Hook - Home Automation

This makes a good budget solution for home automation. I've only had it one day now, but it was fairly easy to set up and I was pleasantly surprised to find beta Alexa integration. Not all of the light sockets I have respond to the toggle consistently with Alexa, but they don't with the remote either. Now I just need to figure out the IFTTT flow to create timers (there's currently a bug that doesn't properly get a hook on mobile, but does on a computer) and I'll be set.

Overall I like the app. Negative reviewers have valid complaints. The lack of timers is a downer and a lack of a widget is crazy. The menus do seem cumbersome and this is compounded by the lack of widgets support. Hopefully these complaints will be resolved by an update. At least that is what I am hoping for.

The app works, but does not make turning on or off devices a quick task. You have to open the app, switch to devices or groups view then find the device or group that you want to perform the action on. The application also hides the navigation bar on phones that use the soft navigation buttons. So you can't quickly toggle a device and then exit the app. You have to swipe up to show the navbar again before you can exit the app.

Don't waste your time. It's obvious whoever built this app never tested it. Connect to photon WiFi and select the name and hit connect and it attempts to connect. For an hour straight if you let it. Doesn't time out. No further setup/options to do anything more advanced or even attempt again without starting over. Gotta send it back. No way I'm wasting $50 on this.

The concept is great, the execution needs work. Perfect if you only use 1 set of Etekcity plugs, or are lucky enough to get different RF signals. I bought 2 sets of plugs, a year apart, that ended up having the same RF signal. I was assured by hook customer service they could get the 2nd set working by adjusting the signal on their end, but after several attempts to fix it, it's still an issue and communication has gone from great to barely getting a response. Ready to send it all back and go another route.

Terrible experience with this hub. Home automation should be a convenience and not a nightmare! Spend the extra money and buy something reliable without all the headaches.

It's very hard to connect to. Frustrating and wastes a lot of time trying to get it to connect. I'm about to throw my hook in the trash.

Wifi connect button simply does nothing. No message or anything. $50 down the drain.

Works pretty well, but I was never able to get IFTTT to work with it and it really needs to have widget support so you can turn stuff on/off without going into the app. Like Hue lights did.

Sign up says cryptic "parameter is missing" utterly broken!

Support seems to very quick to fix problems

Terrible. Defective Hook unit failed in less than 6 weeks. Support didn't offer replacement or fix. No response to emails. When it did work, was disappointing. Clunky app. Long delay from time you switch lights on or off in app until the switches respond.

Being able to turn on things on a phone is really useful so I don't need a bunch of remotes. I wish it would default the app to the toggles though, as that's where most users will spend their time.

This is an extremely poorly designed app. The one thing you want when you open your lightswitch is instant access to switch a light on or off. Not the case here! There's a couple of phases of multi-second loading, then you're presented with large buttons that don't turn your lights on and off. Next you tap either "My Devices" or "My Groups" - hopefully you don't need both. Now you're given a long scrolling list of your devices and those nice, big, easy-to-tap buttons are all gone. You have tiny on/off buttons in a sea of wasted blue. What you really want is to start at the "My Groups" screen and have easy to press on/off buttons for all your groups. Criminally this app completely lacks widget support so you can't add buttons directly to your home screen for common devices. I had to set up a web hook for my groups, hook up IFTTT, install the IFTTT app. Now to turn on my lights requires a bunch of web servers in between me and my socket. Additionally the app is broken. You can't edit groups. You have to create new ones to make changes. The device itself is ok, but the build quality is kind of low and my battery powered remotes have better range than the wall powered unit.

They did a great job and not only integrating the basics of RF technology but making the setup quite simple and the sharing of the setting simple as well. I have now automated everything in my house on etekcity switches! Cant wait for some timer and scripting options

Tested on two eteckcity sockets multiple times including resetting the sockets and the device within Hook app. It worked on one, but the other doesn't seem to work no matter which number I used on the remote.

Initially didn't work with Android 6.0.1. Developer fixed quickly. Good support!

Simple to set up and easy to use. Works with iftt and have a handful of etekcity switches controlling different lights throughout the house.

Just got my Hook, but found sadly that this only installs on my very old phone and tablet, but won't install on my x86 based tablets yet :( And those are what I bought for my home automation wall mounts, since they are in the $50 range :) Pleeeeeeease fix so I can use my awesome Hook :)

Just received my Hook. Taught in a few devices. Works well.

This thing will be Amazing!