Geeni is a smart home app designed to help you control all your connected devices from one place. I've been using it for about a year now to manage my Merkury Innovations smart plugs, bulbs, and a security camera. The app itself has been around for a while, and you can download it for free on both Google Play and the Apple App Store. It has millions of installs on Google Play, which gave me some confidence when I first got it. You don't need to pay anything to download or install the app, which is great. Setting up an account is required, but it's a quick process with just an email. I haven't seen any annoying ads pop up while I'm using it, which is a big plus for me. There are some in-app purchases available, but so far, I haven't felt the need to buy anything extra. All the basic controls for my devices work perfectly without spending more money.

Using the Geeni app is pretty straightforward. After you download and install it, you just follow the steps to add each device. For my smart plugs, I just plugged them in, tapped 'Add Device' in the app, and it found them on my Wi-Fi network. A simple tip from a user: make sure your phone is connected to your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi band during setup, as most of these devices don't work with 5GHz. Once everything is connected, the main screen shows all my devices. I can turn my living room lamp on or off with one tap, or set my porch light to turn on at sunset automatically. I use the scheduling feature a lot for my coffee maker plug. I also grouped my bedroom lights into one 'scene' so I can turn them all off at once before bed. It feels very natural, like I'm just using a remote for my house.

When I was looking for a smart home app on Google Play, I saw a lot of options like the apps for TP-Link Kasa or Wyze. I chose Geeni because the devices were affordable and the app promised simple control without a hub. Compared to others, Geeni feels less cluttered. Some apps try to do too much and get complicated. With Geeni, I got exactly what I needed: a way to control my lights and plugs from my couch or even when I'm not home. It doesn't have as many advanced features as some premium brands, but for my daily use, it's perfect. It just works, and that's why I've stuck with it over trying other platforms.

• 🔗 Unified Device Control: The main screen brings all your Merkury smart plugs, bulbs, and cameras into one clean list. Unlike some brand-specific apps, Geeni lets you mix and match device types without switching apps.
• 🔗 Easy Setup & Scheduling: Adding a device is a guided process. The scheduling tool is simple, letting you set any device to turn on or off based on time or sunrise/sunset, which is more intuitive than some competitors' complex menus.
• 🔗 Scene Creation: You can create custom 'scenes' like "Good Night" to turn off multiple lights and plugs at once. This group control is a standout feature that works more reliably for me than similar functions in other free apps.
• 🔗 Reliable Remote Access: As long as your devices are online, you can control them from anywhere. This core function is solid and fast, matching the performance of more expensive ecosystems without the extra cost.

• 👍 Simplicity & Clean Design: The interface is not cluttered. It's easier to navigate than apps from brands like Gosund or Teckin, making daily use very straightforward.
• 👍 Strong Core Features: The scheduling and timer functions work flawlessly. For basic automation, it performs as well as, if not better than, more famous apps I've tried.
• 👍 Cost-Effective Ecosystem: The app unlocks full functionality for very affordable Merkury hardware. You get a reliable smart home experience without a subscription, which many similar apps now require for advanced features.

• 📶 Wi-Fi Setup Can Be Finicky: The initial device connection sometimes requires a couple of tries, especially compared to the rock-solid setup of a brand like TP-Link Kasa.
• 📶 Limited Advanced Automation: You can't create complex 'if this, then that' rules like you can with some other platforms. The automation is basic time/sunrise based.