VeraMobile for Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 -- How can we improve it?

Community Playground General Discussions
#1

As some of you already know (or you just found out for the first time), besides Android and iOS, customers can access their controllers using VeraMobile for Windows.

The app runs on both Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 (Tablet, PC and Mobile). You can grab it from here: [url=https://www.microsoft.com/p/veramobile/9nblggh1rl9l]https://www.microsoft.com/p/veramobile/9nblggh1rl9l[/url]

We, the Windows Platform Team, are always trying to improve the experience for Vera users. This is why we need your feedback. Did you encounter any problems? Do you have suggestions for improvements? Please write your comments bellow. Any feedback is welcome!

Thank you!

Best Regards,

Ionut Danila
Windows Platform Lead

#2

The Geofencing is not very reliable. It doesn’t seem to handle two phones as well as it used to. Otherwise, seems to work pretty well.

#3

I’d like to have a better support for custom plug-ins. Right now very popular plug-ins like multistring or wind/temperature sensors are ignored. Please support custom icons better.

Plus, I’d like to have native integration for notifications for doorbells and other sensors.

Overall I like it very much, pass my compliments to the dev team!

#4

Firstly I would like to say thank you for having a Windows 10 app. It is the reason I purchased Vera Plus.
I find the app a bit unreliable. I mainly use it on my Lumia 950XL (there are a few of us Windows Phone users left) I find that device statuses don’t update on resume sometimes and I am better off to restart the app so everything is nice and refreshed, so for me just continuing to work on stability and responsiveness would be great.
I plan on getting a new Surface tablet soon so my old one will be set up to have Vera on it pretty much all the time as a central hub for the home.

#5

I didn’t know VeraMobile for Windows. Now I tested it on my notebook (12,5’').

I do not see much difference to the Web-UI. So for me it seems more important to optimize the web UI - also for small monitors.
One advantage of the web-UI is the possibility to use lokal inhouse-connection.

#6

I also find that geofencing is not very reliable, but overall it works pretty well I like it, thank you to the development team.

#7

I don’t see much potential for improvement, comparing Windows and Android apps, the Windows is Ferrari while Android is Ford Fiesta at best.
So first thing - don’t break it please.
It can be improved in handling custom devices, like virtual ones (still better than android, but there is some room for improvement).
I like that the switching controllers is solved by drop-down menu on the top. Geofencing is sometimes an issue (way better than Android, though).
I like possibility to add device via app - I prefer to do it with desktop computer, but sometimes mobile app is more handy.
Scene builder could be extended (i.e. possibility to edit lua - I wouldn’t advise to code on mobile, but for minor improvements/changes in the code it would be handy, at least untill we have to rely on lua for more advanced scene logic)

#8

Nice little update for the app came through a couple of days ago. Thank you.

#9

I am hopeful to see how UI8 is going to look on the Windows 10 Mobile platform or PC. Assuming (hoping) this will be a UWP (or PWA). I can do basically all I need to from the app, only headache I have is when Geofencing acts up and starts switching me between home and away every few minutes.

#10

Thank you everyone for your feedback! Unfortunately, this post will come as a surprise for the Windows users.

Due to an internal decision of the new management, VeraMobile for Windows will be discontinued starting January 2019. The project was shut down and the Windows Platform Team was dissolved. This means that there will be no other updates starting January 1st.

We delivered in November one final release that contains most-requested features and also lots of fixes and improvements. This release is available only for Windows 10 (PC, Tablet and Mobile).

New Features:

[ul][li]A Dark Theme was added, it will automatically sync with the operating system theme settings (not UI8, but the Windows application is still the first to implement a dark theme);[/li]
[li]Support for Acrylic material was added (for Windows Fall Creators Update 10.0.16299.91, not available on Mobile);[/li]
[li]When a new alert is received on the Dashboard, a preview will be shown to inform the user;[/li]
[li]The user has now the option to filter camera recordings by date and type;[/li]
[li]The application will no longer redirect the user to “My Controllers” Page when the connection to the controller is lost (an alert will be displayed on the Status Bar);[/li]
[li]UX improvements for controllers on cellular (backup) network;[/li][/ul]

Fixes and Improvements:

[ul][li]Completely rewrite the Connection Engine to improve the startup and connection time;[/li]
[li]Multiple fixes and improvements for Scenes Management;[/li]
[li]Multiple fixes on the Onboarding process.[/li][/ul]

It has been more than 4 years since the first release of the BETA version. I started this project from passion for home automation and the application was always improved by the feedback from the community. This last post is our way of thanking you (the Vera-Windows users) for your help in making the VeraMobile for Windows one of the best home automation app on the market.

As MiOS-Ezlo moves forward into a new era of home automation, so are we (the Windows Platform Team).

Thank you!

Ionut DANILA
Former Windows Platform Lead
Former MiOS-Ezlo employee

#11

[quote=“ionut.danila, post:10, topic:199704”]Thank you everyone for your feedback! Unfortunately, this post will come as a surprise for the Windows users.

Due to an internal decision of the new management, VeraMobile for Windows will be discontinued starting January 2019. The project was shut down and the Windows Platform Team was dissolved. This means that there will be no other updates starting January 1st.

We delivered in November one final release that contains most-requested features and also lots of fixes and improvements. This release is available only for Windows 10 (PC, Tablet and Mobile).

New Features:

[ul][li]A Dark Theme was added, it will automatically sync with the operating system theme settings (not UI8, but the Windows application is still the first to implement a dark theme);[/li]
[li]Support for Acrylic material was added (for Windows Fall Creators Update 10.0.16299.91, not available on Mobile);[/li]
[li]When a new alert is received on the Dashboard, a preview will be shown to inform the user;[/li]
[li]The user has now the option to filter camera recordings by date and type;[/li]
[li]The application will no longer redirect the user to “My Controllers” Page when the connection to the controller is lost (an alert will be displayed on the Status Bar);[/li]
[li]UX improvements for controllers on cellular (backup) network;[/li][/ul]

Fixes and Improvements:

[ul][li]Completely rewrite the Connection Engine to improve the startup and connection time;[/li]
[li]Multiple fixes and improvements for Scenes Management;[/li]
[li]Multiple fixes on the Onboarding process.[/li][/ul]

It has been more than 4 years since the first release of the BETA version. I started this project from passion for home automation and the application was always improved by the feedback from the community. This last post is our way of thanking you (the Vera-Windows users) for your help in making the VeraMobile for Windows one of the best home automation app on the market.

As MiOS-Ezlo moves forward into a new era of home automation, so are we (the Windows Platform Team).

Thank you!

Ionut DANILA
Former Windows Platform Lead
Former MiOS-Ezlo employee[/quote]

While not a surprise. The mobile first concept being semi-insanely app based instead of mobile web or PWA based makes me wonder if I will even be able to manage my Vera unit going forward. I have a Windows 10 Gaming PC, Windows 10 Laptop, Windows 10 Tablet, and Windows 10 Mobile phone. Will I be able to manage my home going forward? I do not own apple products as they are annoying to use and over priced. That only leaves google as a Microsoft alternative and I do not like them spying on every key stroke I make (sadly not joking).

I primarily ask because now would be the time for me to change with all of the holiday sales going on. Vera is so unstable that it is a struggle now. I recently had multiple devices stop reporting in with no changes made to my system. The odd thing is my HEM stopped reporting but both of its claps are still up. Changes are being made behind the scenes to improve some aspects like the app management and I assume with the energy monitoring but it has caused multiple outages.

So to be clear? How willk I be able to manage my vera in UI8 from a Windows device?

#12

I have Windows 10 computers in my house including a Surface but only use a browser to monitor Vera. The Vera app never made sense to me.

#13

I agree from a computer, but with their new “Mobile First” design, will you be able to do?

#14

For my mobile needs, I use VeraMate. Rarely do I use their VeraMobile app on my iPhone.

#15

Great for you?!? I have absolutely no idea how that is relevant to the conversation. That in no way answers if you will be able to manage vera UI8 from a Windows device be it PC or Mobile. They are getting rid of the app for Windows. Moving to a mobile first configuration. Will you be able to manage the device from a web browser? That is not clear. Third party apps made for devices that are not Windows really has nothing to do with managing it from windows. Nor is there any evidence those third party apps will continue to work with the new UI.

#16

Disappointing but not surprising. The latest Windows app looks really nice though, its a shame.
I was going to use my old Surface tablet as a Vera controller in a central location in my home, I hope I can still use the website as I don’t have any devices but Windows ones.

#17

[quote=“ionut.danila, post:10, topic:199704”]Thank you everyone for your feedback! Unfortunately, this post will come as a surprise for the Windows users.

Due to an internal decision of the new management, VeraMobile for Windows will be discontinued starting January 2019. The project was shut down and the Windows Platform Team was dissolved. This means that there will be no other updates starting January 1st.

We delivered in November one final release that contains most-requested features and also lots of fixes and improvements. This release is available only for Windows 10 (PC, Tablet and Mobile).

New Features:

[ul][li]A Dark Theme was added, it will automatically sync with the operating system theme settings (not UI8, but the Windows application is still the first to implement a dark theme);[/li]
[li]Support for Acrylic material was added (for Windows Fall Creators Update 10.0.16299.91, not available on Mobile);[/li]
[li]When a new alert is received on the Dashboard, a preview will be shown to inform the user;[/li]
[li]The user has now the option to filter camera recordings by date and type;[/li]
[li]The application will no longer redirect the user to “My Controllers” Page when the connection to the controller is lost (an alert will be displayed on the Status Bar);[/li]
[li]UX improvements for controllers on cellular (backup) network;[/li][/ul]

Fixes and Improvements:

[ul][li]Completely rewrite the Connection Engine to improve the startup and connection time;[/li]
[li]Multiple fixes and improvements for Scenes Management;[/li]
[li]Multiple fixes on the Onboarding process.[/li][/ul]

It has been more than 4 years since the first release of the BETA version. I started this project from passion for home automation and the application was always improved by the feedback from the community. This last post is our way of thanking you (the Vera-Windows users) for your help in making the VeraMobile for Windows one of the best home automation app on the market.

As MiOS-Ezlo moves forward into a new era of home automation, so are we (the Windows Platform Team).

Thank you!

Ionut DANILA
Former Windows Platform Lead
Former MiOS-Ezlo employee[/quote]

No updates after January 1st should me updates until then, not one final one in November. What about all of the things which have broken with the backend changes in December? I can no longer stream camera video and Geofencing has basically been broken for weeks.

#18

Am I the last one still using VeraMobile™ for Windows 10? (Yes, it still works!)

Vera_Windows10_applet
Vera_Windows10_applet1920×1028 52.5 KB

I’m also wondering if it will get a much-needed facelift once the Android/iOS versions of VeraMobile™ exit beta?

EDIT: Oops, tl;dr OP … “That’s a hard NO!”