Another day, another smart device bites the dust — or, in this case, a full lineup of smart home devices.
On Thursday, the consumer electronics company Belkin said it will end technical support for its older Wemo products as of January 31, 2026, and that the app used to control the devices will no longer be supported. The decision will impact a range of devices, including smart plugs, light switches, smart bulbs, baby monitors, kitchen appliances, heaters, air purifiers, motion sensors, and more.
In an email to customers, the outfit explained its decision, saying it needed to shift its focus elsewhere.
“This decision was not made lightly,” the email reads. “Over the last decade, since Belkin first launched Wemo in 2011, we’ve been committed to providing consumers with innovative, simple-to-use accessories for a seamless smart home experience. However, as technology evolves, we must focus our resources on different parts of the Belkin business.”
“We understand this change may disrupt your routines, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience,” the company added.
Belkin says that products still under warranty by the end-of-life date may be eligible for a partial refund and that its products configured for use with Apple’s HomeKit will continue to function even without Wemo’s cloud services and the Wemo app. The app will also no longer be supported after January 31, 2026, and any device features that rely on cloud connectivity, like remote access or voice integrations, will no longer work.
The company won’t offer technical support, firmware, software updates, or troubleshooting assistance after January 31, either.
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The move to terminate a line of smart home products leaves consumers without access to technology that has become integrated into their daily lives — this isn’t just a child’s toy going offline; it’s more essential. (Of course, toys going offline can be devastating, too. See, for example, the sad farewells for the robot companion Moxie.)
It’s becoming increasingly common for companies to simply end support for their older smart home products without any technical reason to do so. Instead, these moves allow companies — as Belkin alludes to — to refocus their efforts on more profitable areas of their businesses.
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