More than five years ago, I bought my first security camera to keep an eye on my cat when he fell ill. It was a YI brand camera that worked wonderfully; it offered clarity, motion alerts , and even a two-way audio feature. As time passed and my feline family grew, I purchased two additional cameras from the same brand to monitor different areas of the house. However, I ran into a significant issue: the YI Home app has become inundated with advertising. How much? Almost all of it.
It is not an exaggeration
Recently, while traveling, I accessed the YI Home app to check on my cats. I can’t stress enough how often I felt tempted to throw my phone out of sheer frustration. On the main screen, a slew of ads cluttered the interface, but this was just the tip of the iceberg. Full-screen ads welcomed me every time I attempted to check a camera, often covering essential controls. These ads cannot be skipped for several seconds, and the closure button is so tiny it feels like a joke, often prompting me to land accidentally on the App Store or some unrelated link. It’s maddening!
Some of the ads that appear when I open the app or when I try to see one of the cameras.
Checking each camera often necessitated wrestling with full-screen advertisements again. Once I finally accessed a camera feed, a banner ad would obscure the controls, utterly ruining the experience. It’s as if advertising is the primary product here, not a functional security camera.
Few apps have bombarded me with advertising like YI Home. One recent example is Capcut , the TikTok video editing app. Every time I launch it, I’m greeted with a full-screen ad, and exiting it just leads to another. The app has transformed into a minefield of in-app purchases , constantly reminding users of its premium features.
Pay or suffer
The YI Home app has never been devoid of ads. Previously, it included banner advertisements and periodic pop-ups urging users to opt for their premium payment plan . However, the current situation is bordering on outrageous. Alongside the full-screen ads, these pop-ups remind me that subscribing would eliminate advertisements entirely.
The summum of despair. (The controls can be relocated, but was there no other place?)
The most affordable plan for multiple cameras is priced at 79.99 euros per year . While that may seem steep, I find myself unwilling to pay even a fraction of that price . The app is essentially a manual on how to alienate customers . Interestingly, I am not alone in my dissatisfaction. A quick glance at Trustpilot reveals mountains of negative feedback about these issues, and a Reddit thread is filled with equally frustrated users.
Some discussions suggest workarounds such as installing older app versions or configuring DNS settings with Ad-Block. However, I’ve chosen a different route to rid myself of these incessant ads.
I change my cameras
With a newfound determination to find a 360-degree camera , I decided that I wouldn’t invest in another product from a brand marred by an app problem. One particularly frustrating experience prompted me to dive into Amazon to explore alternatives.
TP Link Tapo C210
After analyzing reviews and ensuring that the app accompanying the TP Link Tapo did not resemble an ad-filled casino, I opted for a set of two 360-degree cameras. Once I set them up, I encountered an initial notification urging me to upgrade to a Premium version, but to my relief, these notifications have since remained absent. It feels refreshing to use an app that performs well, fulfilling its primary function as a security camera interface .
Images | Amparo Babyloni, Xataka
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