YI Technology Reviews 722

I have been using my nine, Yi home security cameras for about ten years and have been very satisfied with th convenience and performance, until Kami took over the Yi company. The cameras are utilized through an app and a while back, Kami flooded the app with annoying adds that keep you from accessing your cameras until the adds are done playing. Now they have fixed the app where now you only get to view your camera for eighty seconds before the app shuts the camera off unless you purchase one of their subscription plans. A total extortion scam. Now my nine security cameras are worthless unless I pay them money to use them. I was wondering if Yi camera users could open a class action law suit against Kami? Do not purchase any of Yi or Kami products. You will not like their deceptivr practices.

Must be counterproductive. I have BINNED 6 of my 8 cameras and replaced them with TAPO cameras that are FAR better in the first place, and using software you can actually access.

YI IoT camera app is overwhelmingly negative, primarily due to recent updates that introduced HIGHLY intrusive advertisements and a system that attempts to force users into expensive subscription plans to access basic features, even those using local SD card storage.
Key Criticisms
Intrusive Ads: Users report being bombarded with constant, full-screen ads (some 30+ seconds long with unadjustable volume) when opening the app or trying to view live footage. This makes the camera useless for urgent security checks.
Paywalls for Basic Features: Features that were once free, such as viewing motion-activated clips (even those saved to a personal SD card) or watching in HD quality, are now locked behind a paywall.
Forced Subscriptions: The app's design is heavily geared toward "overselling" its cloud service, making it difficult to use features without a subscription.
Subpar, UNDERSTATEMENT, Customer Support: The company's customer support is often described as difficult to reach and unhelpful, with reports of phone numbers being disconnected and email support being slow or unresponsive.

While my dome camera was fine for many years, the new app makes it impossible to use. Went in the trash can today. I will never have another YI Chinese POS again.

Impossible to use the yi camera without purchasing cloud. I threw all four of mine in the trash!

PUnless you are willing to pay £129.99 a year for their basic cloud plan then do not buy their cameras. They've rendered the app completely useless now unless you buy their cloud plan every year.

Was a great camera now its just an ad after ad cannot access camera straight away going to throw them in the bin a get new ones from another competitor.

For years, I was able to access my cameras, SD card videos and live stream without issue. Then I was forced to watch constant cloud service and other ads before access while using the free version.
Today I could only view live stream while watching a timer count down and then switching me to a link that forced me to purchase a plan to gain camera access. No warning, no grace period.
I will toss these cameras (5) and purchase another brand. This company is a scam.

. can't get past adverts..
I need to be reimbursed as it's unusable.
The company are thieves.

I've had 4 yi camera's for a few years. Quality was average but OK. I only ever used a micro card to record video. The problem is they have been trying for years to get you to use there cloud services by pushing adverts when starting the app. I got over this by using a different dns server not allowing adverts, but the latest update is the end of the line for me and I suspect everyone else having these cameras. They now only allow without a cloud subscription sd and not HD video and live viewing is only allowed for 90 seconds! Avoid these cameras and company. I'm off to replace my cameras with eufy ones.

I have had this camera for years. It has slowly got harder and harder to use. All you want to do is quickly access just to be restricted by ads and offers, then to find out it hadn't recorded for a while due to cloud options interfering with the card saving. I bought the camera, I want it to do what I tell it and leave it at that, simple.
If you want to be able to access your security camera and check on your home instantly, do not buy these products..

App used to be great but went downhill. Just when I thought Yi couldn't get any worse. The latest updates includes even more ads ramming its subscription service down your throat. But the absolute most disgusting thing they've introduced is you can now only view 90 seconds worth of live feed. WHAT THE ACTUAL F???

Used the cameras for about 4 years. They have been great...but the app has gone downhill with constant ads interrupting every few seconds. Look for an alternative

Had YI cameras for some years and they worked ok. But gradually more and more ads were placed on the app forcing you to watch whilst you really needed to see your recording. In the last month the cameras became completely unusable without subscription. So if you are not ready to subscribe, DO NOT BUY. I am replacing the system all together.

I bought three of these cameras for home security, intending to record onto micro sd cards without paying their expensive subscription fees. Set up was OK but movement detection is hopeless, so the cameras have to be set to record 24/7 which quickly overwrites itself. The worst problem has been ads within the app which have steadily increased, and now I can only use it for 90 seconds at a time before it says free time is up, and I need to pay for a subscription to continue using it. The video quality is very basic and there is no sound from one of the cameras. So they are going in the bin. Total rip off - do not buy.

The camera is a good buy but the app that you have to use
camera is a scam.it tries to force you to buy a subscription and if you don't you cannot use the camera. The app is horrible and their endless ads have infested my tablet. I will certainly buy another camera with a legit app to operate the camera

Cameras are now unusable due to the ad's and Constant interference to subscribe DO NOT BUY!!!

There is nothing good about Yi and their home cameras or app. All negative reviews here on TP are a glowing example on how poor a company Yi-Kami really are. My 7 Yi cameras are now sent to landfill, replaced with another make. Yi sold me my HD/2K cameras on the pretext I would be able to view them without subscription. I knew I had to buy my own SD cards. Yet now they limit MY live viewing to 90 sec, limit viewing to standard definition SD... unless I pay an extortionate £/year. Adverts pop up all the time. I could go on and on but a score of 1.1 on Trustpilot should alert everyone just how poor this company is. Zero Star. Useless. Robbing. Ahhhh. Don't buy or invest any more time. Check out the poor App Store reviews aswell.

Been using their cameras for years have over a dozen but now almost totally useless unless you sign up for cloud services. Latest trick is to bombard the app with adverts, then have a 90 second viewing window and the feed stops. Total ripoff now.
AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE

This is my second review of Yi Technology. Yet again they have shown gob smacking arrogance in the way they foist there absurd Kami Cloud plans on you. The latest update forces you to see a full screen advert for their cloud plan every time you open a camera, and I have 5 so its now got to the point where I will be burning their junk and buy from a professional company like Tapo. I have already managed to block external ads by using an ad blocking DNS server (dns.adguard.com or p2.freedns.controld.com) but these latest are built into the code and I have no way of stopping them. I am astonished at how little respect this company has for the people who fund it by buying their cameras and I for one WILL NEVER SPEND ONE PENNY MORE WITH THIS BUNCH OF SWINDLERS!!! P.S there is an Android app called Tinycam Pro (I think it costs about £2.99) which allows viewing of multiple cameras and NEVER SHOWS ADVERTS!!! Just get this and dump Yi app for good and maybe they will start to listen instead of desperately trying to get money out of us. NB. GUESS WHAT. THEY HAVE JUST SURPASSED THEIR GREED AGAIN. I HAVE JUST NOTICED THAT YOU CAN ONLY VIEW LIVE FEED FROM EACH CAMERA FOR 90 SECONDS, THEN ITS BACK TO THE "PLEASE GIVE US MONEY TO CONTINUE, WE'RE DESPERATE TO TAKE YOUR CASH!!! MIND BOGGLING ARROGANCE

I wish I got different cameras. The 1st time I got a Yi camera it was great. I could access my videos on my SD card, no ads. But now you have to pay out the butt or your inundated with ad after ad. And even though I have SD cards in all my camera it's always telling me I can't access the videos unless I buy one of their plans. Do yourself a favor and find a camera that will allow you to use your own SD without them being able to monitor your home. It's freaking weird. Hate this company now.