Customer Reviews (500)

Elizabeast24 • 2025-03-25T03:35:41-07:00

This has been the best purchase! The picture quality is great. I love watching all the different birds who come to the feeder. The app is great and user friendly.

PrincessBunny1 • 2025-03-21T15:01:06-07:00

I used to trust this app and the cameras that go with it, but something has changed, and now it’s completely unreliable. I have 10 cameras, and multiple ones are failing to record motion properly. I get notifications, but when I go to check the recordings, they’re just gone. The cloud button is greyed out, so I can’t even access the storage I’m paying for. To make things worse, customer service is useless. I’ve reached out multiple times, and they just keep sending the same canned responses instead of actually helping. I’ve gone through all my settings, I know how to install and use these cameras, and the issue isn’t on my end. It’s something they’ve changed. If you’re thinking about buying into this system, don’t. You might end up with a security system that doesn’t actually record when you need it most, and you’ll be stuck dealing with a support team that won’t take your concerns seriously. This used to be a solid system, but now it’s completely unreliable.

I know about you • 2025-03-20T10:32:46-07:00

At first they trick you into signing up at a low price for a couple months. Great features. Then the update comes and everything changes. They change your settings to minimal and the refresh rate takes 5 minutes minimum. So after 20 sec of recording you have to wait 5 minutes to record again. You miss everything that should have been recorded. AND THEY WILL NOT CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION RVEN IF YOU CANCEL IT. They will continue to take your money monthly.

VicoHome App Review Analysis

1. Summary of Key Insights

The VicoHome app receives mixed reviews. While many users praise its ease of setup, good picture quality, and helpful customer service (specifically mentioning "Sunny"), a significant number report issues with connectivity, reliability, functionality after updates, and limitations with the free version and subscription services. The app seems to perform well for basic viewing, but struggles with more advanced features and consistent performance. The AI bird identification feature, while appreciated in concept, is often inaccurate. There's a clear need for improved stability, feature enhancements, and clearer communication regarding subscription benefits.

Key Strengths:

  • Ease of setup and installation.
  • Good picture quality (when working).
  • Helpful and responsive customer service (specifically Sunny).
  • Affordable camera options.

Key Weaknesses:

  • Connectivity issues and unreliability.
  • Problems after app updates (loss of functionality, notifications, etc.).
  • Inaccurate AI bird identification.
  • Limited functionality in the free version.
  • Confusing and potentially deceptive subscription practices.
  • Poor app performance (slow loading, crashes).
  • Lack of landscape mode and dark mode.

Overall Sentiment: Mixed, with a significant negative undercurrent related to reliability and functionality.

Quantitative Metrics:

  • Overall Rating (Implied): ~3.7 stars (weighted average based on review counts).
  • Score Distribution: 5-star (51.8%), 4-star (9.4%), 3-star (7%), 2-star (9%), 1-star (22.8%)

2. Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: Reviews span from approximately 2021 to November 2024.
  • Analysis Methods: Manual sentiment analysis, keyword extraction, and frequency analysis to identify recurring themes and user pain points.

3. Key User Pain Points

  • Connectivity Issues: Frequent disconnects, failure to load live streams, and "network unstable" errors, even with strong Wi-Fi signals.
  • Post-Update Problems: Updates often introduce new bugs, break existing features (like notifications or SD card recording), and require camera resets.
  • Subscription Issues: Unclear subscription benefits, automatic renewals, difficulties canceling subscriptions, and double-charging. Users feel forced into subscriptions for basic functionality. Some users report a bait and switch, where features available at a lower price are no longer available.
  • Notification Problems: Notifications not being delivered, delayed notifications, or excessive false notifications (e.g., detecting people, vehicles, or pets where they aren't present).
  • AI Inaccuracy: The AI bird identification feature is frequently inaccurate, misidentifying species or classifying birds as other objects.
  • App Performance: Slow loading times, crashes, and laggy video playback.
  • Limited Recording Length: Short recording times (e.g., 10-20 seconds) without a subscription, even with an SD card.
  • Customer Support: Slow or unhelpful customer support, often providing canned responses instead of real solutions.

4. Frequently Requested Features

  • Continuous Recording: Option to record 24/7 to SD card without a subscription.
  • Landscape Mode: Support for landscape mode on iPads.
  • Dark Mode: A dark mode option for easier viewing in low-light conditions.
  • Improved AI Accuracy: More accurate bird identification and object detection.
  • Manual Correction of AI: Ability to manually correct AI misidentifications.
  • Multiple Device Login: Allow multiple users to be logged in simultaneously.
  • PC/Web App: A web or desktop app for viewing cameras on a computer.
  • Restart Button: A restart button in the app to reset the camera connection.
  • Improved SD Card Navigation: Easier navigation and saving of recordings from the SD card.
  • Batch Enable Motion Detection: An option to enable motion detection for all cameras at once.

5. Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Easy Setup: Many users find the app and cameras easy to set up and install.
  • Good Picture Quality: The picture quality is generally praised, especially during the day.
  • Helpful Customer Service (Specific Cases): Some users report positive experiences with customer service, particularly with a representative named Sunny.
  • Affordable Price: The cameras are seen as a good value for the price.
  • Bird Watching: The bird feeder camera is popular for bird watching, providing enjoyment to many users.
  • Solar Charging: Users appreciate the solar charging option for extended battery life.

6. Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Improve App Stability and Reliability: Address the frequent connectivity issues, crashes, and lag. This is the most critical issue affecting user experience.
  • Fix Update-Related Bugs: Implement thorough testing before releasing updates to prevent breaking existing features.
  • Clarify Subscription Benefits and Pricing: Provide transparent and accurate information about subscription options and pricing to avoid confusion and perceived deception. Ensure subscriptions can be easily cancelled.
  • Enhance Customer Support: Provide more responsive and helpful customer support, potentially including a phone number or live chat option. Address the issue of canned responses.
  • Address SD Card Issues: Resolve errors related to SD card recording and playback.

Medium Priority:

  • Improve AI Accuracy: Enhance the AI algorithms for bird identification and object detection to reduce false positives and misidentifications.
  • Implement Requested Features: Add landscape mode, dark mode, and the option for continuous recording.
  • Optimize Battery Usage: Address concerns about battery drain and explore ways to improve battery life, especially with motion detection enabled.
  • Enhance Notification System: Reduce delays in notifications and improve the accuracy of motion detection zones.

Low Priority:

  • Add PC/Web App: Develop a web or desktop app for viewing cameras on a computer.
  • Refine User Interface: Improve the user interface for better navigation and ease of use.
  • Multi-User Login: Explore the possibility of allowing multiple users to be logged in simultaneously, potentially as a premium feature.

7. Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • AI-Powered Bird Identification Correction Tool: A separate app or service that allows users to upload VicoHome footage and manually correct AI misidentifications, contributing to a community-driven improvement of the AI model.
  • Smart Home Camera Management Platform: A platform that aggregates data from multiple camera systems (including VicoHome) into a single interface, providing a unified view of home security.
  • Subscription Management Service: A service that helps users manage and cancel subscriptions for various apps, including VicoHome, to avoid unwanted renewals and double charges.
  • Advanced Home Security Camera App: A app offering advanced features such as 24/7 local recording to SD card with advanced scrubbing, more accurate AI-powered object detection, and local network streaming.

8. Trends and Observations

  • Negative Impact of Updates: A recurring pattern is that app updates often introduce new problems, leading to user frustration.
  • Subscription Dissatisfaction: Many users express dissatisfaction with the subscription model, feeling that essential features are locked behind a paywall.
  • Focus on Bird Watching: A significant number of users are using the cameras primarily for bird watching, highlighting a niche market for these devices.
  • Language Preferences: The reviews are primarily in English, with some Spanish reviews.
  • Customer Service Praise (Selective): There is recurring praise for specific customer service representatives, especially Sunny, indicating the value of individual contributions to customer satisfaction.

9. Conclusion

The VicoHome app has potential but is currently held back by reliability issues, unclear subscription practices, and a lack of key features. Addressing the high-priority action recommendations, particularly improving app stability and clarifying subscription benefits, is crucial for improving user satisfaction and attracting new customers. By focusing on these areas, VicoHome can solidify its position in the smart home camera market.

Overall Recommendation: Prioritize addressing the identified technical issues and improving transparency regarding subscription services. A focus on stability and user experience will be key to long-term success.

10. Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/vicohome-smart-home-camera/id1466734547?uo=2