Cync (the new name of C by GE)

Review by eFreeware

Cync is the current name for the app formerly called C by GE, and it comes from Savant Systems. It exists to control Cync and C by GE smart home hardware: bulbs, plugs and cameras, gathered into a single app rather than spread across separate ones. If you already own any of that hardware, this is the app the manufacturer intends you to use with it.

What makes it worth a second look is how much of it is built around the fiddly parts of smart lighting rather than the basics. Color matching, room grouping, shared control and voice assistants are all handled here, and the app is free, with no advertising and no in-app purchases attached to it.

It has been on the Play Store since March 2016 and now sits above a million installs with a 4.4 average from more than 92,000 ratings. Those numbers tell you it is a mature, widely used piece of software rather than a new experiment.

A control app for people who already own the hardware

The clearest fit is a household that has Cync or C by GE products installed and wants one place to run them. That includes people who bought C by GE bulbs years ago and are now adding Cync devices; the app is built to keep both generations working together in the same setup.

It also suits shared living situations. Multiple profiles let more than one person control the same devices, so a partner, roommate or family member can be given access instead of relying on one phone. Someone who travels and wants to check the house or change the lighting from another city is another natural user.

The app is a poor match for anyone without that hardware. There is nothing to control otherwise, and the features are all written around the products rather than around general home automation.

Color tools that go past a simple wheel

The most distinctive part of the app is what the developer calls TrueImage technology. You photograph your lights, then try out colors and brightness levels on that image from your phone, whether you are in another room or away from home entirely. It is a way to preview a look before committing to it, which matters when the lights are the main feature of a room.

For people who care about matching, there is an advanced color control layer. You can enter RGB values to line a bulb up with a paint color or a piece of decor, and a double color wheel lets you fine-tune the shade rather than picking from a short list of presets. That is a more precise approach than most lighting apps offer, and it is clearly meant for someone who has a specific color in mind.

A dark theme is available for the interface, which the developer points out is easier on the eyes late in the evening. Small as it sounds, it is the sort of thing you notice when you are adjusting lights before bed.

Rooms, groups and a home screen that shifts

Devices are organized into rooms, and within each room you can create groups. The example the developer gives is a kitchen where island fixtures and a ceiling fan are separated so they can be controlled on their own or together, without setting up extra rooms to do it. Anyone who has tried to manage a large lighting setup will recognize why that matters.

The home screen is dynamic, rearranging itself to put the products you use most within reach, and you can attach photos to devices and rooms so they are easier to identify at a glance. The developer describes the overall experience as more personalized, and the combination of photos and a shifting layout is how that is delivered.

Beyond direct control, the app handles schedules and scenes. A light schedule means you do not come home to a dark house, and a sleeping scene can be triggered with one touch by pairing bulbs, plugs and other devices. These are the everyday functions that turn a collection of smart products into something you actually rely on.

Cameras, outdoor plugs and voice control

The app extends beyond lighting. The Indoor Smart Camera can be added to an entryway, and it offers HD video with two-way audio, so you can check on children arriving home or watch pets while you are at work. The Outdoor Smart Plug handles things like string lights and water features on a patio, or a holiday display you would rather not switch on in person.

Voice control is supported through Amazon Alexa and Hey Google, and the developer notes that no hub is needed for it. That keeps the setup simple for anyone who would rather speak a command than open an app.

The app is also where new Cync hardware shows up first. Recent updates added support for dual-indoor plugs with USB charging and a high output shop light, both due later in 2026, alongside minor bug fixes. If you buy those products when they launch, this is the app that will run them.

Free to use, with no ads or purchases

Cync costs nothing to download. The app has no advertising and no in-app purchases, so there is no paid tier to weigh against a free one and nothing inside the app asking you to spend. That is a straightforward arrangement and increasingly uncommon in this category.

The cost of entry is the hardware itself. The app is only useful alongside Cync or C by GE products, so the real budget question is which bulbs, plugs or cameras you own or plan to buy. For a household already invested in those products, the software side of the setup adds nothing to the bill.

Because there are no purchases, there is also no feature held back behind one.

How it compares with the alternatives

Most smart home brands ship their own control app, and that is the closest comparison. A single-brand app like this one tends to go deeper on its own hardware, which is exactly what the color matching, TrueImage previews and room grouping represent. The trade-off is that it is tied to one family of products rather than acting as a general hub.

A broader home automation platform is the other option, and it appeals to people who want every device in the house under one roof regardless of brand. Cync takes the opposite approach: narrow, but specific to the hardware it was written for.

There is also the older C by GE app to consider if you have been using it. It is the replacement for C by GE, with faster connections and a more reliable link to your products, and it is designed to carry your existing C by GE devices forward rather than leaving them behind.

A sensible choice for Cync and C by GE owners

Cync does one job and does it for one set of products. If your home already runs on Cync or C by GE bulbs, plugs and cameras, installing it is the obvious move, and the color tools, room groups and shared profiles give you more control than a basic on-off app would. The absence of ads and purchases keeps the experience clean.

The people most likely to get value from it are those who care about how their lighting looks, who want several household members to have access, or who want to check a camera and switch things on from elsewhere. The 4.4 rating across a large number of reviews suggests that combination has worked for a lot of households over the years.

For everyone else in the Cync ecosystem, this is the app to use.

What's new in version 6.24.0.156-8052e4c

Introducing support for our new Dual-indoor plugs with USB charging and our high output shop light, available later in 2026. Minor bug fixes.