First, it’s very poor ergonomics that the setting for “Confirm On/Off” is a toggle under each outlet, but it appears to apply globally to all SmartPlugs. There are certain devices that I’d like to turn on or off without having to confirm — lights for example. There are others, such as computers and refrigerators that require confirmation. Because it acts unexpectedly, I consider this a defect in the App.
As far as your suggestion, I agree completely agree. There should be a “no remote control” toggle. So, the app is a simple circuit sensor, but not a circuit controller. This feature could probably be implemented solely with an App upgrade.
Others have complained that the outlets power up in an unpredictable state. Obviously, that’s the least desirable behavior. I strongly suggest there be an option to “always power ON after power failure” and “always power OFF after power failure”. To implement this “right” a firmware upgrade would be needed to the SmartPlugs along with a bit or two stored in non-volatile memory, so the SmartPlug could handle recovery from a power failure, without communicating with the cloud. To implement “recover power state after power failure”, which would leave the device in the same state, would probably require a firmware upgrade, and would require the firmware to write a non-volatile bit after each power ON or power OFF cycle. As a software engineer, who has worked with embedded devices, I don’t think these features are difficult. Of course, Emporia Energy has limited resources. I hope they listen to their customers. As I said, I have seen others complain about the current (obnoxious) behavior.
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