In another loss for early smart home adopters, Logitech has announced that it will brick all Pop switches on October 15.
In August of 2016, Logitech launched Pop switches, which provide quick access to a range of smart home actions, including third-party gadgets. For example, people could set their Pop buttons to launch Philips Hue or Insteon lighting presets, play a playlist from their Sonos speaker, or control Lutron smart blinds. Each button could store three actions, worked by identifying smart home devices on a shared Wi-Fi network, and was controllable via a dedicated Android or iOS app. The Pop Home Switch Starter Pack launched at $100, and individual Pop Add-on Home Switches debuted at $40 each.
A company spokesperson told Ars Technica that Logitech informed customers on September 29 that their Pop switches would soon become e-waste. According to copies of the email shared via Reddit, Logitech’s notice said:
As of October 15, 2025, your POP button(s) and the connected hub will no longer be supported and will lose all functionality.
As an attempt at compensation, Logitech gave affected customers a coupon for 15 percent off some Logitech products, including its Ultimate Ears speakers. The coupon is only valid in the US until March 31, 2026, and doesn't apply to Logitech’s Pro or RS racing wheels for gaming, videoconferencing products, its Logitech for Business line, or "newly released products,” according to the email.
Logitech’s neglected smart home
Logitech’s spokesperson declined to comment to Ars about our questions regarding e-waste, the short cancellation notice, or whether Pop button owners can continue using the devices locally after October 15.
“For close to a decade we have been maintaining the POP ecosystem, but as technology evolves, we have made the decision to end support for this device,” Logitech’s representative told Ars, repeating messaging from the email sent to customers.
However, Logitech’s maintenance of the Pop ecosystem has deteriorated lately, per user reports. Over the past two years, people have reported problems in getting the buttons to work consistently with their app, Logitech's Harmony Hub, Samsung SmartThings, and Apple HomeKit.
Logitech originally marketed the Pop switches as being compatible with its Harmony-branded universal remotes. Logitech stopped manufacturing Harmony remotes in 2021 and stopped supporting first-generation remotes in March.
Overall, Logitech appears less committed to smart homes than when it eagerly joined the smart home hype of the 2000s, including by acquiring the company originally behind Harmony remotes, Intrigue, for $29 million in 2004. Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber suggested that the company was moving away from its Circle-series of smart doorbells, telling The Verge last year that she was “not even sure those are still being sold." Logitech quickly backpedaled from Faber's comments, and a couple of Circle products are currently listed on Logitech's website (one is "temporarily" out of stock as of this writing). However, the executive's comments don't instill confidence in the longevity of Logitech's smart home lineup, which hasn't seen a product launch since 2020.
Smart home struggles
The slow decline and ultimate discontinuation of Logitech’s Pop buttons is indicative of the challenges that smart home enthusiasts face in finding quality products that not only work well, but will also be supported long-term. Smart home users have been let down by plenty of new companies that were unable to stay in business. However, even more established companies, like Logitech and Belkin, that eagerly jumped into smart homes years ago are falling short.
This e-waste situation is a reminder of the value of smart home products that allow local control, which ensures that your property isn’t bricked due to changing corporate interests or a failing business.
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