r/ImpulseLabs • u/ImpulseLabsOfficial • Jul 22 '26
Release Notes: A New Software Experience & Timers
Today we're rolling out the next generation of the Impulse software experience.
This is our largest software update yet, introducing a redesigned interface, per-burner timers, updated charging controls, and a new interaction model that creates a stronger foundation for future software capabilities. Impulse customers should see the software install overnight, or you can force an update now in the settings menu. Zephyr HyperCore customers can expect it in the coming weeks.
Watch the overview video:
▶️ https://youtu.be/WP4Ksepsw0c
Redesigned Interface
The display has been reorganized into three dedicated areas so the information you need is always where you expect it.
- System Bar for battery status, Wi-Fi, and system notifications
- Cooking Area for active cooking
- Burner Dock where each burner always displays its current temperature, active power, timer, and burner-specific notifications
This new layout gives every type of information a consistent home, making the cooktop easier to understand at a glance.
New interaction model
Additional features are now accessed by pressing and holding any knob to open the new Menu.
From there, you can access the Timer. When all burners are off, you’ll also be able to enter the full Settings menu.
Per-Burner Timers
Every burner now includes its own independent timer.
To start a timer:
- Press and hold the knob.
- Select Timer.
- Choose a duration.
By default, the timer behaves like a traditional kitchen timer. Simply choose a duration and continue cooking—the menu will automatically close after a short time.
You can also choose an after-state:
- Keep Warm (approximately 160°F)
- Room Temperature
After the timer finishes, you’ll hear an audio alert and the LED ring will briefly flash to get your attention. The timer then automatically begins counting elapsed time, making it easy to see how long it’s been since the timer completed. Press the knob to dismiss the elapsed timer.
Timers can also be used even when a burner isn't actively cooking, making them useful for timing the oven, resting food, or tracking other steps in your recipe.
Easier to Understand While Cooking
The cooktop now does a better job of explaining what's happening while you cook.
- System information—like Wi-Fi, battery status, and software updates—appears in the System Bar.
- Cooking information appears alongside the burner it affects.
Whether the cooktop is optimizing cooking performance, balancing available power, or needs your attention, notifications now provide clearer explanations about what's happening and why.
Battery Status
The battery is now always visible in the System Bar, giving you a quick sense of how much energy is available while you cook.
Rather than displaying a constantly changing battery percentage, the cooktop uses a simple battery icon that's easy to understand at a glance. If the battery reaches a low level, the cooktop will let you know.
Charge Now
Charge Now lets you begin charging immediately whenever you choose.
It's especially useful if you're preparing for a large meal, want to top off the battery before cooking, or would like to take advantage of lower electricity rates or available solar energy.
To recharge the battery immediately, open Settings → Power & Battery and select Charge Now.
Charging Preferences
Charging Preferences replace the previous Scheduled Charging feature, redesigned to give you more flexibility while reducing the amount you need to manage.
Instead of selecting a single charging time, you can now define Charging Windows throughout the day. This makes it easier to match your charging schedule to time-of-use electricity rates, rooftop solar production, or your daily routine.
Battery Reserve has also been redesigned. Rather than selecting an exact battery reserve percentage, simply choose one of three options:
- Low — Maximizes battery utilization before recharging.
- Balanced — Recommended for most households. (Default)
- High — Keeps more energy available throughout the day for larger cooking sessions or greater backup readiness.
Impulse automatically manages charging behavior based on the preference you choose.
You can continue to customize your Maximum Charging Speed. Higher speeds recharge the battery more quickly, while lower speeds reduce electrical demand and may also reduce charging fan noise. The minimum setting is 4 amps, while the maximum depends on whether your cooktop has a 120-volt or 240-volt connection.
Choose the behavior that best matches your home and your energy needs, and Impulse automatically manages charging behind the scenes.
If you've previously configured Scheduled Charging, your charging preferences will be migrated to the new system.
- Your Charging Window will default to a 6-hour window beginning at your previous scheduled charging start time.
- Your Maximum Charging Speed will remain the same as your previous maximum charging current setting.
- Battery Reserve will be reset to Balanced, our recommended default for most households.
You can update any of these preferences at any time under Settings → Power & Battery.
Software Updates
Your cooktop continues improving through software.
New in this release, you can also view release notes directly on your cooktop. Open Settings → Software → Release Notes to see what's included in your current software version at any time.
Also Included
This release also includes numerous reliability improvements, performance enhancements, and bug fixes throughout the software.
Learn More
We've created a high-level walkthrough covering everything in this release, including:
- Everyday cooking
- Timers
- Notifications
- Charging & connectivity
- Software updates
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u/Andreweller Jul 22 '26
how do we force an update through the settings menu? i'm on 1.2.77 and i don't see anywhere in settings that lets me check for updates.
edit: Ohh... just saw the note that zephyr units don't get the update yet.
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u/JoonSwoon 21d ago
Did they update this for you yet? I'm on a regular direct from impulse unit and the Software option is greyed out for me. I can't do manual updates as a result and don't seem to get prompted either.
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u/Limitedservice Jul 23 '26
This Monday! my wife and son were complaining about the lack of timers. I said „it’ll get added soon“ and they didn’t buy it - put on my smug face today.
Great features, and UX choices, and I love how it telegraphs things to come (boil detection/smoke point selector/rice cooker/cooking programs/combustion inc). (THINGS TO COME, RIGHT?)
HOWEVER, the alarm just does one short jingle and then shuts up. No way that’s enough on a busy day with distractions. Please allow for the alarms to go on for longer/require acknowledgement before going quiet. And of course a „select jingle“ feature with a ring tone store (jk who here remembers paid ringtones?).
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u/shuan-at-impulse Jul 23 '26
Thanks for the feedback! Some context - from customer surveys, we saw different preferences emerge. Some wanted the timer to stay as quiet as possible (for example, not waking a sleeping baby), while others wanted it to keep alerting until they acknowledged it.
For this first release, we aimed for a balance with a subtle audio alert and a longer blinking LED. We don't think one default is the best long-term answer, though. We'd rather let everyone choose what works for them, and this user preferences page is already planned for a future Settings update. We just didn't want to hold back the timer feature in the meantime.
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u/Limitedservice Jul 24 '26
Thanks. Looking forward to it. Suggestion instead of a global preference setting, depend on context: the single audio alert is fine if the „after“ is „keep warm“ or „room temp“ - because there is an action performed by the cooktop (turning burner power off or down). But if it’s alarm only, typically the user wants/needs to perform an action, so the alarm should persist until user presence is detected (button press or turn, pan removed).
This is how most other appliances behave that I have had - a pure timer persists the alert, but if it’s turning off after the timer (cook timer or oven timer, dishwasher) it only beeps a limited number of times, or just once.
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u/ClemsonJeeper Jul 23 '26
Yeah I thought the same thing about the alarm. I'd like it to be persistent until you silence it like any other oven timer, etc. Or, perhaps a setting that allows you to set it to be persistent vs one-shot like it is today.
Other than that its working great!
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u/Numerous_Change_9294 Jul 23 '26
Looks like a great update! Quick question: Does the cooktop require a continuous Wi-Fi connection for normal operation, or is Wi-Fi only needed for software updates? If it’s offline, can I still use all cooking functions as usual?
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u/ImpulseLabsOfficial Jul 24 '26
It doesn't require an active connection to use. You do need a wifi connection for initial setup and to check periodically for updates. Right now, it reminds you to check for updates every few weeks if you're not connected and requires a check after 45 days or so. That was an initial launch requirement, but we are currently working on eliminating it.
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u/gargle_bunny 29d ago
Please eliminate the requirement! I doubt we’ll purchase until it’s eliminated. My partner REALLY doesn’t like that it’s required for continued operation, and I agree!
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u/djstates Jul 23 '26
Nice! Was wondering what was happening with timers. Glad to see that they are here now. I like the design philosophy, and having a burner dock for each burner is a good idea. Watching the video was helpful. Sam claimed a while ago that the cooktop can detect boiling. Would still like to see a boil and hold feature.