Belkin primarily waves goodbye to its Wemo good residence model

Should you’re a sensible residence person with Wemo good gadgets in your family, there’s unhealthy information: You’re gonna want some replacements quickly. 

Belkin, the tech producer behind the Wemo model, simply introduced that it’s ending help for the lion’s share of its good residence gadgets on January 31, 2026. 

A Belkin help web page ticks off greater than two dozen Wemo good gadgets that can go darkish subsequent 12 months, the whole lot from the Wemo Zigbee Bulb and Mini Good Plug to the Wemo Espresso Maker and the Wemo CrockPot (the latter two merchandise had been launched again in 2014). 

The few exceptions embody a quartet of Wemo gadgets that run on Thread, which can nonetheless work by way of Apple’s HomeKit platform past the shutoff date. These merchandise are the Wemo Good Mild Change 3-Approach, the Stage Good Scene Controller, the Good Plug with Thread, and the Good Video Doorbell Digital camera. (All the previous hyperlinks will take you to our evaluations of these merchandise.) Belkin introduced the information on its web site and in emails to its clients; 9to5Google was first to report on the transfer.

Belkin additionally says that any of its different HomeKit-compatible gadgets will nonetheless be usable on the Apple Residence app, supplied you set them up on HomeKit previous to January 31, 2026. 

However any different Wemo gadgets that rely on the Wemo Cloud Server will flip into paperweights, and Alexa and Google Assistant integrations shall be deactivated, too. Belkin additionally advises deleting the Wemo app after the shutdown date, as it can not obtain updates.

Belkin stated it could supply “partial” refunds for any affected Wemo gadgets which can be nonetheless beneath guarantee on or after January 31, 2026, however you gained’t be capable of apply for a refund till after that date. 

In an announcement, Belkin stated it “sincerely apologize[s] for the inconvenience” brought on by the approaching service shutdown: 

“After cautious consideration, we have now made the tough choice to finish technical help for older Wemo merchandise, efficient January 31, 2026. After this date, a number of Wemo merchandise will not be controllable by the Wemo app. Any options that depend on cloud connectivity, together with distant entry and voice assistant integrations, will not work.  

During the last decade, since Belkin first launched Wemo in 2011, we’ve been dedicated to offering shoppers with modern, simple-to-use equipment for a seamless good residence expertise. Nevertheless, as expertise evolves, we should focus our sources on totally different elements of the Belkin enterprise.”  

Belkin’s Wemo model has been a participant within the good residence house for greater than a decade, and it’s recognized primarily for its lighting controls: good bulbs, good switches, and good plugs. 

However following its 2018 acquisition by tech large Foxconn, Belkin seemed to be inching away from the good residence market, with the Wemo model releasing solely a handful of merchandise in recent times. 

Belkin additionally raised eyebrows again in 2023 when it introduced it was taking a “huge step again” from Matter, the brand new customary that guarantees to unite the large good residence ecosystems. 

This information story is a part of TechHive’s in-depth protection of the greatest good lighting, greatest good plugs, and greatest video doorbells.