The design failures of consumer IoT

And how connectivity can create dependency instead of empowermentContinue reading on UX Collective »

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The design failures of consumer IoT

*And how connectivity can create dependency instead of empowerment*

[Image: Fabrizia Ausiello]

Fabrizia Ausiello

5 min read3 days ago

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[Image: Illustration of a washing machine with error marks on its side and a broken Wi-Fi symbol above it, suggesting a smart appliance failing to connect or malfunctioning technology]

illustration by author

I used to have an electric moped. Used to, because it was stolen a few weeks ago. When I went to where I’d parked it and found an empty space, after the initial shock I remembered: I have the app! Which among other features, I knew it could track location, and could be a lifeline in a moment like this.

So I opened it expecting to see a map showing where my moped had been taken, but instead, I got a message asking me to renew my premium plan to access that feature. OK… I didn’t even know I was on a premium plan (I later learned that it was free for the first year of usage), but anyway, I noticed a ‘Security & Anti-theft’ button, so hopeful again, I clicked on that only to find out once again that ‘Lost mode’ was also paywalled.

So kind of desperate, I paid… and guess what now? The GPS data had stopped being collected the moment my subscription expired weeks earlier, so it was all for nothing.

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[Image: Mobile app screens showing a scooter app with “subscription expired” warnings, locked smart features, disabled GPS tracking, and stopped data collection behind a paywall]

screenshots by author

Beyond the appalling user experience, this felt emblematic of something else: how in 2025 consumer IoT often replaces reliable, local…

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[Original source](https://uxdesign.cc/the-design-failures-of-consumer-iot-9286228c47ed?source=rss----138adf9c44c---4)