft of welcome updates to deal with the prolonged record of buyer complaints, however the Iris platform by no means really recovered from its rocky launch.
By 2019, Lowe’s finally threw in the towel, asserting that its Iris merchandise would cease working by March 31 of that 12 months.
While Iris customers had been confronted with the prospect of rebuilding their sensible residence setups, Lowe’s no less than supplied to refund clients for any Iris merchandise that wouldn’t work on another platforms, whereas Samsung SmartIssues stepped as much as assist Iris customers migrate to its personal sensible platform.
Hive residence safety merchandise
Launched: 2017
Original record worth: Various
Date deactivated: September 1, 2023 (Hive Leak sensor), August 1, 2025 (all different Hive safety merchandise)
Amazon
UK-based Hive had large plans for the sensible residence again in 2017. Originally centered on sensible heating and thermostats, the model was poised to branch out into home security with the Hive HomeShield alarm and the Hive View indoor and outdoor cameras (pictured above), whereas the Hive Leak Sensor would maintain its wireless-enabled feelers out for water leaks.
But by 2019, Hive started dialing down its sensible residence ambitions, first withdrawing from the U.S. and Canadian markets (Hive gave instructions to users in North America on how to dispose of its useless smart gadgets on a assist web page) after which asserting it might exit the home security market altogether, with its portfolio of digicam and safety gadgets slated to go useless by August 1, 2025. (The Hive Leak misplaced assist and connectivity in 2023.) As for refunds, the options aren’t great.
Hive selected to cut the merchandise as a result of “as a smart technology brand in the middle of a climate crisis, we know our focus needs to change,” in line with an organization assertion.
Samsung SmartIssues first-generation Hub, ADT SmartIssues Home Security & Safety System, SmartIssues Link
Launched: 2014 (first-gen Hub), 2017 (ADT SmartIssues Home Security & Safety System), 2018 (Samsung Link)
Original record worth: $99 (hub), $550 and up (ADT SmartIssues Home Security kits), $40 (SmartIssues Link)
Date deactivated: June 20, 2021
Jared Newman / Foundry
One of the most important and most stalwart of sensible residence manufacturers, Samsung SmartIssues has nonetheless seen match to show a few of its older merchandise into paperweights.
Back in 2021, Samsung pulled support for the original SmartThings Hub from 2014—not an enormous shock, on condition that the hub was seven years previous on the time. Still, as a result of compatibility points, first-generation Hub house owners had been confronted with the prospect of recreating their sensible residence setups from scratch.
More vexing was the choice to axe the much newer Samsung Link (a dongle that allowed the Nvidia Shield to carry out double responsibility as a SmartIssues hub, pictured above) and the pricey ADT SmartThings Home Security system, which had been (respectively) solely three and 4 years previous.
Samsung and associate ADT supplied house owners of their useless merchandise a mixture of refunds and reductions on newer {hardware}, and the SmartIssues ecosystem itself lives on, centered across the SmartThings Station, Aeotec’s Smart Home Hub, and Smart Home Hub 2 (simply introduced at IFA in September) .
Phillips Hue Bridge (first-generation)
Launched: 2012
Original record worth: Included in a $199 Hue starter package
Date deactivated: April 2022
Signify
Signify-owned Philips Hue first started promoting its industry-leading sensible lights manner again in 2012, and the primary Hue Bridge (pictured above on the fitting, with a giant pink slash by means of it) got here bundled with three Hue bulbs.
Hue discontinued the unique Bridge in 2015 in favor of an upgraded (and now sq.) mannequin with extra sturdy processing energy and Apple HomeEquipment assist, however continued to maintain the older Bridge working with frequent software program updates.
By 2020, nevertheless, Philips Hue introduced that first-gen Bridge “no longer has the resources to guarantee the evolution of the Hue system.”
While house owners of the outdated Bridge may nonetheless use it domestically with the Hue app (so strictly talking, it’s not stone useless), the device lost all online services after April 2020, together with out-of-home management and voice instructions.
Leeo Smart Alert Nightlight
Launched: 2014
Original record worth: $99
Date deactivated: Late 2019
Best Buy
Released again in 2014, the Leeo Smart Alert Nightlight was a easy linked gadget that would hear for smoke, carbon dioxide, and water leak detectors going off. Doubling as an evening gentle, the Leeo Smart Alert may warn you through cellular alert if it heard any residence alarms blaring—and better of all, the month-to-month service cost was zip, a rarity within the sensible residence world.
Sadly, the no-cost service (which means no recurring earnings for Leeo) could have sealed the destiny of the Smart Alert Nightlight. After notifying clients in August 2019 that it was dealing with uneven monetary waters (the corporate stated it explored the potential for imposing month-to-month charges, however by no means adopted by means of), Leeo announced two months later that it was “unable to keep the network on.”
Its web connection gone, the Smart Alert misplaced all its smarts, though it may nonetheless work as a nightlight. (The color-capable gentle turned white as soon as the community assist shut down).
Logitech Harmony common remotes (first-generation fashions)
Launched: Various dates
Original record worth: Various worth factors
Dave deactivated: March 2025
Amazon
Ever since 2021, when Logitech first introduced it might cease making Harmony remotes, customers knew their beloved gadgets had been dwelling on borrowed time.
While Harmony remotes had been by no means broadly widespread, they had been cherished by residence theater fans with a number of A/V gadgets to juggle. Rather than coping with a pile of remotes on their espresso tables, they may use a single Harmony distant to manage all their elements.
The strongest—and costly—Harmony remotes could possibly be programmed utilizing a web-based database of tens of hundreds of residence theater merchandise, whereas a Harmony desktop utility allowed you to arrange elaborate automations that may energy up your TV, your A/V receiver, and different elements in the fitting order, and with the right inputs chosen.
When it first introduced it was discontinuing the Harmony line, Logitech (which acquired the Harmony model in 2004) promised to maintain the Harmony servers up and operating for “as long as customers are using [them].”
To date, Harmony’s servers are nonetheless operating, however Logitech did go ahead and cut support for two dozen of its first-generation Harmony remotes, together with the Harmony 670, 720, 880 and 880 Pro, 1100i, and the Harmony for Xbox 360, whereas additionally killing off the legacy desktop app that these older remotes relied on. (Newer Harmony remotes that work with the MyHarmony web site and Harmony cellular app are nonetheless purposeful.)
With their assist minimize off, older Harmony remotes can’t be reprogrammed anymore, nor can customers add new gadgets to them or configure new automations. The remotes will nonetheless work with their final programmed configurations, however with out on-line Harmony assist, their smarts are successfully gone.
Nest Learning Thermostats (first and second generations)
Launched: 2011 (first era), 2012 (second era)
Original record worth: $250
Date deactivated: October 25, 2025
Walmart
The 2011 arrival of the primary Nest Learning Thermostat arguably kicked off the sensible residence period—and certainly, should you requested a random individual on the road again then to call a sensible gadget, the Nest thermostat would in all probability be the one they’d say.
There have been a number of iterations of the Nest thermostat through the years, together with new and improved Nest Learning Thermostat variations (the fourth era is the latest), together with a few budget-priced variations: the Nest Thermostat E from 2017, and the plain-old Nest Thermostat in 2020. Through all of it, loads of loyal Nest customers stored utilizing their older Nest thermostats—why repair what ain’t broke, proper?
But in April 2025, Google delivered a hammer blow, asserting that it might drop assist for the first- and second-generation Nest Learning Thermostats on October 25, 2025. Not solely would the gadgets cease getting software program updates, they might additionally not connect with the Google Home app, nor would they be controllable remotely or by Google Assistant.
The two oldest Nest Learning Thermostats gained’t go utterly useless on October 25, 2025; you’ll nonetheless be capable of alter the temperature, mode, schedules, and different settings manually on the gadget itself, simply as you’ll on another dumb thermostat. But as soon as Google cuts off assist for the gadgets, the very high quality that made these growing older Nest thermostats so particular—their smarts—will vanish.
It’s not all unhealthy information for house owners of the first- and second-gen Nest Learning Thermostats, nevertheless; Google has stated it supply these customers $130 off the acquisition of a fourth-generation Nest Learning Thermostat (which is presently promoting for $280).
Dropcam HD and Dropcam Pro
Launched: 2012 (Dropcam HD), Dropcam Pro (2013)
Original record worth: $149 (Dropcam HD), $199 (Dropcam Pro)
Date deactivated: April 8, 2024
Amazon
Two of the unique sensible safety cameras, the Dropcam HD and Dropcam Pro revolutionized the DIY residence safety market with their good-looking designs, top-notch (for the time) video high quality, and reasonably priced worth tags.
None of this escaped the discover of Nest, which scooped up Dropcam in 2014, simply previous to Google’s acquisition of Nest.
Unlike what occurred with the Revolv sensible hub, Nest stored each Dropcam models operational for a decade earlier than finally cutting off online support for both models in early April, 2024. Nest even supplied the final remaining Dropcam customers a free Nest Cam, offered they had been Nest Aware subscribers.
Nest Secure
Launched: 2017
Original record worth: $499
Date deactivated: April 8, 2024
The Dropcam HD and Dropcam Pro weren’t the one merchandise that Nest reached out and killed on April 8, 2024. On the identical day, the Google-owned model additionally pulled the plug on Nest Secure, its DIY residence safety system.
Released in 2017, the Nest Secure bundle contains the central Nest Guard element, which affords an built-in keypad, siren, and movement sensor, plus two contact sensors and a pair of NFC-equipped Nest “Tags” that may arm or disarm the system with a faucet.
Nest Secure garnered some admiring notices for its enticing industrial design, in addition to the tight integration with Nest’s different sensible residence gadgets. But the hefty $500 price ticket for simply two contact sensors and an alarm was a serious turnoff, and Nest discontinued Secure in 2020…proper across the time that Google sunk $450 million in ADT.
As with the Dropcams, Nest Secure stopped working in April 2024, rendering its alarm and window/door sensors ineffective. That stated, Google did offer Nest Secure users a new ADT security system value as much as $485—both that or a $200 Google Store credit score.