Which smart thermostats have accessible iOS apps?

By Lulu2229, 28 November, 2015

Forum
Smart Home Tech and Gadgets

Do any thermostat apps (Honeywell, Nest, Ecobee3, etc) allow one to access current room temperatures using VoiceOver? How about high and low temps? Am I asking too much?

Have looked at the Honeywell demo app but don't find simple room temperature accessible. Perhaps, I'm doing something wrong. The Nest people tell me their app isn't accessible with VoiceOver (Hee Hee!) and viewing the Nest app (no demo) doesn't offer any clues. The ecobee app (no demo) doesn't seem accessible from what little I could get out of it.

I know about the Apple HomeKit but even the Apple accessory experts can't tell me how it will act with the Ecobee.

Thanks to earlier poster elsewhere in applevis, who states that idevices thermostat don't do well with voice over.

Lulu2229

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Comments

Glad to hear it, Kirsten. Wish I lived in The UK where Inspire is. This gives me hope a totally accessible system is coming to the US soon. Thanks for responding.

By sockhopsinger on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 - 09:34

Some of the buttons are labeled a bit strange, and the layout could be better, but yes, it is accessible if you use it.

By Lulu2229 on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 - 09:34

In reply to by sockhopsinger

Thanks for responding. I am being specific in my question here because the Honeywell is also considered accessible but it does not read the current room temperature aloud to the user. It certainly allows the user to set the temp but in the Honeywell app demo, voiceover cannot read the current temp. That's why I am interested in hearing from those who use the thermostats, including radio thermostat, to see if current room temp is actually read aloud via VoiceOver.

By Louise on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 - 09:34

I use the Nest, and it does read the internal temps, but it just isn't labeled right.
You open the thermostat and swipe past the up and down buttons. It's not obvious, but it's there.

By carlos on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 - 09:34

Hi I was having the same problem,
I only new about the Honeywell and nest thermostats,
so I went with the Honeywell rth6580wf first of all,
as far as the room temperature the app shows it but as you said it is not accessible,
wich I have spoken to Honeywell about that.
But the website is accessible so when I want to see the indoor tempeture I sine in to the mytotalconnectcomfort.com/portal site and it tells me.
The only thing is if I want to change the temperature on the website I have to use nvda and firefox because voiceover and jaws do not recignise the up and down buttons on the website.
So I usually change the temperature on the app.
Also the rth6580wf has buttons that can be pressed it is not touch screens I was happy for about $100 it was a good investment.
Good luck lulu,
Carlos

Another thing, Carlos, I just went to that Honeywell demo app and you can change the label on the buttons in VoiceOver. It worked nicely by double tapping on the button with two fingers and the rename label screen came on. Aggravating about not seeing the current temp, isn't it?

That's interesting I've never tried to relable buttons with voiceover.
wich buttons did you relable?
I was talking about lowering and raising the temperature on the website on the app it works fine the up and down buttons work fine.
Yes I wish they would make the room tempeture accessible on the app but at least I can sine int on the website and read it.
Carlos

By Lulu2229 on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 - 09:34

In reply to by carlos

I'm glad you have the website too. I relabeled buttons on the app. For me, the heat up button was labeled "short". Hee Hee.

By Louise on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 - 09:34

I am not sure it's really a button because what VO says changes as the temp changes. I don't think it's a typical button.
If anyone knows different, please let us know.