Sengled, once a prominent name in smart lighting, is facing significant turmoil, as of Summer, 2025:
Critical outages: Starting in June and recurring through July, Sengled’s Wi-Fi-enabled smart bulbs and app suffered major outages, leaving users unable to control their lights via the Sengled app, Alexa, or Google Home. Complaints flooded forums as users found their bulbs completely unresponsive for days, with no official explanation from the company. Basic manual operation was still possible, but the brand’s promise of seamless smart automation was badly undermined.
Alexa skill removed: Amazon permanently discontinued the Sengled skill from its Alexa platform. As of August 1, 2025, customers can no longer use Alexa voice commands or routines with Sengled bulbs that required cloud connectivity. Amazon cited “repeated extended service interruptions” and a lack of resolution from Sengled as the rationale for the ban, urging users to switch to devices that meet Alexa certification standards. Sengled lamps using Zigbee, Matter, or Bluetooth can still work natively with Alexa, but Wi-Fi bulbs reliant on Sengled’s cloud can’t be controlled via voice nor app.
Financial Distress and Legal Issues
Sengled is reportedly in a state of financial crisis, with rumors of bankruptcy unclear but mounting evidence of severe trouble:
- Employees have not been paid since January 2025, prompting strikes as of April and calls for liquidation of assets to recover unpaid wages.
- The company faces multiple lawsuits, including patent infringement actions and disputes with suppliers. Some court orders, including asset freezes, have targeted unpaid debts and contract breaches.
- Its reputation among customers has cratered following these persistent disruptions, unfulfilled warranty obligations, and lack of communication. Many users are actively seeking alternatives like Philips Hue and Cync for reliability.
Product Compliance and Regulatory Actions
- In July 2024, Sengled settled with the California Energy Commission (CEC) for $122,000 over the sale of non-compliant bulbs, agreeing to stricter standards and the removal of unlisted models from sale.
- The recent launch of Sengled’s Matter-enabled multicolor bulb in 2023 promised better compatibility and performance, but recent issues have overshadowed those innovations.
Customer Experience and Outlook
Customer frustration is rampant, evident in online forums and social media. Users report apps that won’t load, email addresses unrecognized by the platform, and Alexa routines abruptly failing. With Amazon’s official removal and the app often non-functional, many are left looking for new brands. Attempts to contact Sengled have gone unanswered, and there is no sign of a public solution or roadmap to recovery.
Sengled’s future is uncertain. Service disruptions persist, Alexa capability is gone for most users, and the company is beset by financial and legal woes. Unless Sengled provides clear updates or recovery plans, many smart home users are beginning to migrate to more reliable alternatives. Some experts are advising against cloud-controlled smart products, more generally, in favor of locally-controlled products.
Sources:
- https://www.reddit.com/r/smarthome/comments/1mcfgn5/sengled_fully_down_again_not_even_working_through/
- https://us.sengled.com/blogs/news
- https://www.theverge.com/analysis/718436/amazon-alexa-skill-ended-for-sengled-smart-lighting
- https://manuals.plus/sengled/a19-smart-matter-wifi-bulb-manual
- https://amazonforum.my.site.com/s/question/0D5at00000M1wKjCAJ/sengled-leds-still-not-working-screen-shot-included-below
- https://us.sengled.com
- https://inside.lighting/news/25-06/smart-lighting-cloud-failure-leaves-users-dark
- https://aitopics.org/search?cdid=arxivorg%3A95158702&dimension=pagetext&filters=taxnodes%3AGenre%7CInstructional+Material
- https://winbuzzer.com/2025/07/31/amazon-dumps-sengled-alexa-smart-bulb-skill-after-months-of-outages-highlighting-smart-home-risks-xcxwbn/
- https://thewoodrufftimes.com/2025/08/11/11249/
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