Wink, the best-known smart home platform for integrating first- and third-party accessories into a single application and hub, has announced that automation and control rates will begin on May 13th. The company says the move, which is almost guaranteed to be on fire, is the result of "recent economic events" that have caused "additional efforts" on the business.

Wink has taken many steps in an effort to maintain the blue light of your hub, however, long-term costs and recent economic events have caused additional efforts on our business. Unlike companies that sell user data to offset the costs associated with providing free services, we do not. Data privacy is one of Wink's core values ​​and we believe that user data should never be sold for marketing or any purpose.

Starting next week, users of the Wink platform and app will be subscribing to $ 4.99 for continuous access to their smart home accessories. If users choose not to subscribe, they will lose the ability to use the Wink app, in-app voice controls, automation, and API access. If customers decide to subscribe later on the road, all their existing functions will be restored.

If you choose not to subscribe to a subscription, you will no longer be able to access your Wink devices in the app, with voice control or API, and your automation will be disabled on May 13th. Your device's connections, settings, and automation can be reactivated if you decide to subscribe at a later date.

Although subscription models are becoming the norm and the new fee is not the highest, the one-week notice from Wink is not correct for platform users. Wink users, some of whom chose Wink especially for the lack of taxes, which was proudly announced by the company, have only 7 days to figure out where to go or risk losing access to the things they have come to depend on.

Fortunately, most smart accessories, other than those specifically designed by or for Wink, can integrate with other platforms through hubs or account connection. If you're using Wink and you're ready to switch to another platform, then this would be a great time to read about Apple's HomeKit, which requires local access to accessories and has no subscription. See our guides below to help you get started.