Awful
This app is pretty much worthless. It may work 1-5% of the time I’ve used it. I’ve spent countless hours trying to get it to work. It doesn’t matter if your WiFi is sitting right next to the spa, it still doesn’t work. How can Balboa justify a customer spending money for a subscription when a local connection doesn’t even work?
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Horrible app
Not sure how the developers of this app are still employed. It never works on WiFi local connect. It used to work on cloud, so now it’s subscription based and buggy beyond believe. I deleted the app and now I have a reliable connection and full control via Home Assistant.
Convenient When It Works
This is a handy app when it works, however about half the time it doesn’t connect to the spa.
In the last few months they actually updated the app, but sadly the only different I noticed was they now charge $2.49 a month if you want to connect to the spa outside of your local network.
You’d think they’d work on overhauling the reliability of the app before doing that. If anything it connects less than it did before. Go figure!
In the last few months they actually updated the app, but sadly the only different I noticed was they now charge $2.49 a month if you want to connect to the spa outside of your local network.
You’d think they’d work on overhauling the reliability of the app before doing that. If anything it connects less than it did before. Go figure!
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Location data?
The privacy policy says “Location Data: General geographic location based on your IP address.”, but the app refuses to even do “initial setup” unless you let it know your location. Absolutely no reason for it to need that
Since update to subscription
Since subscriptions started and I now pay I keep getting DRM Error constantly I try reconnecting wifi anything I can but it hardly works now. I do like the app when it works. I’ve re installed the app even.
Sucks
please hire engineers or use AI and fix app
Terrible
App is buggy. Can't move the circle around to reliably change the temp. Half the time it turns off my heater. This app sucks
Doesn’t work most of the time.
Local connection reliability remains an ongoing issue, failing approximately 90% of the time. There were always problems with the local connection, but online worked most of the time. Charging for a feature that was previously free is disappointing. Charging for the feature that actually works is worse. In the end, it’s a feature that is nice to have, but I’ll do without it.
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Garbage App and Unreliable Module
UPDATE 2: Because I forgot the garbage app was taking up space on my phone.
Been running Home Assistant with the Balboa Integration for a while. Rock solid connection and complete “topside” controls remotely through VPN. No ripoff subscription, reliable, good automation for key sensors (low temp). What a subscription app should be - yet free!
Next hot tub for me will not be anything Balboa makes. That’s how much I dislike greedy sneaky practices with garbage apps that rips off its customers.
UPDATE:
Ripped out the junk wifi module, installed an ESP32/RS485 for a few bucks and added a Home Assistant integration that reads the tub data. Add I small dashboard to control the basics. Next fault monitoring. And guess, what -it’s reliable without monthly gouging of customers.
Since my earlier review was booted by calling the developers out 🙄 … I’ll tone it down.
Mandatory update introduced a subscription for cloud access. Totally below belt move by the developers especially when the app still is the worse piece of junk paired with an equally subpar wifi module.
There are other and better methods for remote access to replace this trash (that even has fault monitoring). The last update made it worth my effort to actually do it. So thanks developers! 👋
Been running Home Assistant with the Balboa Integration for a while. Rock solid connection and complete “topside” controls remotely through VPN. No ripoff subscription, reliable, good automation for key sensors (low temp). What a subscription app should be - yet free!
Next hot tub for me will not be anything Balboa makes. That’s how much I dislike greedy sneaky practices with garbage apps that rips off its customers.
UPDATE:
Ripped out the junk wifi module, installed an ESP32/RS485 for a few bucks and added a Home Assistant integration that reads the tub data. Add I small dashboard to control the basics. Next fault monitoring. And guess, what -it’s reliable without monthly gouging of customers.
Since my earlier review was booted by calling the developers out 🙄 … I’ll tone it down.
Mandatory update introduced a subscription for cloud access. Totally below belt move by the developers especially when the app still is the worse piece of junk paired with an equally subpar wifi module.
There are other and better methods for remote access to replace this trash (that even has fault monitoring). The last update made it worth my effort to actually do it. So thanks developers! 👋
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Absolutely ridiculous joke of an app
This has to be the most inconsistent app I have ever used, period. 90% of the time it will not connect with the spa. The only time it does connect is when the spa jets are actively running. Defeats the entire purpose of controlling the spa remotely. And their audacity to switch to a subscription model for what was a free promised feature is simply ridiculous. I wish I could give less than one star, I would.
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Undependable - bad
Everytime I want to use either local or cloud mode I suffer from headaches…. Never seamless , never reliable. Often I give up. If I knew there was a more dependable app I would switch .
Garbage App and Unreliable Module
UPDATE:
Ripped out the junk wifi module, installed an ESP32/RS485 for a few bucks and added a Home Assistant integration that reads the tub data. Add I small dashboard to control the basics. Next fault monitoring. And goes what -it’s reliable without monthly gouging of customers.
Since my earlier review was booted by calling the developers out 🙄 … I’ll tone it down.
Mandatory update introduced a subscription for cloud access. Totally below belt move by the developers especially when the app still is the worse piece of junk paired with an equally subpar wifi module.
There are other and better methods for remote access to replace this trash (that even has fault monitoring). The last update made it worth my effort to actually do it. So thanks developers! 👋
Ripped out the junk wifi module, installed an ESP32/RS485 for a few bucks and added a Home Assistant integration that reads the tub data. Add I small dashboard to control the basics. Next fault monitoring. And goes what -it’s reliable without monthly gouging of customers.
Since my earlier review was booted by calling the developers out 🙄 … I’ll tone it down.
Mandatory update introduced a subscription for cloud access. Totally below belt move by the developers especially when the app still is the worse piece of junk paired with an equally subpar wifi module.
There are other and better methods for remote access to replace this trash (that even has fault monitoring). The last update made it worth my effort to actually do it. So thanks developers! 👋
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Worked for about a week
Nice idea but doesn’t work - constantly shows server errors when you try to login. Waste of money
Buggy and unexpected fees
Often fails to connect locally and after buying with a view to only heating when the sun is out as wwe have solar energy, they have started charging for remote control. Would not buy a tub with a Balboa controller again.
Awful
Pretty terrible setup pretty terrible ui. The balls to try and charge money for such a buggy garbage app are astounding. Whoever wrote this thing is bad and should feel bad
Just bad
Unstable connection, weird UI, requires precise location for a local connection… just badly designed and implemented. It has BS Compsci thesis circa 2002 vibes.
Terrible
Original app was useless but now Update is extra useless and after paying a hearty premium for the garbage wifi connection they have the audacity to try to charge you for remote access.
CEOs Suck
Another companies reputation wrecked by a greedy CEO choosing to screw customers for short term profits.
WORSE THAN USELESS
WORSE THAN USELESS BECAUSE I STILL TRY AND USE IT. IF YOU TOUCH THE HOT TUB SCREEN IT WILL CONNECT FOR A BRIEF MIN. I NEVER WROTE A REVIEW FOR ANYTHING. THIS WOULD HAVE SWAYED MY DECISION TO BY CALSPA!
Disappointing
Flip a coin, that’s what you can hope for of the app will actually connect to your spa. Then these people have the audacity to make you pay for the cloud module that has maybe a 10% connect rate. It’s comical how bad this app works.
