OnSwitch for Philips Hue

I have had this app for around 5 years and have followed it’s journey and am aware of the owner Howie Cooperstein from Buzzhaus LLC and a bit of the history behind the app. As I have done my homework on your application and have stuck with it for 5 whole years, I hope at the very least that this feedback actually makes it’s way to the right person and if you could respectfully take all this review into account to make some big changes that would be appreciated, especially considering the time I have taken to write this review. I was a fully paid subscriber for at least 2 years in total. I will probably not subscribe again until big improvements are made, and here’s why. I will give you some fair praise where it is due first. When I first got this app around 5 years ago, I was impressed. The scenes were a good mixture of serious scenes like lightening. It had VFX elements like fading, pulsing or flashing, and some even had SFX playback. It offered better quality scenes than other apps at the time. But this is not the case anymore as it hasn’t been updated with any good VFX scenes for years, and mostly feels abandoned now in 2024. While this app started as some excellent home mood lighting like cool blue concentration lighting, or re-creating the skies and clouds, it has changed direction in a bad way and become a bit of a joke app aimed at children. I have seen it now advertised to include ‘party lighting’. Some scenes added to this app in the last few years are just borderline odd and weird - nobody would ever realistically use them apart from one time just messing around to test out what’s available. Like the cartoon classics category, nobody is ever going to use those scenes unless you are in the 0.01% of the global population working as a children’s party clown who just happens to have this app downloaded to a phone that for whatever reason is connected and able to access Philips hue bulbs in the strategically placed vicinity of children that would find a 2 second light scene entertaining. Perhaps the worlds richest kids club that have hue bulbs! According to the app description you had over 2.5 million downloads, so this app needs content relevant to the common persons everyday lighting needs. Please remember that owners of Hue bulbs and set ups will have spent a near fortune on the kit and won’t want childish short and useless scenes like this. Currently the content is extremely situational and will be very rarely (or almost never) used. For example e

You have to pay a yearly subscription in order to use the app. Not even a one off but yearly instead. No way!

Cancelled download. No app should be this big.

This is a great app and really takes my lights to the next level, just a shame that so much of it remains locked down - only to be unlocked with a subscription.

good app but no where enough content for £34 a year

Brilliant App, it’s the one I use all the time. I’m having a problem though sharing my subscription on Family Share on IOS. Apple says it’s an app developer issue.

I can’t find all of my lights :o(

Without a doubt the best Hue lighting app around.. worth every £... Minutes, Hours and many many Days of endless lighting options.. Could it be better? TBH I am struggling to find anything I would change or want... Keep up the GREAT job and always look forward to the new Lighting scenes..

The basic iPhone app plus one or two in app purchases does most of what I need easily and quickly. In app purchases are a mixed bag some a reasonable price/useful others pricey for what they are/gimmicky. Overall this is my main way to operate my lights by phone. Previously free basic scenes, or scenes I paid for before the app went subscription now keep asking me to unlock and subscribe not happy.

Amazing app! So much selection. Only thing i’ll request is that the sounds can be cast to google devices too, please.