The mechanical functions keep working on every machine we review — cycles, timers and manual modes are on the device — but notifications, logs and remote control stop with the service.
It is a fair question in a category full of small brands.
What is on the device
Cleaning cycles, timer modes, manual buttons, and on flaps the locking modes. These do not depend on a server.
What is on the service
Alerts, history, remote control, and on cameras the recording. Those end when the service does.
How to reduce the exposure
Prefer machines with full manual and timed modes on the body. Prefer cameras with a microSD slot. Prefer a flap whose curfew is built into the hardware rather than into an app.
The trade
App-free machines are cheaper and simpler and tell you nothing. Both positions are defensible; the mistake is paying for the app and not knowing you depend on it.
This does not replace your device’s manual. Blade temperatures, locking mechanisms and cleaning procedures differ from model to model, and the manufacturer’s instructions take precedence over anything written here. Unplug a device before dismantling it, check a hot blade or an air nozzle against your own hand before it goes anywhere near an animal, and keep a mechanism that closes or rotates under supervision until you know how it behaves.
Last reviewed 2026-08-17