The problem isn't tech per se, it is the many poor implementations and the push by manufacturers to get you to subscribe to their cloud service. You can have y

The problem isn't tech per se, it is the many poor implementations and the push by manufacturers to get you to subscribe to their cloud service. You can have your cake and eat it too, but you do have to do some work to get there. I can control every light switch, thermostat, garage doors, deadbolts, and a few other random things. All from my phone. Automate things, get notified if I want, when the door is unlocked/opened/whatever. But critically, if my Home Assistant goes down, it all fails back to 1950s style. E.g. the deadbolts still have a physical key and a twist knob on the inside (though the keypad functionality is not Internet-dependent). This does mean I don't use any devices that become unusable when the HA server or Internet disappears (for example, Hue bulbs). For devices that don't have local control as an option, I just refuse to buy them. I won't buy things that require a 'net connection to function.