5 reasons why people are abandoning smart refrigerators

Not everything in a home needs an internet connection to function properly, and smart refrigerators are one of the clearest examples of this. These devices are designed to keep food frozen longer so you can eat it later, but many companies have already tried to create improved versions. So even though the technology initially attracted attention, users still found several reasons to ditch a smart refrigerator.

For many people, investing in simple smart home upgrades for beginners is worth it, and some items justify the extra cost, but refrigerators are rarely on that list. Despite the promise of convenience that comes with adding a smart refrigerator to your kitchen, you might start experiencing problems months after purchase, whether because you don’t use its features or because the manufacturer ends software support for your device. These situations show that the more a device depends on connectivity, the more likely it is to disappoint the user.

One of the main reasons why users abandon a smart refrigerator is its feature set. At first, it might seem interesting to have an AI-powered refrigerator that suggests recipes using an internal camera to make it easier to find the products you need, or even automatically updates your shopping list. However, the desire to use these gadgets usually does not last long and users revert to their conventional usage, opening the door to manual verification.

Since the smart fridge’s main function, keeping produce fresh, doesn’t change much compared to a dumb fridge, many users wonder if it was worth it. An entry-level smart refrigerator can cost more than $2,000, while a conventional refrigerator of the same capacity costs $1,000 or less. So, in practice, you end up paying extra for a product that you stop using after a few months.

Another recurring reason among users who purchased a smart refrigerator but then abandoned it is the reliability of the product. Over time, many began to notice that this device had more problems than a conventional refrigerator. The screen may freeze, sensors may stop responding, and the same conventional issues that can occur in a dumb build may still appear.

Due to the engineering behind these smart refrigerators, manufacturers need more electronic components to produce them. It also increases the number of parts that can fail over the years. Repair prices also vary widely, with a common smart refrigerator costing on average between $150 and $500 to repair. However, issues related to its “smart” side, such as the digital control board, cost more due to specific parts and specialized knowledge.

Ultimately, the user pays a higher price for the product but must also prepare for additional expenses. If a problem arises, especially with electronic components, the costs simply become higher, which is why checking the most reliable refrigerator brands before buying is a safer investment.

Today, ads appear virtually everywhere, even in spaces that once promised otherwise. For example, when streaming services started becoming popular, they sold the idea of ​​ad-free platforms, but today they offer cheaper, ad-filled plans, while ad-free plans continue to get more and more expensive. So, having a smart refrigerator at home means having an extra screen for advertising space.

In 2025, for example, Samsung confirmed that Family Hub refrigerators would serve ads as part of a pilot program for its line of smart refrigerators. In fact, a user who found an ad for the “Pluribus” series on the screen announced that he would return the product. Other users also posted similar reactions, with one saying they paid extra for the smart device to have a screen to control the devices, not to show ads.

However, even if companies offer the option to opt out of ads, users also lose useful information, like weather forecasts, since both take up the same space. Some of Samsung’s competitors have yet to follow the same path, but as has happened with streaming and smart TVs, it may only take time.

Unlike a regular refrigerator, which can function normally for years in good condition, smart features depend on continued software support from the manufacturer. The problem is that companies don’t always clearly communicate this decision to users, and support can end with little or no warning. So on some models you can’t know how long the features will continue to work as expected.

Once support ends, all of a refrigerator’s smart functions begin to degrade or stop working over time, so you’re essentially left with a conventional refrigerator at a premium price. Depending on the model you purchased, some still need software and cloud connectivity to perform basic functions like temperature control. In these cases, the function of the refrigerator itself may suffer. There are also security concerns. Without updates, the refrigerator can become a target for attacks that use it to access your home network and spread malware to other devices.

For users concerned about privacy and how companies use their data, this can be another issue with a smart refrigerator. It sends and receives information from the Internet at any time when connected. So you buy a device to store food, but it remains connected to the network. In theory, this allows some functions to remain active, but in practice, many could work just as well without relying on the network.

One user, for example, said he enjoyed using the device’s weather and music features, but had to block several Samsung resources because he considered them a privacy issue. In fact, many people recommend isolating smart home devices on a separate VLAN precisely because they see no reason why a refrigerator needs so much freedom to go online. For many people, this extra layer of care doesn’t make up for the convenience a smart refrigerator brings to the home.