“The devices on my Smart Life app are offline. What should I do?”
Are your Smart Life plugs offline?
Or your actual Smart Life app doesn’t work?
Maybe there are power or internet connectivity issues.
Perhaps the server is down as well.
Don’t worry! Things like these happen often.
Luckily, troubleshooting offline Smart Life is not rocket science.
Continue reading to learn:
- 10 reasons why Smart Life is offline.
- 10 effective ways to fix offline Smart Life.
- Whether renewing LAN/WAN IP addresses affects connection.
- Why connecting smart devices to a 2.4GHz band is necessary.
- And a lot more…
Why is Smart Life offline?
Smart Life is offline because it’s renewing its LAN/WAN IP address, the WiFi network is congested, and the connected smart devices are out-of-range. Power connectivity issues, connecting to a 5 GHz band, and outdated software and firmware can also cause Smart Life to become offline.
Smart Life is offline – 10 causes & fixes
#1: Out-of-range device
Are the smart plugs and bulbs in your Smart Life app offline?
If yes, then maybe your smart devices are out-of-range.
Perhaps the WiFi signals coming from your main router can’t reach these devices.
WiFi connectivity issues due to out-of-range devices happen all the time.
Yes, it’s a simple problem. But many smart homeowners often overlook it.
WiFi and Bluetooth-enabled devices can only work at a certain range.
Once it becomes out of range, it may totally disconnect from the network.
Some devices even turn off automatically after several minutes of inactivity or disconnection.
How to fix it:
Does your smart device have a manufacturer app?
If yes, check whether it appears online on that app. Or check the actual device if its LED indicator has lights on.
According to research, electromagnetic waves travel faster in free space.
Meaning, there shouldn’t be any obstructions between devices.
To achieve a “free space” with little to no obstructions, you must ensure that both devices are close by.
So, if you’re certain that the device is offline, here are two things you can do:
- Install an extra router near the smart device.
- Move your device closer to the WiFi router or hub.
The key solution to this is to ensure that your devices receive stable connections at all times.
#2: Congested WiFi network
“But I’ve installed several WiFi routers at home. So, it can’t be the connection…”
How many smart devices do you have at home?
How many of them are connected to your WiFi network?
Your home WiFi has bandwidth. It’s the amount of data your network provides at a certain period.
Regardless of whether you’re paying for “unlimited” WiFi, your ISP will set a data limit for you.
When there are too many devices connected to WiFi, the network gets congested. And the set bandwidth limit gets consumed faster.
Each device “fights” to receive data.
Some devices eat up more data than others. Leaving smaller devices disconnected from the network.
And that may be the reason why some smart device connected to your Smart Life app appears “offline.”
How to fix it:
One way you can address this problem is by increasing your monthly WiFi bandwidth.
And you can do that by upgrading your WiFi subscription plan.
If that’s isn’t an option, you may disconnect not-in-use devices from your WiFi network.
Doing this will free up your network. Allowing necessary devices to work properly.
Managing your data usage is helpful as well.
If you want to save data, you can set a time limit on your smart devices.
#3: Device connected to a 5 GHz network band
“Okay, I’ve disconnected some devices already. But my Smart Life devices are still offline…”
If that’s the case, then maybe your devices are connected to a 5GHz network.
Most smart devices today only work with 2.4GHz bands.
And that’s because 5GHz bands are expensive to install and have a shorter range.
“But I made sure to connect them to a 2.4GHz band before…”
If you’re using a dual-band router, your device may have connected itself to the 5GHz network.
Smart devices connect to a network that has a stronger signal.
Perhaps, at one point, your 2.4 GHz became unstable.
So, your device looked for a different network to connect with. And it happens that your 5GHz network is available.
How to fix it:
Check which WiFi network your smart devices are connected to.
You can do that by navigating the settings of their manufacturer app.
Here’s a basic guide you can follow:
- Open the manufacturer app.
- Go to the settings.
- Select “Networks” or similar.
- Then, check which WiFi network is connected to it.
If it’s connected to your 5GHz network, disconnect it.
Plus, make sure to click “Forget This Network.” To prevent your device from automatically connecting to it.
#4: LAN/WAN IP addresses renewal
“My device suddenly went offline while I was using it…”
How long did it go offline?
An hour? Or just less than a minute?
If your smart device went offline for about 30 seconds, it’s normal.
Your WiFi router renews its IP lease every 24 hours.
And that’s because most home routers in America don’t have a Static IP.
Whenever it renews its IP lease, your smart devices get disconnected from the network.
Meaning, they become offline.
No need to worry, though. As this lasts for less than a minute.
So, you should be able to use your smart device again after several seconds.
And yes, your smart devices will reconnect themselves to the network.
How to fix it:
“I thought my devices would reconnect automatically. But why do my Smart Life devices remain offline?”
Yes, smart devices should reconnect automatically.
But they can sometimes fail to do so due to some errors.
If that happens to you, you can disconnect and reconnect your device to your WiFi network.
Doing this should resolve basic WiFi connectivity issues.
And you should be able to see your devices as “online” on your Smart Life app.
#5: Device is unplugged
Have you tried every solution from above, but your Smart Life device remains offline?
Then perhaps your WiFi connection isn’t the problem.
Power connectivity issues also cause devices to become offline.
Have you tried checking whether your device is plugged in?
Wired devices have to be plugged in all the time since they don’t have a battery where they can store storage.
Without electrical charge from a power socket, these devices won’t power on.
Meaning, you won’t be able to control them on your Smart Life app. No matter how hard you try to refresh the app.
How to fix it:
The solution to this is simple. Make sure that the “offline” devices are plugged in.
I mean, fully plugged in. The full length of the plug prongs should be inserted into the power socket.
If doing this doesn’t improve anything, perhaps the power socket is faulty.
And the one thing you can do is to plug your device into a different socket.
Want to know how to connect a smart bulb to the Smart Life app? Then, watch this short clip:
#6: Device is powered off
“My device is plugged in. What can be the issue this time?”
You use Smart Life, an automation platform, to automate your smart devices, right?
But you can’t do that if your devices are turned off.
Even smart plugs, for example, have a power button. Which you have to press to turn on the device and connect it to Smart Life.
It’s also important to notice that power buttons on smart devices should be turned on all the time.
That way, Smart Life can access your devices whenever needed.
How to fix it:
When connecting a smart device to Smart Life, make sure to leave its power switch on all the time,
If you’re concerned about leaving your device turned on all day, you may create a schedule.
That way, you can monitor when you’d only want your smart devices to work.
In the Smart Life app, it’s called “Timer.”
So, if you want to turn on your smart TV at a specific time, just create a timer according to your liking.
#7: Outdated app software
“My smart devices are ‘online,’ but not on the Smart Life app…”
If that’s the case, perhaps your Smart Life app has outdated software.
Developers often update the software to improve its features and security functions.
Most of the time, these updates don’t severely affect old versions of the app.
But it’s not a secret that new updates may sometimes cause the app to malfunction.
That’s because some updates don’t match with the older version.
When the Smart Life app is outdated, it may fail to receive connection signals from your devices.
And so, Smart Life will mark those devices as “offline.”
How to fix it:
If your Smart Life app suddenly started malfunctioning, update its software.
To update the Smart Life app:
- Go to the app store.
- Search for “Smart Life.”
- Then, click “Update,” if displayed.
If no updates are available, try uninstalling and reinstalling your Smart Life app.
Warning: Uninstalling and reinstalling Smart Life may require you to reconnect your devices. So, only do this if reconnecting your devices isn’t much of an issue to you.
#8: Outdated device firmware
“Only one app in my Smart Life device is offline…”
If only one app appears as “offline,” the problem must be with that device itself.
Many things may cause a smart device to become offline.
But one of the most common reasons is outdated firmware.
Every smart device has firmware.
And like Smart Life, your device can malfunction if its firmware becomes outdated.
Outdated firmware can cause your device to stop receiving commands. And that includes pairing requests with your Smart Life app.
How to fix it:
Updating the firmware of your smart device depends on its type and brand.
For accurate instructions, refer to your user manual.
But if your smart device is connected to a manufacturer app, you may update it through the app.
Just navigate the app’s settings. And click “Update,” if displayed.
You may also try to restart the device by unplugging and replugging it.
This simple troubleshooting tip can fix most connectivity issues between smart devices.
#9: Outdated router firmware
Sometimes WiFi connectivity issues are caused by an outdated router firmware.
Yes, routers have firmware as well.
Normally, routers update themselves automatically. So, it shouldn’t cause any problems.
But software bugs or memory caches can sometimes prevent it from updating.
When the firmware of your router is outdated, it can fail to distribute WiFi signals.
And so, some of your smart devices may appear “offline” in the Smart Life app.
How to fix it:
If you’re still having connectivity issues, try to restart your WiFi router first.
Restarting is a good solution to remove software bugs and RAM. Which may be causing your router to malfunction.
You can do it by unplugging your router. Then, wait at least 30 seconds before replugging it.
Note: Restarting doesn’t delete data from your WiFi router.
If that doesn’t work, update your router’s firmware. Here’s how you can do it:
- Connect the router to a computer via ethernet.
- Download the latest firmware update from the manufacturer’s website.
- Log in to your router’s web management page.
- Click the downloaded firmware.
- Then, restart your router to complete the process.
#10: Down server
If you can’t totally open your Smart Life app, then its server must be down.
Many things can cause the server to be down.
It can be caused by power surges that have happened on the site. Or by human error.
Regardless of which, you shouldn’t worry much about it.
As this is completely out of the users’ control.
And developers often resolve this problem in no time.
How to fix it:
You’ll know if the server of the Smart Life app is down if the manufacturer releases a statement.
So, if you can’t open it, you may try checking their website or social media pages for notices.
If the server is certainly down, you have no other solution but to wait.
Fixing this problem doesn’t take too long.
Developers often resolve it in less than an hour. Or at least within the day.