# Lutron RadioRA 2 + HWQS App — user reviews

> 86 indexed App Store user reviews of Lutron RadioRA 2 + HWQS App by Lutron Electronics co., Inc., rated 2.30/5 from 169 ratings.

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lutron-radiora-2-plus-hwqs-app/id1046093347/reviews
- App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lutron-radiora-2-plus-hwqs-app/id1046093347.md
- Rating breakdown: 5★ 27 · 4★ 13 · 3★ 24 · 2★ 25 · 1★ 80

## What do users think of Lutron RadioRA 2 + HWQS App?

Overall sentiment: negative

**Pros**

- ✅ Hardware quality is excellent and reliable
- 🏠 Good HomeKit integration capabilities
- 📱 Works on iPhone when functioning properly
- ⚙️ Effective light control when app loads
- 🔌 Solid physical switch and device compatibility

**Cons**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and app freezes
- 🐌 Extremely slow to load (5+ minutes reported)
- ❌ Unintuitive and clunky user interface
- 🔧 Limited customization without dealer intervention
- 📱 Poor iPad compatibility and responsiveness
- 🔌 Inconsistent device state display and sync issues
- 💰 Expensive system with bare-bones app experience
- 🚫 Lacks basic scene and schedule creation features
- ⚠️ Frequent connection failures and retry loops
- 🎨 Outdated visual design (looks like 2012)
- 📲 Apple Watch app crashes and is unusable
- 🔐 Requires password re-entry on each app open
- ⏱️ No timeout handling for stuck 'adjusting' state
- 🖥️ iPad wastes 50% screen space with poor layout
- 🔄 App fails to recognize manually toggled switches

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App crashes on open (especially with iOS 13+, iPhone 11, iPhone X)
- App fails to load after returning to it
- Cannot discover or connect to bridge
- App becomes unresponsive and requires force close
- Adjusting state has no timeout, causing app to hang
- Lights show incorrect on/off status on app open
- Bottom rooms in scroll list unreachable
- Only one icon loads per room on iPad Pro 12
- Help button crashes the app
- HomeKit setup code entry screen flashes with error
- Schedule editing interface too small (two-line display)
- App requires reinstall to function after 2-3 weeks
- Connection failures with 'Retry' button requiring manual action
- App not optimized for iPhone 14 notch and newer screens
- Status updates very slow or incorrect with cloud sync
- Scheduled timers fail to execute (lights don't turn on/off)
- App incompatible with iOS 16 - light status always wrong
- iPad and iPhone versions have different functionality
- Remote access functionality broken or unavailable
- Vacation mode automatically triggers thermostat away mode

**Most requested features**

- One-click scene/mood creation (party lighting, dinner, etc.)
- Drag-and-drop reordering of favorites and schedules
- Direct schedule on/off toggle from summary page
- Ability to edit button names and icons without dealer
- PC/desktop software for advanced customization
- Toggle between 'press' and 'toggle' button types in app
- Fan control icon and HomeKit support
- Thermostat HomeKit support for TouchPro devices
- Native Apple Watch app (independent of phone)
- Dark mode and customizable color schemes
- Widget accessibility improvements
- Siri integration documentation
- Ring doorbell integration
- Better iPad layout optimization
- Haptic feedback on button presses
- Ability to hide always-on loads from 'Lights On' view
- More intuitive schedule and mode management
- Multi-column button layout for larger screens

## Newest reviews (16 of 86)

### 2/5 — 2 stars is pretty accurate

*2025-06-10, version 7.7.0*

Such an expensive system and the app is garbage. I’ve reset the app along with my phone on numerous issues with it not letting me click anything.  Horrible. Do not buy.

### 1/5 — Help does not help

*2024-10-24, version 7.6.15*

The “help” button in the lutron RADIO RA2 app crashed the app. I tried reinstalling and checked for updates. No help at all.

### 1/5 — Listen to your reviewers!!

*2024-10-02*

So many responses from many, many years ago and still no progress?? Since updating to the latest iOS there is no widget accessibility. In the year 2024??? 
As many of others have stated…for the amount of money it takes to install the Lutron systems, all you can give your customers is a lousy bare bones, non-customizable app …glitchy as all get out, and trips over itself CONSTANTLY. It sure seems that Lutron is more concerned about taking advantage of their consumer than providing the best home automation solution in the market.

### 2/5 — Please update app

*2024-09-18, version 7.6.14*

Please modernize the app

### 1/5 — App is horrible

*2023-07-21, version 7.6.14*

Lutron homeworks is a massively premium product. The app on the other hand looks like it was created by a 3rd grader in 2012. The watch aspect is absolutely an abomination, the phone app is barely passable.  You (developers but especially management) should hang your head in shame.  

Please spend roughly $36 and get this fixed.

### 1/5 — No iPhone 14 support after 6 months?

*2023-03-20*

I am disappointed with the Lutron app. It's been over six months since the iPhone 14 was released, and yet they haven't updated their app to fit the new screen size. The app looks terrible on my phone, and it's frustrating to use. I've reached out to customer support, but they haven't given a real answer.

### 1/5 — Technology trap

*2023-03-11*

As a homeowner I find myself at the mercy of Lutron’s dealer network. My first experience was brutal with a poorly programmed house and a dealer that was very slow to respond to requests, consistently failed to resolve issues and charged very highly.

As a controls engineer of 25 years I would like to have more access to make slight modifications myself. I had installed and programmed my RR2 system in my old house but found Lutron Homework’s system in the house when we bought.
Now we are trapped. I would remove the system because of the lack of access but the way it is wired I would have to rewire the entire house. This cuts me off and leaves me as easy meat for the Lutron dealer network.

If I had more access I may not feel this way. Lutron has some excellent products but their market stance on this issue makes me want to never use them again.

### 2/5 — Outdated

*2023-01-12, version 7.6.12*

After spending $$$$$ installing and programming this app needs a lot of work. Haven’t had a update or new look for a modern time

### 2/5 — Ageing app, not optimised for current screens & broken now too?

*2022-12-08*

Not optimised for newer iPhone screens. Doesn’t handle the iPhone 14 notch elegantly, nor has it ever taken full use of the width of recent iPhone screens because when viewing a two column button panel the app only ever shows one column of buttons at a time. Why??? Also, there is zero feedback (haptic would be nice) when a button is pressed, and due to the few seconds delay, you often aren’t sure if your button press worked, so you try again. 

Also, this could be a coincidence, but since iOS 16 launched, the status of my lights is never correct when first opening a room / light. Lights will show as off, even if they are on, having been turned on by a physical wall button. 

So not only had the software not progressed in years it is now going backwards. Not particularly impressed.

### 1/5 — Easily the worst app I have to use

*2022-10-22, version 7.6.12*

Poorly designed, unable to be modified unless by your licensed electrician at their rate, which means you’re paying an electrician’s rate to change names inside of a crappy iOS app.  Utter scam and the next electrician will be paid to remove Lutron entirely from my life.

### 1/5 — Dated App and Support Model

*2022-06-09*

First, my Radio RA hardware is bulletproof but this software experience after spending tens of thousands of dollars is so terrible i’m avoiding lutron all together for my vacation home for a number of reasons. 1. The app is dated, clunky and a pain to use. Fortunately i can control individual lights in my own scenes in homekit. Often times it feels like usability is restricted to protect installers. Which leads me to… 2. Nerfed product to please installers. I certainly understand the need to protect your installer base but that model is dying and you aren’t making any middle ground concessions to users paying cold hard cash for the system. I am happy to pay my integrator to spec, install and setup new additions. I am not fine paying hundreds of dollars for a house call to tweak a level setting for one set of lights in a scene. Not only are installers backed up like every trade, it’s ecologically wasteful, and it’s straight up robbery to require this process in this day and age. As a result, I’m no longer going Lutron in my new house that would have been a bigger install than my other. I advise everyone else to do the same until Lutron adjusts their customer hostile model for the modern age.

**Developer response:** We're sorry to hear about your experience and our product development team would like to understand more. We'd love to setup a time to discuss more of your thoughts on how we can improve in this situation, please send us an email at customersatisfaction@lutron.com and reference case #02003479.

### 3/5 — Great app, but slow/incorrect state of fixtures

*2022-05-11*

The app is great, but for some reason even with fast internet connectivity, the status of fixtures is often incorrect or very slow to have status updated.  That doesn’t seem to be an issue with other cloud-based smart home devices that I use.

**Developer response:** Hello, we're sorry to hear that your statuses are updating slowly and we'd like to learn more. Please send us a support file from the app the next time you notice this by going to Settings > Help > Email Support. Please reference case #01983351 so we can gather more information.

### 2/5 — Can’t add HomeKit

*2021-12-15, version 7.6.8*

When trying to add my RadioRa home setup the app gets to the screen to enter the setup code from the bottom of the connect bridge but when I tap the link to enter the code the screen flashes and I get an unhelpful error that the accessory can’t be added. Please provide better direction on the issue.

### 1/5 — Long term bug

*2021-11-26, version 7.6.8*

For years now, the app will at times fail to load repeatedly. I have to delete it and reinstall it.  Please fix the issue.  It happens on ipad and iphone

### 1/5 — Please do something

*2021-11-04, version 7.6.8*

Please do something about your bad app, instead of sending a note saying thank you for your response. I spent $65,000 on a Lutron lighting system, which works great. But trying to control the system with the Lutron app is a complete and thorough waste of time.

### 1/5 — Issues, poor UI, cumbersome to use

*2021-10-20*

This app could be really great, but it is plagued with issues and inadequacies.  This is appalling considering an RA2 system is very expensive.

1. The app routinely fails to connect after returning to use, and presents the user with a Retry button.  Hint Lutron: DO THE RETRY YOURSELF.  This is the ONLY app I have that routinely fails to connect upon returning to the app.

2. It is not possible to sort Favorites (Widget or HomeGlance), short of deleting all of them, and re-adding them in the desired order.  This is just lazy programming - there are well established paradigms for dragging list items, and maintaining sort orders.  This feature used to exist, but Lutron removed it.

3. It is not possible to sort Favorite Devices, short of removing them and re-adding them in a desired order.

4. On an iPad, a full 50% of the space is wasted for background.  The usable area is a small scrollable list of rooms, and icon buttons.

5. The icon above that box - the # Lights On button indicates every load that is enabled, and clicking it brings up a very small window showing buttons for all those loads.  For large homes, this is can be a huge number of icons. Find one you want to turn Off is tedious, and that "shortcut" is more cumbersome to use than just scrolling the list of rooms.  These should be sortable.

6. There is no way to disable always-on loads from the icon mentioned in (5).  The app should provide for the ability to mark loads as "Don't Show under Lights On".

7. There are too few icons for loads.  There isn't even a Fan icon, despite Lutron having a Fan switch compatible with RA2.  Seriously!?

When did developers just stop caring about the quality of their work?

## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated)

### 1/5 — lighting failure

*2026-07-09, version 26.0.0*

very poor system.  every time the software fails, electrician needs to be called.  they will not fix it with tech support.

### 1/5 — Last update killed the app

*2026-02-13, version 7.7.1*

It really did work just fine until the last update. Now I can’t connect at all. It’s awful. Stay away from it.

### 1/5 — Meh

*2025-12-20*

The fact that I can’t create a simple program .. say the moody lighting for a party at the click of a button is ridiculous for 2025. Given how expensive this was and how basic that function is … app is just meh. It’s like a light switch in your hand. Nothing more.

**Developer response:** We are sorry to hear that you are having trouble with your Lutron system. We would like to learn more about your experience. Please reach out to customersatisfaction@lutron.com so that we can better assist you.

### 1/5 — Awful experience

*2025-11-30, version 7.7.1*

App is so unintuitive, options missing that their own documentation says should be there.  Clearly zero investment in quality developers.  So disappointing!

### 1/5 — App is full of bugs, barely maintained

*2025-10-16*

This app has not really improved or changed in the years since I have had the misfortune of having to use it.

But the bugs keep piling on, what were mild annoyances are getting worse.   Is not just that the bugs are annoying, they prevent you from using the app at all (like schedules, you get a tiny two-line to operate).

Clearly this is a vastly underfunded effort - I would be surprised if more than one engineer was left working on this.  It is that abysmal.

**Developer response:** Hi, we are sorry to hear you are having trouble with the Lutron RadioRA 2 + HWQS App. We would like to better understand the issues you have encountered. Please reach out to systemsupport@lutron.com and reference case #04765030 so we can better assist you.

### 1/5 — Atrocious

*2025-09-24, version 7.7.1*

Lutron should be ashamed for dropping support for RadioRA2 customers not allowing them to purchase parts of anything!!

### 1/5 — RING INTEGRATION

*2025-05-04, version 7.6.16*

I can not find Add device under setting to integrate with Ring door bell. App need update.

### 1/5 — Lutron doesn’t care

*2025-03-30, version 7.6.16*

As long as the money rolls in from their preferred contractors, they don’t care about product quality. Ridiculous that this app is such garbage and hasn’t been consolidated into the main Lutron app.

### 1/5 — So Pathetic

*2025-03-11, version 7.6.16*

For a system that cost $100,000+ to install (including Ketra lights), this app is an absolute embarrassment. The constant, never ending “connecting” message that prevents control of any light along with buttons that can’t be reached and a terrible UI in general, this app is simply pathetic. The only solution is to add a Savant system on top of this horrible app. Get it together, Lutron.

### 1/5 — Stopped working

*2025-01-20, version 7.6.16*

Stopped working from last update, bring me to a screen to download the same app but never worked like before. If you see this review meaning it’s still not fixed.

## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated)

### 5/5 — Fixed

*2020-06-23*

Customer service was very helpful, problem solved.

**Developer response:** We're sorry to hear about your issues with the app and we'd like to help to resolve it. Please reach out to our support team at systemsupport@lutron.com / 1.844.588.7661 and they will help get you up and running. You can also do this within the app through Settings -> Help -> systemsupport@lutron.com

### 5/5 — Excellent upgrade

*2017-10-09*

This is without a doubt the best app to come out of Lutron to date. I have over two hundred devices and this app has improved the management and integration with the Apple ecosystem for the best possible user experience. I would like to publicly acknowledge the great design by the software engineering department or group. Well done!!!!

### 4/5 — App crashing on open

*2025-05-14, version 7.6.16*

Rather slow, but does work. Needs documentation on how to use with Siri

### 4/5 — App not working correctly with iPad Pro 12.

*2023-01-06*

Only one icon loads per room, all other icons for the room do not display in the rooms. “iPad Pro 12” running OS 16.2 (20C6F). It used to work fine until recently.
I also use a iPad 11 Pro running OS 16.2, it works fine. Using RA2 system with 120 devices. 
Lutron technology generally works very well, thanks!

### 4/5 — UI could be more friendly

*2022-12-06*

On the Schedules tab it is very frustrating that you have to click on a schedule to see if it is on or off, and to change that. Why not simply have the on/off slider by each schedule on the summary page?

### 4/5 — Room View From “Lights On/Off” View

*2021-11-09*

It’s really cool how the app lets you see what lights are on by clicking the current lights on section, it would be awesome if you guys could add what rooms are on from that view

**Developer response:** Thank you for your feedback! We'll be sure to get this over to our product development team.

### 4/5 — Lost thermostats on watch

*2020-08-14, version 7.6.1*

Last Lutron app update seems to have removed access to Lutron thermostats on the Apple watch. Anyone else experiencing that?

### 4/5 — Needs instructions.

*2020-05-20*

New to Lutron and this app, I have tried very hard to find instructions for it. All I’ve found are community forums, all asking the same sorts of questions. Specifically, the Modes—there are four of them. How do they work and how do they relate to Schedules?

**Developer response:** Hello, thank you for your feedback. Schedule modes are essentially groups of events. A system can have multiple schedule modes but only one mode can run at a time. For example, you could use Away mode to have different scheduled events run while you're away from home. We recommend working with your installer to define these modes. If you need additional assistance, please contact us at systemsupport@lutron.com / 1.844.588.7661.

### 4/5 — Now ok with iOS 12

*2018-09-29, version 7.0.1*

Didn’t work initially with iOS 12 seeds and final but now seems to be ok.

App now works fine.  Mostly using now because HomeKit support doesn’t include the thermostat or garage controls.

### 4/5 — Needs more simple control options from app

*2018-03-22, version 6.2*

I upgraded from Casetta to HWQS thinking I was only getting more and not less.

Setting the arrival and departure scenes shouldn’t be this difficult, I have to have keypads that are not physically installed in the database to make this happen. 

Also the option of Casetta communicating with nest and its “away” mode was a nice touch. I have nest in HWQS app, but can’t do anything with it. 

Just my thoughts.

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-20.*