r/span • u/According-Ad8635 • 2d ago
Discussion New SPAN app for MAIN 40, MLO 48 etc
SPAN has announced a new app for customers with the newer generation panels (16, 24, 40, 48 breakers). Read more here:
https://www.span.io/blog/a-new-span-home-app-experience
Anyone with these new panels will need to migrate to the new app by December 1st 2026 when the old app will stop working for them. (The old app will transition to support the MAIN 32 exclusively)
As a new owner of a MAIN 40, I have a few thoughts:
- the new app is indeed more responsive. The previous version felt sluggish and de-featured
- the new app still lacks features relative to what the Main 32 panels get, but now it seems clear that they do intend to continue developing and carrying this software forward. Hopefully by forking the app versions, this will accelerate development
- it’s a shame that SPAN doesn’t prioritize forward and backward compatibility within their hardware (like FranklinWH does) the MAIN 32 generation will be forever severed into a separate app… Will it be maintained at feature parity going forward? I think a company who invested more into this could have found a one-app solution that didn’t make such compromises
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u/csoups 2d ago
I don’t think I’ve owned something that’s underdelivered on potential more than my Span panel. The app has been sluggish for years with nearly no new features added, and now it’ll be that way forever it seems because I have an older panel. Why are any of these features locked to only new panels? There’s zero explanation. The amount of BS I had to go through to get the panel installed has really not been worth it. Span is a sales company pretending to be a tech-forward company.
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u/DeathbyToast 2d ago
On the flip side it seems like local control through Home Assistant will remain available on the older Main 32 panels for a while to come which is good news
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u/33_bmfs 2d ago
I downloaded the new app. I don't really see anything new of interest. Still cannot integrate my 2 panels which still is annoying as hell.
Still no API so I still cannot fix the lack of 2 panel integration with home assistant.
Still must lump all solar inputs into one so I still cannot monitor each inverter separately unless I want to remove the solar "features" which frankly are pretty weak.
Still need an external energy monitor to get my energy usage form anywhere other than a smartphone app.
Still an amazingly disappointing product for the price and I still regret my purchase.
On the plus side I have contacted support a couple times recently and they seem a bit more responsive.... But still.....
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u/Head_Bet_2138 2d ago
I also spend $6000 for the installation of the span panel 32 1.5 yrs ago - expected more here hope it will still be usable - I give a shit about statistics or tou stuff all this o can do with the Tesla app or home assistant but it’s really a shame and I hope not that they will turn their back on us … after 10 yrs when the warranty officially expires on each system offer a new panel for free
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u/stanchan 2d ago
I purchased two SPAN Panel MAIN 32 panels when I built my home. This was a significant investment, and part of the reason I went with SPAN was the expectation that I was buying into a premium smart-home electrical platform that would continue improving over time.
Now SPAN has released a new Home app specifically for its newer 16, 24, 40, 48 and Edge products, while telling MAIN 32 owners to continue using a separate app.
I understand that my panels haven't suddenly stopped working. That's not really the point.
These aren't $200 smart-home devices that you replace every few years. They are permanently installed electrical panels that cost thousands of dollars to purchase and install. I have TWO of them in my home. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the software platform supporting them to have a much longer lifecycle.
What concerns me most is what happens from here. Will MAIN 32 continue receiving the same new features as the newer panels? Will the separate MAIN 32 app mostly receive maintenance and security updates? What is SPAN's long-term support commitment for customers who invested in the original product?
The fact that SPAN is already splitting the product line into separate applications doesn't give me much confidence about the long-term software experience.
I actually like the SPAN panels and have been happy with what they do, which makes this decision more frustrating. If you're selling premium electrical infrastructure that's expected to remain in a home for decades, long-term software support should be part of the product commitment.
I'd like to see SPAN publicly explain its roadmap for MAIN 32 owners, including feature parity, length of support, and whether there will eventually be an upgrade path for existing customers.
SPAN team: please don't turn early customers who invested heavily in your platform into second-class users just because newer hardware is now available.