ConnectedLife SmartDry discontinuation: Difference between revisions

Company '''ConnectedLife''' (formerly '''''Connected Life Labs''''') is an AI health companion app platform.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://connectedlife.io/about.html|title=About Connectedlife.|work=ConnectedLife|access-date=2025-09-26 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250927010345/https://connectedlife.io/about.html |archive-date=27 Sep 2025}}</ref> In '''June 2019''', they released a product to measure and transmit information from within your clothes dryer to a remote endpoint, so that you can know when your clothes are ''truly'' dry.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-13 |title=Meet SmartDry |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513101728/https://www.connectedlifelabs.com/ |access-date=2025-09-27 |work=ConnectedLifeLabs}}</ref> This company emailed users on '''2022-06-17''' that all devices would '''''no longer work''''' after '''2022-09-30'''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-30 |title=SmartDrys Useful Laundry Sensor To Be Cloud Bricked Next Month |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/08/smartdrys-useful-laundry-sensor-to-be-cloud-bricked-next-month/ |access-date=2025-09-27 |work=ArsTechnica |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260216032803/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/08/smartdrys-useful-laundry-sensor-to-be-cloud-bricked-next-month/ |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref> The community would later be able to create a alternative method to use the sensor's data using an ''ESP32'' module to allow use with Home Assistant.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-21 |title=Clothes Dryer Automations |url=https://community.home-assistant.io/t/clothes-dryer-automations/149017/83 |access-date=2025-09-27 |work=Home Assistant Community |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260216032829/https://community.home-assistant.io/t/clothes-dryer-automations/149017/83 |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref>

'''SmartDry''' was an iOT device originally sold by '''Connected Life Labs'''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-15 |title=This sensor turns any dryer into a smart dryer |url=https://www.reviewed.com/accessibility/features/smartdry-gen-2-review-sensor-makes-your-dryer-smart |access-date=2025-09-27 |work=Reviewed.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260216032851/https://www.reviewed.com/accessibility/features/smartdry-gen-2-review-sensor-makes-your-dryer-smart |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref> It was a sensor you would insert into your laundry clothes dryer and ''magnetically attach'' to the side of the drum.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-11-18 |title=How to make your dryer smart with SmartDry |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxTecbcgSgQ |access-date=2025-09-27 |work=YouTube |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=HxTecbcgSgQ |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref> While the device was in the dryer, it would transmit data to a USB dongle receiver which connected to your home Wifi.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-04-26 |title=Make any dryer smart: SmartDry Wireless Laundry Sensor Review |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx5Vvz_zDMc |access-date=2025-09-28 |website=YouTube |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=sx5Vvz_zDMc |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kleinman |first=Reed |date=2019-08-25 |title=25 Smart Home Automation Ideas – How To Set Everything Up |url=https://smarthomesolver.com/reviews/smart-home-automation-ideas/#8_Dryer_Alerts |access-date=2025-09-28 |website=Smart Home Solver |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250915003717/https://smarthomesolver.com/reviews/smart-home-automation-ideas/ |archive-date=15 Sep 2025}}</ref> This sensor data included information such as ''local temperature, humidity, motion, and battery'' within the dryer.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-28 |title=SmartDry Laundry Sensor |url=https://decoder.theengs.io/devices/SDLS.html |access-date=2025-09-27 |work=Theengs.io |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250626032223/https://decoder.theengs.io/devices/SDLS.html |archive-date=26 Jun 2025}}</ref> The app of the same name from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, would send your device a notification once the sensor determined your clothes were dry.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=Jan 17, 2020 |title=Make Your Dryer Smart (Make Over) - SmartDry Unboxing and Review |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwSyIR3h9Jg |access-date=2025-09-28 |website=YouTube |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=iwSyIR3h9Jg |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref> You also had the ability to connect it to your Amazon Alexa using the Alexa Skill.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2020-03-10 |title=Is the SmartDry Sensor worth your money? |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUTiIlJSmpo |access-date=2025-09-28 |website=YouTube |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=oUTiIlJSmpo |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-06-09 |title=How to Setup Smartdry smart home device |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7incK4E_dA |access-date=2025-09-28 |website=YouTube |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=G7incK4E_dA |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref>

==Discontinuation of SmartDry products==

In '''June 2022''', users registered to use the '''SmartDry''' service received an email alerting them that their products would only continue to work ''until the end of that coming September''. The company informed users that funding for their online services had been secured until '''2022-09-30''', after which point, all '''SmartDry''' sensors would no longer be able to connect to any cloud services. All integrations at that point required a cloud connection.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/haywirecoder/homebridge-smartdrylocal|title=Using SmartDry with Homebridge|work=Github|access-date=2025-09-27 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251205120903/https://github.com/haywirecoder/homebridge-smartdrylocal |archive-date=5 Dec 2025}}</ref>

Many users took to forums and threads to complain about their devices becoming useless.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-17 |title=SmartDry is Shutting Down. Ugh. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/homeautomation/comments/veof86/smartdry_is_shutting_down_ugh/ |access-date=2025-09-27 |work=Reddit |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220618220015/https://old.reddit.com/r/homeautomation/comments/veof86/smartdry_is_shutting_down_ugh/ |archive-date=18 Jun 2022}}</ref> Some users discusses that the sensors would most likely be using '''Bluetooth Low Energy''' ''_BLE'' to communicate with the '''Original Equipment Manufacturer''' ''_OEM'' WiFi adapter<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-18 |title=SmartDry by Connected Life Labs End of Life |url=https://community.home-assistant.io/t/smart-dry-by-connected-life-labs-end-of-life/432068 |access-date=2025-09-27 |work=Home Assistant Community |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250126060503/https://community.home-assistant.io/t/smart-dry-by-connected-life-labs-end-of-life/432068 |archive-date=26 Jan 2025}}</ref>, which originally transmit the data over the internet to '''Amazon Web Services''' ''_AWS'' servers, allowing connectivity such as the ''Amazon Alexa'' skill, and later ''Samsung SmartThings''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-10-01 |title=Dryer Monitor Device SmartDry |url=https://community.smartthings.com/t/dryer-monitor-device-smartdry/174180/13 |access-date=2025-09-28 |website=SmartThings Community |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260216032941/https://community.smartthings.com/t/dryer-monitor-device-smartdry/174180/13 |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref> and ''Google Home.''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-16 |title=Is it possible to make a dumb appliance smart |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/homeautomation/comments/swmqc9/comment/hxp27k3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button |access-date=2025-09-28 |website=Reddit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223035018/https://old.reddit.com/r/homeautomation/comments/swmqc9/is_it_possible_to_make_a_dumb_appliance_smart/hxp27k3/?utm_term=1&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_source=share&utm_content=share_button |archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref> A few users who were able to create a new receiver-controller using an '''''ESP32 System-on-a-Chip''' _SoC'', created guides and shared with others online to allow them to also reconnect this sensor using Home Assistant.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://robpickering.com/keeping-your-smartdry-dryer-sensor-operational/|title=Keeping Your SmartDry Sensor Operational|work=Rob Pickering|access-date=2025-09-27 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251212235851/https://robpickering.com/keeping-your-smartdry-dryer-sensor-operational/ |archive-date=12 Dec 2025}}</ref>