User:FoulerTripod363/ User testing for mandatory paid subscription into Tado Smart Thermostat app

Tado rolled mandatory subscription for its phone application, pay-walling access to the Tado app . Pay-walling the free application locks away its core features like temperature control, smart schedule, and energy saving report. After user backlash the company rolled back their decision and claimed it was an internal experiment that rolled out never clarifying if the experiment is done.

Background

The image displays the original pricing of tado plans before the mandatory testing rolled

Tado (tado° GmbH) is a Munich based technology company that specializes in manufacturing home thermostats and air conditioning controls. In March 2025, Tado announced auto assist subscription. The app serves the critical role for the Tado products like controlling the temperature.

Tado Pay-Walling The Free Tier

Tado users reported on the Tado community website and Reddit that they are not allowed to use the app without paying the basic tier subscription fee loosing control of their device.

• 
  Tado App paywall denying access basic control control over the consumer's Tado devices without paying a subscription fee
• 
  Tado original community post complain over the new changes
• 
  Tado's app subscription live
• 
  Tado new subscription as seen in a reddit post

On Feb 2025, The Verge reported on the issue that users of the app started to receive notifications that Tado introduced a new tier to its user, that to continue using the Tado application users must subscribe to the Basic tier. Later the company clarified it is a "marketing test" reverting to the original subscription plan. After the immense backlash over the uncertainty whether the test is still continuing, or the fact that they were involuntarily involved in this test loosing access to their hardware Tado has completely shutdown the community page without an explanation and any link for the community page is automatically redirected to the support page.

Tado's response

Tado spokesperson Jason Collie has commented on the incident to The Verge with "As is typical in the industry, tado° is routinely doing marketing tests and research, and looks at customer feedback every day. Those involved in this test retained full access to the tado° App,".