Don't Kill the Rachio Web App

yes, totally agree with those comments. I use both the web app and the phone app.

keep the web app
bigger is better and I prefer to use my iMac vs my iPad

I started this thread in May 2022 and have not see a response, or any additional information, from Rachio. I have seen in at least one other thread problems with the web app that are not being addressed in a timely manner.

It is possible that Rachio is struggling as a company and having to make tough choices with regards to their programming resources. If that is the case, then I would make the following suggestions based on feedback in this thread and others:

  1. Focus resources on the WEB interface instead of the mobile app.

  2. Re-orient the PHONE APP to do only those things that it is most used for by users. Quick updates to timing, manually checking zones, turning system on/off, etc. In other words, REDUCE the functionality to reduce programing resource requirements for the mobile app.

  3. Focus WEB programming resources on a limited, or SINGLE, browser. The big challenge with programming for the web is doing so for all the different browsers and their different versions and extensions. "We recommend and fully support " would be fine with me. I would suggest Chrome as it seems to be the most hardened and my personal favorite, but I would install another just for Rachio if that is what it takes to keep the web interface going strong.

I hope we can hear back from @drew_thayer or someone else at Rachio on this subject. I bought a new property and hope to be able to feel comfortable with buying another Rachio controller…

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Not sure how you equate their desire to sunset the web app as the company not doing well, but I find it hard to believe.

IoT, whether you like it or not, is an app based world. I think of the MANY IoT devices I have, and Rachio is one of the few holding on to it better than others (for now), but they are all very clunky in comparison to the apps, and are basically just an on screen version of the app.

If they retire the web interface, I would hope that it would be available for self-hosting purposes and the API most open, plus better integration with Google & other things. I know that is all rather unlikely.

Hey everyone, thanks for the passion!

We do not have any plans to enhance the webapp on our roadmap, but we are also not planning on winding it down.

As we release new products (looking at you 2023!) unfortunately it won’t support them, but should continue to work for the irrigation controller for the foreseeable future. There are a couple known issues that we have not fixed (i.e. some newer crop types are not supported) and do not have a timeframe to work on them.

Hope this helps address at least some short term questions around the webapp, here’s looking towards a great 2023!

:cheers:

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Does this mean the users here are in the minority when it comes to preferring the web app? Those in this community I would assume are among the most passionate supporters of Rachio products, but that does not mean we are in the majority…

PS: no plans to enhance the webapp = winding it down

Large programming of Rachio controllers (especially multiple) just got a whole lot harder… IMO

You keep getting my curiosity up @franz!!! Looking forward to the goodness and announcements.

We are not winding it down. The webapp will continue to run. There are no plans to enhance it, or wind it down.

We are announcing tomorrow at CES, stay tuned!

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If you have no plans to enhance it, and no time-table for fixes, you are winding it down by default. If not, I have some brand-new Windows95 install CDs I’d like to sell you…

Not being disrespectful. I truly love your product and recommend it to friends all the time. But losing the web interface- albeit slowly over time- takes away from a big reason I recommend it.

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Completely agree with everyone here. We need a functional web app in addition to the mobile app. It is so much easier to make changes to settings on a larger screen. I have a hard time recommending Rachio after running into quite a lot of issues after just a few weeks of testing. In addition, make the iPad OS app available to run on M1/M2 Mac Silicon. This should not be too difficult to accomplish.

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I don’t know, whether I am old-school, only, but the screen on my MacBook Pro is about 7× the size of my iPhone’s. My only iPad is an absolute mini. Therefore making edits to zone boundaries on my iPhone is very tedious. Being able to do it with greater precision on a browser screen would be a great improvement.

There is good reason for this being important, too. The Rachio system calculates watering parameters based on the square footage of individual zones. Positional errors from inaccurate zone boundary definitions can enter into the watering schedule with a square law.

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Not true at all. The area settings have nothing to do with watering adjustments calculated by Rachio. That information only goes to calculate an estimated water usage/savings. It takes the precipitation rate of the zone (inches per hour) and calculates it by the area, spitting out an arbitrary number that really doesn’t mean much, or do anything. Putting the area value at 0 will be no different than 1,000,000sq ft.

Thank you @tmcgahey for the clarification!

I just want to add my voice and support to keeping and improving the web app.

Although I’m a year late to this thread, I just wanted to express my concern as an almost 7+ year Rach.io user. Please keep the web app.

At an absolute minimum, do not deprecate the ability to download history. It is critical to my monthly water savings workflow and I can’t get that data anywhere else.

Hugely disappointing. Web app and (local) API were differentiators of Rachio products (had 3 homes with the irrigation controllers, and got caught with a bad assumption when I ordered 4 of the hose timers, expecting feature parity within the Web app and API access).

I hadn’t been active on here because things were just working; now I’m passionately advocating for a course correction from Rachio’s team – please heartily reconsider support the Web app and (local) API for multiple homes, and all your devices (including hose timers).

I am an active community member with a variety of smart home device manufacturers, and listening to customer feedback + bringing requested features to both consumers and professionals, is the number one driver of repeat business, and has a track record of even opening up new device categories that companies weren’t even considering, with higher margins… Food for thought, @franz / @dane / @chris .

@residualimages API access coming soon for the hose timer: API support for Smart Hose timer? - #53 by chris

No planned support for it through the web app yet.