The New iOS 1.5.3 App is Here!

Several weeks ago, we reached out to the community to solicit pics of SmartThings devices in your homes. The response was really impressive, and as part of the new SmartThings iOS 1.5.3 app release that has just hit iTunes today, we’re showcasing your images!

Image-3iOS version 1.5.3 includes fixes for a lot of minor performance issues (full list below) and two cool new features:

1) The ability to expand and collapse each category in the Dashboard by tapping it

2) A new item called “Customer Pics” in the left-hand menu that highlights your SmartThings images. In an effort to make the getting-started experience as simple as possible for everyone, we hope that by showing how SmartThings customers have mounted and installed devices in their homes, it will inspire brand-new users to start monitoring and controlling their smart homes easily and quickly!

Here’s the full list of what’s new and good:

• Feature: “Customer pics” menu option in the left menu

• Feature: Tap a Dashboard module header to expand and collapse it

• Fix: Hello, Home scrolling when new content comes in

• Fix: Upgrading Hub Firmware getting stuck in ‘Downloading’ when hub goes offline

• Fix: Device value tile layout issue in device tiles

• Fix: Returning to SmartApp description after canceling install

• Fix: Retina images for device icons

• Fix: Explore SmartApps categories showing the wrong images

• Fix: Blurred background image flashing

• Fix: Various performance improvements to improve user experience

• Fix: Various other bug fixes and crashes

Category:
SmartThings Updates
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Join the conversation! 18 Comments

  1. At this point in time, you should be releasing both Android and iPhone updates simultaneously.

    Reply
    • I am curious as to why people think this is the case? I understand the frustration of not having the latest features, but here are the realities: we are still a small company, we learn from creating, releasing, and getting feedback, with one platform leading we are able to learn once and apply twice. It would be far less efficient (and slow for all) if we went thru these processes in parallel. Eventually, as the apps will mature and they will diverge and take on the strengths of each platform. Android will get features that are not present in iOS for example.

      Reply
      • Mainly because Android users have felt like second-class citizens in the ST universe since inception.

        You make a good point about not doing the growing pains twice.

        So how about pausing iPhone development and finally catching up Android to achieve the parity we’ve been promised forever. Then let Android be your testbed for a year while lagging iPhone?

        Then every year, swap them around.

        Fair?

        Reply
        • While that is a good suggestion, we have different teams doing Android and iOS development. And while they could certainly be refocused on the other technology – that too is not efficient. We could point them onto an iPad version but then we would just hear the cries of injustice about there not being a dedicated Android tablet app. And the cycle repeats.

          There is also the reality that it is faster to develop for iOS because it is essentially just for one device and there has been no branching of the operating system. Android is a lot more fragmented, that slows design, feature development, and testing.

          We’ll be interested in your feedback on the beta. If all goes well that will be released soon (and you didn’t just get in due to being vocal :). There are just a lot of people in the queue.

          Reply
          • Thanks for your reply to my similar comment elsewhere. I applied to the beta, but only yesterday so I’m sure it will be a while. How long do you anticipate the beta lasting? Ingo’s right that Android users feel like second-class citizens, despite having a more open platform and a greater market share than iOS. I agree that there needs to be a way that they can be developed simultaneously. While there will be growing pains being experienced in both, but there would also be a knowledge sharing element that will be gained by learnings gained from developing the same functionality on different platforms that may end up making both versions superior. I just honestly think it’s shortsighted to neglect Android, especially in light of its often “geekier” following.

          • This idea that we are neglecting Android is false. We have had just as many developers developing for that platform. Just because there is not yet feature parity doesn’t mean it is not getting attention. For our market there are more iOS users. That is why we led with it. I don’t know what more to say.

  2. Another iOS update an yet the Android app hasn’t been updated yet?

    Reply
    • We’ve been testing the brand-new Android app with a closed group of beta testers for the past month. The pool has grown each week, we’ve gotten a lot of valuable feedback from the community, and we expect to release it to all users in the upcoming weeks.

      Reply
      • How can we join the beta group for Android?

        Reply
        • Hey, Allison —
          To join either the iOS or Android beta group and get a first test-drive on new and exciting things on our product roadmap, just fill out this form: http://smartthings.com/betatest/

          Since the major Android update is a closed beta test, we’re selecting members within our Android beta group to get first access to this.

          Hope that helps.

          Reply
          • Thanks!

          • Good luck with that, @allisonfitzpatrick:disqus . I’ve been on the beta request list since May 2013. I finally got my invitation 10 minutes ago, today, probably because I’ve had to become more and more vocal in my complaints…

            Hopefully it won’t take 9 months for you to be approved.

      • I tried joining beta and haven’t heard anything in weeks

        Reply
        • If you really want on the beta just complain. I did for about 4 days in a row and they finally sent me the beta. That was about a month ago.

          I have to say that the only difference is the dashboard and the view of the apps. It is nothing special so don’t feel too bad.

          Reply
  3. I am still a little disappointed that there is still no change to the way we change the temperature in the thermostat tile. I requested for the slider to be change to a button, and I would love to see that in the next release; as it’s easier to change temperature more accurately by using a up and down button.

    Reply
  4. I would also like to point out a bug that I found in this update in relate to the Customer Pics page.
    I notice when I click on any picture to possibly make it bigger, it turns black and nothing displays, so I can look at the picture but cannot make it bigger. I killed the app and relaunch it but I get the same issue.
    See screenshot below.

    Reply
  5. When can we expect a dedicated iPad app? 2x mode on iPad is a waste of screen real estate.

    Reply

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