User testing for mandatory paid subscription into Tado Smart Thermostat app

Introduction

Tado manufactures smart thermostats, radiator valves, & heat pump controllers. In 2025, they announced a new policy requiring customers to pay a subscription fee to continue using the Tado app for basic heating controls. This change, set to take effect on February 19, 2025, introduces a €0.99/month (or £0.99/month) charge for "Basic" app access, while an "Auto-Assist" plan at €2.49/month (£2.49/month) offers additional automation features

tado thermostat app screenshot about increased cost and subscription fee

Before, users could access all of the core heating functions, including scheduling & per-room control, for free using the Tado app. Now the subscription model locks these features behind a paywall, with Tado citing "ongoing costs for servers, external data, and continuous feature improvement" as the justification for the fee.

Some users report that after clicking through the "fake" paywall, they are able to use the application.

Ownership rights eroded

• Ownership & Digital Access: Customers purchased Tado hardware under the assumption of free app access may now face unexpected costs, having to pay for features that were initially provided as part of the price of the product purchase. This raises concerns about post-purchase monetization.
• Usability & Functionality: Core features such as temperature scheduling & remote control are being announced as being paywalled, which reduces the thermostat's usefulness without an active subscription.
• Transparency & Fair Business Practices: Tado’s failure to clearly communicate this change in advance has led to accusations of 'bait-and-switch' tactics by affected users.

Customers have expressed frustration on forums and social media, with many stating that they would not have purchased Tado products had they known that basic functionality would eventually require a paid subscription. Some users have even considered legal action, arguing that retroactively charging for app access may constitute unfair business practices.

Product background

Tado is a European company specializing in smart home heating solutions, including smart thermostats, radiator valves, & heat pump controllers. The company’s products are made to provide energy-efficient home heating by allowing users to control their heating systems remotely via a phone app; as well as integrate with smart home platforms. The idea is to automate energy usage to reduce costs.

Purpose & core functionality

Tado’s smart heating systems were developed to:

• Provide remote heating control via Tado's app, allowing customers to adjust temperature settings from anywhere.
• Automate heating schedules to improve energy efficiency & reduce cost.
• Support smart home integration with Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, & Amazon Alexa for voice control.
• Adapt to dynamic energy pricing through features like Tado Balance, which schedules heating based on cheaper electricity rates during off-peak hours.
• Work with various heating systems, including gas boilers, heat pumps, and underfloor heating, using OpenTherm and relay-based control methods.

Marketing & key selling points

Tado marketed its products with strong emphasis on energy savings, user convenience, & smart automation. Key claims made by Tado include, but are not limited to:

• Use up to 31% less energy
• Easy self-installation with guided setup through the Tado app.
• Seamless integration with smart home ecosystems such as Google, Apple, & Alexa: "tado° X supports the universal smart home standard Matter and works with Google, Apple and Alexa. For standardised control throughout your smart home."
• Support for time-of-use tariffs, allowing users to optimize heating based on fluctuating electricity prices
• Initially, Tado presented its application as free to use for remotely changing temperatures, only placing more advanced features behind a paywall.

Introduction of Tado app fees

Before, customers could control their heating, set schedules, & adjust per-room temperatures through the Tado app at no cost. In early 2025, Tado announced a mandatory monthly fee for customers to use the Tado app. Starting from February 19, 2025, users must subscribe to one of two plans to continue using the Tado app for core heating controls:

• Basic Plan (€0.99/month or £0.99/month) – Provides access to the app with core thermostat controls.
• Auto-Assist Plan (€2.49/month or £2.49/month) – Includes additional automation features alongside app access.

Features removed, restricted, or altered

With the introduction of the mandatory subscription, the following features are now paywalled behind a recurring fee:

• Remote access and control of heating systems via the Tado app.
• Scheduling and per-room control, which were previously standard functions.
• System monitoring and manual adjustments, requiring a subscription for continued access.
• Smart integrations through Apple Home, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa are free, but these integrations offer limited functionality compared to the native app.

How the change was implemented

Tado introduced this change through an in-app notification, requiring users to subscribe before February 19, 2025 to keep the app working. The update was applied via a software change to the Tado ecosystem, with no prior hardware modifications or firmware updates needed. Customers reported seeing the subscription prompt within the Tado app and on the official Tado online store during the checkout process.

Tado initially referred to the subscription rollout as a "marketing test", but the notification was later confirmed to be an active policy change set for full implementation.

Mandatory nature of the change

Unlike Tado’s existing Auto-Assist and Balance subscriptions, which were previously optional for advanced energy-saving features, this new app access fee is required for all users, regardless of whether they use premium automation services.

Tado's justification

Tado justified locking previously free features behind subscriptions by citing increased server and maintenance costs, as well as the need for continuous feature improvements. The company’s notification to users stated:

“To cover our ongoing costs for servers, external data, and continuous feature improvement, we are introducing a small fee for app usage for all customers starting 19 February 2025.”

Many customers questioned why a fee was required for basic heating control when Tado had previously marketed its products as subscription-free at the time of purchase.

Tado's decision has led to a lot of customer backlash, with many customers saying they would've never bought Tado thermostats if they knew a core feature would later be locked behind a paywall.

Consumer impact

Existing customers have clicked to subscribe, only for some to realize that the subscription paywall was "fake" once they had entered all of their information.

• Tado forum admin claims that this is a marketing test.
• 
  tado thermostat app screenshot about increased cost and subscription fee
• 
  Lockout screen saying that customer access to the app has been locked out until they subscribe. This was posted by a tado customer in response to their forum admin claiming it was just a "Test"
• 
  Tado forum admin claims that this is a marketing test.
• 
  Tado forum admin claims this is a marketing test and reaffirms that this is only a test.
• 
  Customer says that his app had a notification that the app would become subscription only on February 19th, two days after the notification was received.
• 
  user on tado community forum confirms the paywall is fake, and asks whether or not this is a misappropriation of Apple's payment features
• 
  Forum admin triples down on this just being a "test" while not providing details

Tado turning free features into mandatory subscriptions affects both existing customers who purchased Tado products under the assumption of lifetime app access & new buyers who were not made aware of the requirement at the time of purchase.

Loss of functionality & additional costs

The primary impact on users if this were to be implemented would be the loss of free access to important thermostat controls, which were previously included with the purchase of Tado hardware. Consumers who do not subscribe to the new Basic Plan (€0.99/month) would no longer be able to:

• Remotely adjust their heating and cooling settings through the Tado app.
• Create & modify heating schedules for individual rooms.
• Manually override heating settings while away from home.
• Monitor system activity through the Tado app’s interface.

Without the app, users must rely on third-party smart home integrations (e.g., Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa), which offer limited functionality & do not support all the features previously available in the Tado app. This has led customers to say their devices are now considerably less useful or effectively obsolete unless they pay the monthly fee.

Also, the new recurring cost increases the total cost of ownership for Tado devices. While the company originally marketed its products as not requiring subscriptions for base feature sets, users who wish to retain full functionality must now pay an additional €11.88 per year, or €29.99 per year for premium features, leading some to argue that Tado misrepresented its pricing model at the time of purchase.

Company response

Tado’s response to the backlash surrounding its newly introduced mandatory app subscription has been inconsistent and evasive, with company representatives initially claiming that the change was a "marketing test", despite users receiving in-app notifications stating that the charge would take effect on February 19, 2025. This confused & frustrated customers who could not make heads or tails of Tado's policies or intentions.

Acknowledgment of Complaints

Tado initially downplayed user concerns, with company representatives in the official Tado Community forum insisting that the fee was part of a limited "marketing test" and that affected users would not actually be charged. This claim was contradicted by screenshots from customers showing that they were required to agree to the new subscription fee during the checkout process on Tado’s website.

Despite repeated user complaints and demands for clarification, Tado’s official responses remained vague:

• February 10, 2025 – A Tado administrator stated that the charge was "just a test" and that no one would be charged.
• February 17, 2025 – Another Tado representative acknowledged that negative feedback was widespread but did not confirm whether the fee would be permanently implemented.
• February 19, 2025 – Users reported being locked out of their Tado app unless they clicked a subscription confirmation page, supporting user complaints that the "test" was misleading & designed to gauge whether customers would accept the fee.

Technically, Tado was correct - this was a "test." The users who posted the demand for subscription & payment screen in response to it being a "Test" didn't realize the extent of the test, in that this was a fake payment screen created in order to see if customers would click through to pay for the subscription. Customers who had no intention of paying for the

Customers have criticized Tado for poor communication, arguing that the company deliberately created uncertainty to reduce backlash while still moving forward with the policy change.

Tado's Efforts to Remove Negative Trustpilot Reviews

As backlash grew over Tado's decision to implement mandatory subscriptions for app access, customers began leaving negative reviews on Trustpilot. Some users reported that Tado flagged their reviews as "defamatory" in an apparent attempt to remove criticism from public view.

Customer Reports of Flagged Reviews

Tado thermostat customers talked about their experience with Tado's "test" on reddit & social media, as well as leaving negative reviews for the company's products on trustpilot.com a, prominent review website. These reviews detailing Tado's shift to a subscription model. They were temporarily removed after being flagged by Tado for allegedly containing defamatory content. One customer reported:

“Tado has flagged my Trustpilot review as defamatory, despite it being an accurate representation of the truth. They really are testing my patience!”

Another affected customer described their review as follows:

“This was sold subscription-free. They have now locked loyal users like myself out of using the app unless they pay a subscription. This has been done in the midst of winter.”

These users expressed frustration that instead of addressing legitimate customer complaints about being part of a "test" to figure out if they'd pay more for the same thing, Tado appeared to be actively working to suppress negative feedback.

tado works to have customer review of their product removed for "defamatory content" after the customer factually recalls their issue with tado's business practice.

Trustpilot’s Response

Despite Tado's efforts, some customers successfully appealed their flagged reviews. Trustpilot reinstated certain reviews after determining that they did not contain defamatory content. Trustpilot’s response stated:

“Good news — we’ve assessed the content flagged by the business and determined that it’s not defamatory. Therefore, we’ve put your review back online.”

tado's work to have legitimate customer reviews removed from the internet has legitimized criticism that Tado prioritizes reputation management over taking accountability & responding to legitimate customer concerns regarding their subscription policy.

Actions taken by Tado

As of February 2025, Tado has not announced any refunds, trade-in offers, or compensation for affected users. The company has continued to insist that the subscription fee is under evaluation, but has not explicitly reversed or confirmed the policy.

Some users who contacted Tado’s customer support were advised that they could request a return and refund, but only if their devices were still within the retailer’s return period. There is no official refund policy for existing customers who purchased Tado systems before the fee was introduced.

In response to mounting criticism, Tado administrators have repeatedly stated that the company is monitoring feedback and that the decision is not final. However, many users remain skeptical, believing that Tado will eventually implement the fee permanently despite the initial pushback.

History of similar behavior

This isn't the first time Tado has faced backlash for trying to implement post-purchase monetization. In 2018, the company launched a paid "Auto-Assist" subscription, which locked previously free geofencing & automation features behind a paywall. Following customer complaints, Tado grandfathered in existing users by allowing them to keep their free access while charging new customers.

Many users think that Tado is following a similar bait-and-switch strategy with the new app subscription fee. They're testing customer resistance then gradually enforcing the change while exempting some existing users to minimize backlash. Some customers have even accused Tado of intentionally misleading consumers by not disclosing subscription plans at the time of purchase, leading to calls for regulatory action.

While Tado has not yet made a final decision, the company’s response has eroded trust among its user base, with many longtime customers stating that they plan to switch to competing smart thermostat brands that do not impose mandatory subscription fees.

Tado spokesperson's criticism of reporting

Rather than address customer issues or answer any of their questions, Tado criticized the manner within which the factual information on their practices were reported.

From The Verge,

Tado spokesperson Jason Collie initially declined to provide an attributable statement to The Verge, as is required by our background policy. After publication, Collie demanded that we issue a correction for writing that Tado would not comment and suggested that we could have cited an unattributed statement to him anyway. The statement is essentially the same as the one posted by a Tado forum account that we had already included in full in this story. “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,” Collie wrote.

The Verge asked Tado for a statement. The Verge did not receive a reply, so The Verge rightfully claimed that Jason Collie did not provide a statement to the Verge. Collie complained that The Verge did not attribute the statement that was already present in the forum to them, which was "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"

Tado Integration with Home Assistant

Tado smart thermostats can be used with Home Assistant, an open source home automation platform. However there's limitations depending on how you use it

Local control

Tado devices do not natively support local control without relying on cloud services. Some users have reported success using the HomeKit Controller integration to connect Tado thermostats locally, bypassing Tado's cloud infrastructure. This method requires setting up Home Assistant’s HomeKit Controller & pairing it with the thermostat, but this may result in loss of smart scheduling functionality. Also, users have experienced inconsistent responsiveness when blocking the thermostat's internet access.

Cloud-based API integration

The most common way to integrate Tado with Home Assistant is with its cloud-based API. This requires authenticating using my.tado.com, meaning that commands are sent and received via Tado's servers rather than a direct local connection. As a result:

• There is a delay of around 5 minutes when Home Assistant syncs changes from the Tado app.
• The cloud API is subject to outages or restrictions, & Tado has previously updated its authentication system, temporarily breaking Home Assistant integrations.
• If Tado turns its servers off, you lose your ability to use this integration.

Support for Matter & Tado X devices

Newer Tado X devices do not work with Home Assistant's traditional integration and instead require Matter compatibility. While Matter allows local control without a cloud connection, Home Assistant users have reported difficulties adding Tado X devices via the Matter integration. Some users have had success by resetting the thermostat and re-adding it, while others suspect hardware differences may affect compatibility.

Required hardware

• Using the cloud API does not require additional hardware.
• For local control, users need a Home Assistant instance with HomeKit Controller support.
• For Matter integration, a compatible Matter controller is required, and proper IPv6 network configuration may be necessary.

Tado integration with Home Assistant is functional, but limited. Cloud-based control is the easiest method, but those looking for a completely local solution that doesn't require connection to the internet will face challenges with new Tado X models. Users who knew these hoops would have to be jumped through to use the product without a subscription may have chosen other solutions that allow more seamless local access.

Broader implications

Tado’s decision to introduce a mandatory subscription for app access is part of a growing trend among technology companies that seek to monetize features that were previously included with product purchases, changing the terms of the sale after the sale. This is part of a broader move towards subscription-based access models, and away from having control over what you bought & paid for.

Tado’s introduction of an app paywall for important thermostat functions demonstrates the legitimate concern about digital ownership and the rights of consumers over their purchased devices. While customers physically own their thermostats, their ability to control them now depends on paying a recurring fee to access cloud-based services.

This shift blurs the line between ownership and rental models, as companies can:

• Restrict or remove essential functions post-purchase, holding users hostage to new policies.
• Make products dependent on cloud services, reducing long-term usability if the company shuts down servers or decides they want more money.
• Charge consumers indefinitely for continued access, creating uncertainty about the true cost of ownership for their products.

Tado’s actions contribute to the growing debate over "Right to Repair" and consumer protection against forced obsolescence. Similar concerns have been raised in other industries where companies use software locks to limit user control over their own hardware.

Legal and regulatory concerns

Tado’s move to monetize thermostat control raises concerns about the future of smart home technology:

• If left unregulated, more companies could follow suit, leading to a future where important device functions require neverending payments not disclosed at point of sale.
• Consumers may(hopefully) begin favoring local-control alternatives, such as devices that operate without cloud dependence!
• Increased regulatory scrutiny could lead to new laws requiring advertising transparency, so companies disclose future costs upfront before consumers make purchasing decisions.

Tado’s decision & the outcome of their decision can serve as an important case study in whether customers accept or reject corporate-controlled access to devices they own & whether these practices will be allowed, legally, to continue.