Major tech company's home security cameras and sirens will stop working in DAYS – customers must check account now
Warning emails seen by The Sun have been sent out to affected users with important instructions before the cut off date.
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View camera is one of the devices that will be rendered useless in days
Credit: Getty
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Hive issues final warning to affected customers
Credit: Jamie Harris / The Sun
Hive is owned by British Gas parent company Centrica - though you don't need to be a British Gas customer to use their devices.
The firm started out in 2012 mainly specialising in smart heating before branching off into more smart home products such as lighting, connected cameras, motion sensors and sirens.
But three years ago Hive announced that it was phasing out its smart security products to focus on "energy-efficient smart-tech" instead.
While the devices have continued to work for existing users, they'll now stop working entirely on August 1.
Read more about smart tech
The four products affected are:
Hive View Camera
Hive Siren and Keypad
Hive Homeshield
Hive Video Playback
Despite being security-relate products, the Hive Window/Door contact sensors and Hive motion sensors will continue to operate.
The email warns households to "download any footage you'd like to keep now" as it won't be accessible after 11am on August 1.
Most read in Tech
"It is crucial that you save any required recordings before the cut-off period on the 1st of August 2025," Hive says.
"Your data security is important to us, and we take disposal of data seriously.
Warning to criminals as new Ring doorbell AI feature makes it even easier to catch you
"Therefore, our system will be unable to recover any video footage if you fail to save your recordings before the 1st of August 2025."
Those with Hive home security products have fumed online about the move.
"They really need to refund our money," one user wrote on Reddit.
" How can we just accept that we will no longer be able to use hive cameras again? Even the live stream will stop!!"
Another commented: "Yup total w***ers - a lot of money and setup wasted."
Hive has recommended customers "recycle your devices at your local Household Waste Recycling Centre".
WHY DOES TECH STOP WORKING?
By Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun
It's annoying when tech and gadgets are discontinued, rendering some - or all - features useless.
Fortunately, companies have got better at lengthening how long they support kit.
It tends to only happen after quite a few years have passed and the user numbers have dropped quite low.
The truth of the matter is, firms have to keep updating and servicing this older tech which costs them money.
When there's only a small number of people left using them older gadgets, it's harder to justify the cost.
Moreover, new features on things like apps may not work on dated kit.
So ultimately, in the end support is dropped for these gadgets so all their energy, money and time can be put into the newer ones.
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What I thought was interesting here was that I took a pretty rubbish photo of the jacket. And not only did it find a very similar alternative on Asos, it also identified the actual jacket and listed that too. Spooky. The Asos option was just £45. An absolute steal. It's not whiskey-themed, granted – but what a bargain. Potential Saving: £75 27 Google Lens can quickly identify an item in an image Credit: Sean Keach 27 Google Lens quickly serves up cheaper alternatives Credit: Sean Keach HOME ITEM #3 – ORANGE POUFFE We have an orange pouffe that works as a footstool or a spare seat if we've got a load of people round. It's the Dunelm Eliza Pouffe Orange Umber, which goes for £40 online and in stores. 27 We bought this pouffe, but there were cheaper options online Credit: Sean Keach 27 This similar pouffe is on sale for just £25.99 Credit: RUComfy / The Sun Google Lens managed to find one that looked almost identical (but a slightly different shade of orange) for £25.99. 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There was a pricier sofa from Brand Alley at £1,599 that looked good. But my favourite was the even cheaper Lutyens Moss Green three-piece sofa from Daals, which was a thriftier £1,399.99. It's beautiful, and far closer to the original Swoon sofa. Potential Saving: £739.01 27 Google Lens tracked down this bargain offering, though it's not quite as stylish as the Swoon one Credit: Brand Alley / The Sun 27 This Daals option undercut Swoon significantly, and it's beautiful to boot Credit: Daals / The Sun 27 Google Lens is a savvy shopper's dream Credit: The Sun ONLINE ITEM #2 – OUTDOOR DINING SET Next, I went really posh. We recently moved and we haven't got any garden furniture yet. There's a very roomy outdoor set from Bridgman called the Richmond Modular Sofa Set, but it costs a frankly bank-breaking £5,299. 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Potential Saving: £4,114 27 This more budget-friendly option included a fire pit Credit: House of Glitz and Glamour / The Sun 27 Google Lens looks for products at a whole range of prices Credit: The Sun ONLINE ITEM #3 – COFFEE TABLE After the dining set drama, I thought I'd look for something quite fancy – but that might be dupe-friendly. I found an extremely pretty Porta Marble Coffee Table, which retailed at a whopping £999. Come on Google, sort me out - and of course, it did. 27 This is a gorgeous marble creation but few people have £1,000 to spare on a coffee table Credit: Luxura Home / The Sun 27 The price is very high for most Brits – so I went looking for a cheaper buy Credit: Luxura Homa / The Sun It instantly surfaced an Erie coffee table for £675, but that was still too high. So I scrolled on and found a stellar bargain from Daals. It's the Maru Round Oak Pedestal Coffee Table in Washed White for £189.99. This obviously isn't marble, but it has a lacquer effect that gives it a white shine like the original. 27 This oak coffee table gives off a similar effect to the posh marble one – but at a fraction of the price Credit: Daals / The Sun This is a brilliant example of a lookalike with a massive saving. Importantly, it's unlikely I would've found this – as I wouldn't have searched for oak while looking for an alternative to a marble coffee table. Potential Saving: £809.01 That brings the grand total savings to £5,930.04, courtesy of Google's online brain. WHAT ELSE CAN YOU USE GOOGLE GEMINI FOR? Here's the official tip list from Google... Go Live with Gemini to brainstorm ideas, simplify complex topics, and rehearse for important moments. Connect with your favourite Google apps like Search, Youtube, Google Maps, Gmail, and more Study smarter and explore any topic with interactive visuals and real-world examples Unlock a world of expertise and get tailored information about any topic Plan trips better and faster Create AI-generated images in seconds Get summaries, deep dives, and source links, all in one place Brainstorm new ideas, or improve existing ones Picture Credit: Google / The Sun
