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Home Connect is the IoT Ecosystem brand for home appliances by the B/S/H Group which is the home of these appliance brands: Bosch, Siemens, Gaggenau, Neff’', Thermador, Constructa, Balay, Pitsos, Junker, Profilo.[1]
| Basic Information | |
|---|---|
| Release Year | |
| Product Type | Appliances |
| In Production | Yes |
| Official Website | |
Anti consumer practices
editProducts that are part of this service, such as home appliances (dishwashers, etc.), require the user to register with a BSH owned single-sign-on-provider and create a cloud account (see Forced account) to enable the Wi-Fi functionality.[2] After this you are allowed to disconnect the appliances from the cloud and use it offline with their app (no official local API provided) which bears the question of ownership of the device.
On 23th of March, 2025, Youtuber Jeff Geerling, under his second channel Level 2 Jeff, uploaded a video detailing his process of installing a new Bosch 500 Series dishwasher in his home, and only after installing it, realizing it requires access to his Wi-Fi and an account in the Bosch's Home Connect Cloud, with some basic features like Rinsing and Delayed Washing not functioning without internet access. He details how the device took several seconds to boot up, having touch controls that didn't work properly and not having buttons for basic controls. Looking into the manual, several options were marked with an asterisk, with small text on the bottom of the page indicating a "required account on the Home Connect Cloud". He further explains that since the service is free, he anticipates that Bosch is either going to require a subscription fee in the future or shut the service down when it is no longer viable for the manufacturer to maintain it.
The manufacturer claims this to be necessary for security and call the (only after registration available) offline option 'No Cloud mode.'[3] Primary function of the app is not controlling the device, but up-selling more B/S/H products, which can be discerned from that it takes two clicks upon opening the app to see the remaining time on the washing program, but immediately shows more purchasable products.
Links
editReferences
edit- ↑ B/S/H Group website (Archived)
- ↑ How to connect your Siemens washing machine to the Home Connect app (Archived)
- ↑ Hacking your dishwasher (or Cloudless Home-Connect Appliances), Trummel Hudson, trmm.net, Oct.2022 (Archived)