Smart weather monitoring device vendor AcuRite has delayed plans to force users into a new companion app. AcuRite’s May 30 switch from My AcuRite to AcuRite NOW “raised serious questions and concerns among longtime users,” Jeff Bovee, AcuRite’s vice president of product development, told Ars Technica.
AcuRite, whose devices include weather stations, rain gauges and indoor thermometers, told customers that Close My AcuRite at the end of May. Device owners will need to use the AcuRite NOW iOS and Android app, which will launch in June 2025, to manage their gadgets.
Some long-time users lamented being forced into new software when the existing software worked well, even if it wasn’t better than the new software. Time Ars reported first In May, AcuRite’s AcuRite NOW lacked some of the features of My AcuRite, including the ability to rename multiple temperature sensors, report temperatures with incomplete ones, and an online dashboard option. Users also pointed out problems with uploading data to weather websites and poor layout of the space.
Speaking to Ars this week, AcuRite’s Bovee confirmed the delayed shutdown of My AcuRite. Before shutting down the app, AcuRite NOW is working to improve AcuRite’s “account setup, device activation, station connectivity, data visibility, app usability, notifications, and overall reliability of the connected experience.”
Bovee noted that “many customers” have noted the “shortcomings” of AcuRite NOW compared to My AcuRite.
Bovee previously told Ars Needed to switch from My AcuRite to AcuRite NOW. Last month, my AcuRite was “basically a cloud dashboard for a weather station,” and AcuRite NOW is designed to “be a broader, connected device platform.” The new app supports more devices including third-party smart gadgets and Tuya SmartLife IoT ecosystem.
