FAQ.

spexor is a corporate start-up at grow platform GmbH. grow GmbH is a company-internal platform for start-ups and is 100% owned by Bosch. New business areas that promote innovative ideas are developed here.

spexor is currently sold in Germany, Austria, France and the Netherlands, but can be used throughout the EU when traveling. Sales in other countries will follow soon. Check our website for updates.

The spexor API allows spexor to integrate and communicate with your smart home. Through the interface, spexor’s readings and alerts can be forwarded to your own application or to third-party services.

spexor can be integrated into the Home Connect Plus app by Bosch and the open source home automation system openHAB.

With SingleKey ID, you can log in to many of the online services offered by SingleKey ID partners with just one login. This gives you convenient access to all your services, apps, managed devices and product warranties.

You will receive a push message when your spexor has been successfully activated or deactivated. Apart from that, you can check the status in your app under “Surveillance Mode” on the home page.

To ensure that spexor remains mobile for a long time and that its battery lasts as long as possible, it has different settings for mains power operation as opposed to battery operation:

The activation time is the time it takes between clicking on ‘Activate’ in the app and the start of surveillance. You can shorten this time by disabling power-saving mode in your spexor app or avoid waiting altogether by activating surveillance directly by entering the PIN.

Battery mode: During battery mode, spexor is notified every 15 minutes whether you have activated or deactivated it. This means: It can take up to 15 minutes until spexor responds to the entries in the app.

Power-saving mode is activated: this is the default setting. The battery should last as long as possible, however in this case it can take up to 15 minutes to activate surveillance. As spexor saves power, it only communicates with the server in the background (backend) every 15 minutes.

Power-saving mode is disabled: spexor reacts just as fast as when plugged into the mains. Generally, this significantly speeds up the activation of surveillance or the installation of updates. But be warned: it also reduces the battery capacity, so you need to charge your spexor more often.

Since spexor gets the update information from our server, it may take some time until the update actually starts visibly for you.

You should expect a delay of about 15 minutes if you want to start the update using spexor in battery mode. If you connect spexor to an external power supply, the update can be started with a delay of max. 5 minutes.

Our recommendation: Connect spexor to the mains power supply before you start the update.

If WLAN does not work or is not available, you have another option to start the update via Bluetooth®:

• Turn off the alarm device for at least 1 hour by pressing the ON/OFF button
• Open the app while spexor is switched off
• Start the update in the app while spexor is still switched off
• A pop-up should appear now that allows you to update via Bluetooth
• Before you select “start with Bluetooth®”, switch spexor on and activate Bluetooth® on your smartphone

Currently, spexor does not provide any information about whether spexor has an active WLAN or mobile phone connection. Whenever spexor does not have an active WLAN connection, it automatically uses the integrated mobile phone connection.

spexor does not provide any information about whether spexor has an active WLAN or mobile network connection. You can restart spexor at any time or set up spexor at a different location, for instance: close to a window, in another room or try it outdoors. In general, spexor uses provider roaming. That means we access all major mobile networks: Vodafone, Telekom, and Telefonica (O₂).

Important: The display on your smartphone does not always guarantee the availability of the phone network spexor uses.

Sometimes older device versions have difficulties in finding networks, especially so-called “invisible” networks.

If you are currently in the setup process, continue with mobile phone network and add your WLAN after the device update. What you can also do:

• Open and close your WLAN settings several times to trigger a new network scan
• Check if the 2.4 GHz network (not 5 GHz) is switched on at the router
• Try another network: This can also be a hotspot over another smartphone
• Restart the device right before you start the setup process

Blue:

Continuous light-up: Smartphone and app are connected to spexor via Bluetooth®.

White-violet:

Short continuous light-up: switch on at the ON/OFF switch.

Short flashes: spexor is still switched on if it is touched or moved while monitoring is deactivated.

Short flashes every 30 seconds: spexor is active when monitoring is activated.

Three flashes sequentially emitted all around the LED array bar: Power supply unit has been detected and charging begins.

Green:

Six flashes sequentially emitted all around the LED array bar: spexor boots up after switching on.

Pulse for 60 seconds: Indicates sensor calibration after monitoring is activated as well as the remaining time to leave the monitored room. Only then does spexor recognize an alarm event.

Red:

Flashing: The alarm is triggered.

Short continuous light-up: Switch off at the ON/OFF switch.

Deactivate Bluetooth® on your smartphone and then reactivate it.

Fundamentally, the stability of a Bluetooth® connection varies depending on the smartphone provider. It is possible that Bluetooth® may work more reliably on Apple and Samsung devices.

If you contact our support on this topic, please include your smartphone model, the version of its operating system as well as the version of your spexor (under “Device Settings”: “Updates”).

We have implemented our own acoustic alarm tones for many messages in the app. The volume can be adjusted via the system volume setting of your smartphone.

At present, the length of the push message acoustic alarm tone cannot be individualized.

No, the acoustic alarm tone is predefined by the hardware.

Android smartphones, especially Huawei and Honor, may delay the push message in case of a break-in. This is due to the power saving mode of these particular devices, which can block these notifications. Therefore, please appropriately adjust the power saving mode in the settings of your smartphone. You can find out how this works in the operating instructions of your smartphone’s manufacturer.

spexor only emits an acoustic and visual signal once the alarm message has been sent. To do this, a connection must first be established via WLAN or mobile phone communications, which can take a while depending on the connection strength and network coverage.

Turn spexor 180° upside down, enter your PIN and shortly afterwards the monitoring is activated. Important: please activate the monitoring at least once via the app before you try to enter your PIN.

It is also important that either WLAN or a mobile phone network is available when activating the monitoring, otherwise spexor cannot send an alarm.

The selection of your location affects the sensitivity of the sensors as well as the transmission of GPS data: If you select a fixed location, such as your home or garden shed, spexor will use the entered address because buildings often have poor GPS signal reception.

If you choose a mobile location, like your car, spexor uses GPS data without a stored address. Therefore, it is important to correctly define the location whenever you are on the move. Please define the location before activating the monitoring or add a new location, if necessary. Just click on your current location in your app, select the appropriate environment or add a new one using the “Edit” function (top right).

Please note that spexor does not have a GPS tracking system. To ensure the longest possible battery life, spexor only determines a GPS position if so requested via the app.

For spexor there are two software programs that are relevant for you:

• The app software: You can find the latest version in your spexor app under the menu item “Account" as well as in the respective app stores. This is also where you can check if the app needs to be updated.
• The device software (firmware): You can find the latest version of the firmware in your spexor app under “Device Settings”  “Device Update”.

We do not offer a dedicated app for the Apple Watch, however, you will receive notifications on your Apple Watch when it is connected to spexor. Please note that Apple currently does not allow you to use custom notification tones via the Apple Watch. Therefore, all notifications from spexor have the same default tone. If you set the Apple Watch to silent, it will vibrate when you receive notifications.

The iPhone does not play any tones when using an Apple Watch. Once you wear and unlock your Apple Watch, all notifications will be displayed here. Within your watch’s settings, you can specify whether it should respond with a sound or vibration when you receive a message from spexor. In this case, your iPhone will neither respond with sound or vibration nor will its display light up. This is a standard behavior provided by Apple.

However, you have the option to disable the display of notifications on your Apple Watch. In this case, your smartphone will play the sound predefined by spexor when you receive a notification or vibrate if you have set it to silent. You can find these settings in the app of your Apple Watch under “Messages” – “spexor”. If you have multiple Apple Watches, please do this for each watch.

spexor can automatically activate and deactivate intruder detection (break-ins) according to your schedule. In your spexor app, you can define the time at which spexor should automatically activate intruder detection.

Maintenance work is necessary at regular intervals, for example, to keep IT security measures up to date. During maintenance, there may be short downtimes. During this time you will not be able to use your spexor or the app. Once the update is finished, you do not need to do anything else – spexor does not need to be restarted or activated, but will continue to work as normal.

This is possible with a 4-digit numeric personal code which is entered on a keypad on the bottom of the alarm device. You can define the numerical personal code in the app as you like.

You decide how spexor reacts in case an alarm is triggered. The alarm device itself can emit an acoustic warning sound that immediately informs potential burglars that their presence has been detected. Or it can remain silent and inform you discreetly. In any case, after the alarm, you decide how to proceed. You can check out the situation yourself or handle it in another way, e.g., ask neighbors and friends for help on-site. We are working on the option enabling you to switch off the optical signal as well.

For the volume of the alarm, we have oriented spexor’s design to corresponding standards such as the EN ISO 7731:2008 standard. The perceived volume of the acoustic alarm is also influenced by the sound pressure and the frequency of the sound. However, it should be noted that the alarm tone has been deliberately chosen to not be so loud that the entire neighborhood goes into an uproar, but “only” lets the burglar know: “You’ve been caught.”

In any case, we are already looking into how we can make spexor even better in the future with a deterrent acoustic alarm.

The data is stored and processed in Bosch’s own back-end server system. You don’t need to worry about data protection – your data is safe with Bosch.

It is not possible to replace the battery in the device. The quality of the rechargeable batteries is such that the charging capacity is sufficient over the long term.

Sudden temperature differences in the air can trigger an alarm. This is a fundamental, technical problem of all infrared sensors, which by definition react to heat.

It doesn’t matter how your smartphone is equipped or what kind of cell phone contract you have. spexor has its own mobile phone module that includes an integrated eSIM card and can therefore be used wherever mobile phone reception is possible. That’s what makes it so flexible in use.

Yes, each alarm device can monitor a specific room or area (e.g. staircase and entrance hallway). The range of the sensors covers a radius of 5 m around the device – as long as no obstacles such as walls, high furniture, etc. interfere with the sensors.

Pets such as cats or dogs can trigger the alarm. Of course it is not a problem if you can position spexor such a way that it does not detect your pet (e.g., in a closed room).

You can use spexor wherever you need it! For example, in a vehicle, at home, in the garden shed, in the garage and in the mobile home. Logically, spexor can also safeguard what is important to you in many other places. It doesn’t matter whether it’s your hotel room or the vacation residence when you are traveling – or the workshop or bicycle shed – creativity knows no bounds here! The only criteria are that WLAN or mobile phone reception is available and that the monitored area is a closed space.

Yes, that will work. Bear in mind that spexor is always operated independently of any other alarm system installed, but it can always offer supplemental protection for your desired location. Please note: under no circumstances is spexor a replacement for a specialized, comprehensive, or permanently installed alarm system.

Please note that spexor is only intended for use in your everyday environment and is under no circumstances suitable for use in particularly critical areas. The devices, data backend and app are not in compliance with industry regulations or standards and have not been certified in accordance with standard EN 50131.

spexor measures air quality on the basis of volatile organic compounds in the air. Conversion into CO₂ equivalents is also possible; for this purpose, air quality is classified as poor if CO₂ exceeds a concentration of 1000 ppm in the air. When measuring volatile organic compounds, the comparative value is 100.

Volatile organic compounds are airborne components and these can generally be designated as pollutants (e.g. many are products of combustion). The measurement of volatile organic compounds is therefore more comprehensive than, for example, simply measuring CO₂ in the air.

spexor measures air quality every 30 seconds and transmits the data to the app every 5 minutes if power saving mode is deactivated, and every 15 minutes if power saving mode is activated. The LED display is a bit faster than displaying the values in the app due to the fact that communication via the servers takes some time.

It can take up to 12 hours until the first value is displayed in the app (due to self-calibration of the sensor), after which the sensor adjusts to the respective environment within a few days. Therefore, we ask for a little patience before the first accurate readings are available. It is also important that the latest device software and app version are installed. We recommend leaving spexor in the same room if possible, so that the sensors are ideally and precisely adjusted to that particular environment.

The air quality assessment is divided into different levels and is visible in the spexor app. Each level is accompanied by an explanation and a recommended action. In addition, spexor emits a light signal if the air quality in a room is outside the optimal range. This setting can be individually activated and deactivated in the app.

Air quality has an impact on people as well as on their living space. Good air quality improves our well-being and performance. Furthermore, good air helps to ensure a longer service life of the structure’s living space. Poor indoor air quality can cause severe problems, especially over longer time periods. The “sick building syndrome” (SBS) describes situations in which occupants experience acute health complaints and discomfort that appear to be related to time spent indoors – even though no specific illnesses or causes can be identified. The complaints may be localized in a particular room or zone, or may be widespread throughout the building. Some causes of SBS may include inadequate ventilation or chemical vapors from interior furnishings. It can lead to headaches, dizziness, fatigue, loss of concentration, eye irritation, or dry skin.

Proper ventilation is important because there are many ventilation variations and thus many ways to improperly ventilate. The goal is to replace the bad air as completely as possible with fresh air from outside. The most sensible way to do this is to create a through-draft by opening two opposite windows wide. If this is not feasible, it is recommended to open wide as many windows as possible. Especially in the winter (in order not to freeze), people tend to open windows just a little bit, but for extended periods of time. However, this generally results in poor air exchange. Quite often, only the warm air from the heating system is exchanged while the air containing aerosols remains in the room. The air in the room gets colder, but proper ventilation has not taken place. Therefore, especially in corona times, it is important to thoroughly ventilate for 3-5 minutes instead of leaving the windows just slightly open.

No, spexor only measures the indoor air quality of its location. We receive the data on pollen counts from a specialized, external partner who uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to deliver the most precise street-level air quality and pollen data possible. We use a large data infrastructure to continuously collect air quality, pollen and weather measurements from thousands of sources, including more than 7,000 official air quality monitoring stations worldwide.

Outdoor air quality is measured every 2-3 hours on average. Pollen data is displayed daily.

The following pollutants are included in the air quality index: carbon monoxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter.

Alder, ash, birch, elm, maple, olive, juniper, poplar, oak, pine, ragweed, grasses, Japanese cedar and cypress.

Pollutants in the outdoor air are often more critically evaluated than VOCs in the indoor air. That is why spexor only recommends ventilating when the indoor air quality is depleted and the outdoor air has few pollutants. spexor does not give any recommendations for action, but does point out which pollen types are active on that day and in which pollution level. You can act accordingly on this basis.

spexor notifies you with a push message when the room temperature exceeds or falls below a certain value. You can set this value yourself with the spexor app: The temperature limits range from -10 degrees to + 60 degrees. This function can be helpful, for example, to prevent freezing of plants in the garden shed at sub-zero temperatures or as a notification to provide additional winter protection for the camper.

The values for temperature and humidity are temporarily unavailable when spexor is charging. The values for temperature and humidity are visible again shortly after the battery is fully charged (also applies if spexor is permanently connected to the mains power supply) or is not currently being charged. This also affects the triggering of an alarm in case of frost or heat. The reason for this is that heat is generated when charging the battery and this heat can affect the values of the sensor.

Please be patient as spexor cools down after the charging process. This may result in the values not being immediately visible after unplugging (while the residual heat generated by charging slowly dissipates).

Fire gases occur in most combustion processes. This means open fires, of course, but also combustion processes in petrol or diesel engines as well as deliberate fire processes, e.g. in fireplaces or during barbecues.

spexor’s gas sensor detects the changes in the composition of the ambient air that usually occur during fires.

Similar to the measurement of air quality, spexor determines the composition of the ambient air. The current value is compared with previous values so that changes can be detected. If a significant change in the measured values is detectable within a certain period of time, spexor triggers an alarm.

That depends on the general conditions affecting the air circulation: Is an air conditioner or a fan running? Is a window open? Are doors open allowing a cross-draft? Is a stove being operated? Therefore, no general statement can be made about this.

This depends largely on the respective room conditions (air conditioning, windows, furniture, walls, ceiling height, etc.), which is why it is not possible to make a general statement.

It takes about one hour until the monitoring is actually active. The gas sensor must first adjust to the respective ambient air and establish a baseline for the “normal” situation. This takes some time.

Power saving mode is activated:

This is the default setting. The battery lasts – depending on use – up to 2-3 weeks. However, activating monitoring can then take up to 15 minutes. This is because spexor saves power when it only communicates with the server in the background (backend) every 15 min.

The power saving mode is deactivated:

If you flip the switch, the power saving mode is deactivated. spexor then reacts just as fast as when it is connected to the mains and the activation of monitoring and even the installation of updates is much faster on average. But beware: This also means that the battery will only last a few days and spexor will need to be charged more often.

If you use spexor with the power saving mode deactivated then we recommend you connect your alarm device permanently to the mains power supply.

The most decisive factor is whether you use the power saving mode. Moreover, the air quality measurement and the associated display setting of the LEDs play a big role:

While displaying the air quality reading increases the accuracy of the measurements, it also however means the battery consumption increases minimally. Turning on the LEDs for the display of air quality has a noticeable effect on battery life. However, there is an option in the app to make individual settings for the LED display, such as only flashing the LEDs at certain intervals or starting only after a certain predefined level has been reached. This action or, alternatively, completely turning off the LED display can further increase the battery runtime.

Other factors additionally influencing battery life are, e.g. the number of alarms or the reception quality of the mobile phone connection, WLAN and GPS.

We recommend not charging the battery below 0 °C (32 °F). However, significant temperature influences can only be measured far below 0 °C (32 °F).

You can achieve a long battery life by activating the power saving mode, deactivating the LED display of the air quality and ensuring that spexor has a very good WLAN signal. It is even better to place spexor near your WLAN router – this way, less energy is needed to bridge the radio transmission link.

spexor is available in white and black. This allows you to choose the color that best suits your application and environment.

spexor is 12 cm (4.7 inches) high and has a diameter of 7 cm (2.75 inches) at its widest cross-section.

spexor weighs just 320 g (11.2 ounces).

We do not have protective covers in our portfolio.

We don’t have a mechanical mount.

A Micro-USB connection conserves battery consumption and thus enables a longer operating time, whereas a USB-C additionally consumes power for its own operation.

The supplier you purchased your spexor from is responsible for any issue that arises within the stipulated warranty period. Please contact your supplier.