# YI Smart — user reviews > 46 indexed App Store user reviews of YI Smart by ZKCam Technology Limited, rated 1.80/5 from 72 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/yi-smart/id6473766241/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/yi-smart/id6473766241.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 12 · 4★ 1 · 3★ 0 · 2★ 3 · 1★ 56 ## Newest reviews (17 of 46) ### 1/5 — Awful camaras *2025-12-25* They used to be good, but there are too many ads and they don’t even work with the new app. Don’t waste your money. ### 1/5 — Just get a Ring Camera. Do not buy! *2025-12-24* I never write reviews but this is absolutely horrible. The UI is garbage Setting up the cameras feel like you are in 2010. The help system is worse. The CONSTANT pop up ads for their “premium service” I threw out all my cameras and just got Ring cameras. Absolutely TERRIBLE product. ### 1/5 — Likely dropping these cameras *2025-12-21* The app has had ads for over a year that were annoying but we didn't pay for a higher subscription so I dealt with it. I've recently updated my iphone and this app now won't allow me to see the cameras at all, even after my husband re-shared. I have to use my older iPad to see the feeds, making this absolutely pointless when I'm not home. What a waste. ### 1/5 — Older model won’t connect! *2025-12-21, version 1.2.2* After updating the app, it won’t connect to my camera which is an older model which worked with the YI Home app. It keeps saying invalid QR code even after connecting to the WiFi. So they just decided to phase out older models forcefully this way even when they were still working just fine!!? ### 1/5 — New app won’t work *2025-12-21, version 1.2.2* I’ve used yi cameras for years. The new app won’t connect to the cameras. Worst customer service they won’t help. I’m going to write a review on Amazon where I purchased these cameras ### 1/5 — I rarely ever write any reviews, but this app is now on my nerves *2025-12-18* I have 10 yi pro cameras and they used to be really good without any advertisement. I had my microSD cards in each one recording with no issues. I mounted them every area of my home now they are bombarding me with advertisement where it takes a few minutes just to get to reach any camera. It’s sad to say that I may have to remove each camera and start a whole other system. At least I get to keep my SD cards. But these cameras are a huge letdown. ### 1/5 — Total garbage *2025-12-15, version 1.2.2* Unable to pair cameras. Waste of time. I’ll be sending back to Amazon ### 1/5 — What happened? *2025-12-15* Had Yi home app-for years, cameras are good. Had Micro as cards in each camera to record (don’t need the subscription). And all of the sudden the don’t longer support the Yi home app and now they have this one which has and obscene amount of adds just to see my micro card. (Unless of course you want to climb to where the camera is and take the Micro SS card so you can plug it on a laptop and then take it back up to the camera) Companies change their agreements with customers that but their cameras with information that you didn’t need to subscribe to their service if you didn’t want to just use the SD camera all of the sudden they unilaterally change the terms of service and now we have to watch three minutes or more of ads to see what is the camera looking at. Hopefully, there will be enough pushback that they will Change to 1 add or the ability to skip ads. If they don’t do this soon all cameras will go to trash and will go With another service ### 1/5 — Scam!!!!! *2025-12-11, version 1.2.2* They force you to watch 3 minutes of ads before allowing you to see your cameras!!! I’m throwing my cameras away. ### 1/5 — Needs -1,000 stars. *2025-12-05* This company is genuinely dangerous. They inject loud, unskippable audio ads into a baby monitor feed and you cannot exit out; it forces you to listen over any sound the camera is catching. I had the camera on my baby’s crib with the sound up, and suddenly an ad blasted so loud I couldn’t hear anything from her. If my child had been crying or choking, I would not have heard her because they decided ads were more important than safety. This is a security device, not a toy. You could literally get kids killed with this. I was so angry that I smashed the camera with a hammer and I will never use this company again. That was my last straw ever. Instead of paying these people, I highly recommend all of you put that money toward a different camera company you can actually trust and avoid their “ad-free” scam, I’m already taking that money to a different brand that actually respects basic safety. Now they’re hiding behind other app names such as “Yi Smart” and “Yi home” got deleted magically? and costumes because they know they’re wrong. Do not trust this company. They are clearly heartless. I bought this camera about six years ago, long before they started forcing any ads at all on it, and now it’s basically worthless. I can’t even resell it safely and guilt free (even if it wasn’t broken now haha), and I should have been grandfathered in instead of punished as a long‑time customer. Because of their greedy, reckless choices I now have to buy a completely new camera, and they absolutely owe me for that. To the company: you are CLEARLY do nothing but making kind people extremely angry and your reviews are proof. When will you wake the f up and realize that you’re being an absolute heartless A to innocent people?! ### 1/5 — Waste of money *2025-12-05, version 1.2.2* Waste of money camera is not connecting to WiFi waste of time ### 1/5 — New App Doesn’t Work *2025-12-04, version 1.2.2* New App Doesn’t Work with iPhone 17 or my cameras! ### 1/5 — Needs -1,000 stars. *2025-12-03* This company is genuinely dangerous. They inject loud, unskippable audio ads into a baby monitor feed and you cannot exit out; it forces you to listen over any sound the camera is catching. I had the camera on my baby’s crib with the sound up, and suddenly an ad blasted so loud I couldn’t hear anything from her. If my child had been crying or choking, I would not have heard her because they decided ads were more important than safety. This is a security device, not a toy. You could literally get kids killed with this. I was so angry that I smashed the camera with a hammer and I will never use this company again. That was my last straw ever. Instead of paying these people, I highly recommend all of you put that money toward a different camera company you can actually trust and avoid their “ad-free” scam, I’m already taking that money to a different brand that actually respects basic safety. Now they’re hiding behind other app names such as “Yi Smart” and “Yi home” got deleted magically? and costumes because they know they’re wrong. Do not trust this company. They are clearly heartless. I bought this camera about six years ago, long before they started forcing any ads at all on it, and now it’s basically worthless. I can’t even resell it safely and guilt free (even if it wasn’t broken now haha), and I should have been grandfathered in instead of punished as a long‑time customer. Because of their greedy, reckless choices I now have to buy a completely new camera, and they absolutely owe me for that. To the company: you are CLEARLY do nothing but making kind people extremely angry and your reviews are proof. When will you wake the f up and realize it you’re being absolute heartless A people?! ### 1/5 — Complete scam *2025-12-03, version 1.2.2* I had this camera from a couple of years but the company decided to add a restriction by region now and apparently the region of mine is china so I need a Chinese phone number to be able to link it. I will never buy one of their products again. ### 1/5 — Not worth it *2025-12-01* Ads ads ads soon as you open the app. Trying to view camera ad is going. ### 1/5 — Cameras don’t connect *2025-11-30, version 1.2.2* My cameras don’t connect to this new app. Useless. Just cancelled my subscription. ### 1/5 — Utter Rubbish *2025-11-30, version 1.2.2* Useless app ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Please remove from the App Store *2026-07-15, version 1.2.3* Not what you expect ### 1/5 — BS *2026-04-07, version 1.2.3* App won’t download ### 1/5 — Throw away garbage *2026-02-13, version 1.2.3* They updated the app, cameras are useless now. Will be throwing away and going with competitor. ### 1/5 — STAY AWAY *2026-01-15, version 1.2.3* I have never seen such an unprofessional, incompetent, and terrible company in my life. They are awful. Neither their customer service nor their app works. Stay away. On top of that, when trying to purchase a membership, they charged my card multiple times, and since you can’t reach anyone, they are basically stealing your money. ### 1/5 — Cameras only work on desktop. *2026-01-04* I have tried to contact you via email 2 different addresses, doesn't work. I tried Facebook, same automatic reply, I tried website, errors on contact page. How am I supposed to ask for assistance when no cameras show up on my app to submit an issue request. ### 1/5 — Good thing gone bad 🥲 *2025-12-29* Like the other user, this used to work flawlessly but now ads take over every time you attempt to access the cameras causing at times a 1 minute delay in viewing. Now after app update I can’t access my cameras. ### 1/5 — Do not buy!!!! *2025-12-28* Customer hating, false advertising, bait and switch, rip off company. They have now forced there customers into buying there outrageous subscription fee to view your own camera on your own sd card! I cannot encourage people enough to shop elsewhere. There app is loaded with advertising a lot of times making you restart the app to make it work correctly to now having to face a angry mob of customers who own there product to waking up one day to find we can’t use our cameras no more unless we pay $200 a year now. Screw this company my cameras are going in the garbage and I join everyone else and hope they go out of business. ### 1/5 — Garbage *2025-12-27* Absolute garbage app. I don’t even know where to start. The ads, the quality, not to mention the back door access they have to everything in your home and what they can see what we do. If you are thinking about buying these products please return them before you open. Garbage. Garbage. Garbage. ### 1/5 — Stay away *2025-12-26* I had nine of these at work and and home. They were great before the company decided it would pop up ads with nearly every action within the app. Makes the app completely worthless. I have begun replacing all my Yi cameras with another brand that doesn’t not require annoying and constant ad pop ups. ### 1/5 — Terrible! *2025-12-26* Like others reported, the ads make the app unusable for any serious security cam usage. I’ve have over a dozen YI cams and now have been replacing them with another brand. Imagine getting a notification and opening the app only to wait for the full page ad to run. By the time you see your security footage, it’s too late :( Full page ads for an app that you’ve paid lots of money for hardware makes no sense! I’ll be happy when I can get rid of all my Yi cameras and no longer support this company’s business model. It was not like this in the beginning when I bought the cameras. It’s a bait and switch. ## Most praised reviews (6 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Security Cameras *2026-03-05* I so love my camera, it works perfectly! I purchased an LED SOLAR ATTACHED TO IT TO KEEP THE CAMERA RUNNING! The LED LIGHT MUST BE FACING DIRECTLY TO THE SUNLIGHT IN ORDER TO STAY CHARGED. I SO LOVE MY CAMERA. I HAVE A SD CARD AS WELL, that runs like clock work! ### 5/5 — Bought off temu *2025-02-18* Idk who else reviewed this bought a 4 pack of these cameras and hooked up 3 so far super simple screw in login WiFi even at apartment complex I’m at where I don’t have direct access to WiFi but just login worked like a dream went to friends checked on cameras worked perfect even 360 feature so works great highly recommend cameras and apps also there option to use cloud storage I set up with first camera was $30 for the year for the first camera and it alerted me as soon as I walked into apartment other cameras you can set up extra I know this is a long review but wanted it make sure people didn’t think I was ai review trust me app legit cameras legit again got off temu 4 pack! ### 4/5 — Jetzt funktionieren alle alten Kameras nicht mehr *2025-12-15* Nach dem Update auf die neue App funktionieren alle Kameras nicht mehr, auch nach dem Reset nicht ### 3/5 — App issues *2025-05-24* Airplay mirroring function doesn’t work properly. On full screen mode, the TV doesn’t show the video horizontal landscape mode. Instead, it shows the video 90 degree sideways in portrait mode. Very annoying. Since the app is part of hardware purchase for YI IOT cameras, it shouldn’t constantly show ads for the cloud service. That is also annoying. ### 2/5 — Too many ads *2025-12-18* It's become quite intolerable using your app because even in emergencies, I can't open the camera without viewing a bunch of ads. ### 2/5 — Worst app for camera device *2025-03-09* The app does not have functions for human detection so cloud just messages to device itself turn around only . Really worst on new technology --- *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 2026-09-02.*