Skylight App Reviews

by Charlie Seattle

Maybe wait for Version 5.0 of the Skylight Calendar? Brilliant idea and yet such a D+ execution in this iteration.

Current product and app must have barely passed the Minimum Viable Product.
- Syncing our calendars with the Skylight App is NOT simple for a family with multiple / complex schedules (isn’t that why we bought this?)
- App should allow you to change calendar layout orientation. It’s a total miss that you cannot choose a vertical layout.
- Perhaps most relevant, there are just so many options that a thoughtful version of the Skylight App should facilitate e.g. access Photos to choose your family picture, add a screen saver, icon, etc

Corresponding Skylight product feedback - because you won’t find this anywhere on their site:
- Wall hanging is actually NOT workable: the weight of cord pulls down the right side. (?!) Additionally, it’s a white product with a black cord. How does that work on anything but a black wall?
- The “desk stand” is actually a plastic stick that screws into the back. Cheeeeap.
- Cannot edit an event on the device if you want to quickly adjust the time (#life). You need to delete event and re-enter new time.
- Cannot choose an “all day” option from the device. Like, you know, BIRTHDAYS or HOLIDAYS.

All told, if I’d paid $25 for this product, I might be OK. This barely functional piece of plastic is NOT worth $150. Refund Requested.

by Kjadr

For the price of this frame, the free side of SkylightApp is almost useless and is constantly trying to get you to purchase the subscription service. My siblings and I bought it for my mom who is 92 years old to be able to to share pictures. Yes, you can send pictures to it, but they take a while to come through and there is no managing of the pictures remotely without buying the $40 annual subscription (for one person). In SkylightApp , can also only see just a few of the most recently uploaded pictures, the rest are blurred out, unless of course, you purchase the subscription. You can’t even change the order of the pictures.

I am VERY DISAPPOINTED with the non-disclosure that is is a subscription based device for managing pictures remotely. I can’t speak to how well the subscription service works because I’m NOT buying it. For the price of this device, it should include a full service app.

by VCG Esq.

I think this has the potential to be awesome but it was marketed too soon. SkylightApp is lacking many basic calendar functions. There is no option for a yearly repeat so you can’t set birthdays. It doesn’t auto generate the title of events that happen more than once so you have to retype it each time. When you set a start time for an event on a future date, the end time doesn’t automatically go to the future date but stays on the current date. There also isn’t a month view function in SkylightApp . Also, listing our unique cal email as an intended has never worked to transfer events from my iPhone calendar to SkylightApp ; so I have to enter every event in two places. It could also use a notification to other family members when someone enters a new event. These are just basic things that would take less time when making a quick calendar entry and seem like common sense for good UE.

by AOMCLCDM

The frame is expensive but we got one because the novelty of it armed with it. But my older parent is not able to manage and organize the pictures himself. Fine. So I put SkylightApp on my phone. But turns out that if you even want to SEE the pictures that are on the frame you need to upgrade to the monthly or annual payment. Otherwise you have zero idea what images are there.

So I had to pay in Order to manage my dad’s account. Then after I paid, SkylightApp didn’t work - still can’t use the functionality. So I contacted customer support; they said they couldn’t help me gain functionality and that they could not offer a refund. What!?

So consider a different product where they are more up front about what you get, and where you are paying for something you can’t use.

by Mada716

I purchased this frame back in the fall. It was easy for my mildly tech savvy parents to set it up. It worked instantly and easily. I took a break from sending photos since they had done a long-term visit. When I started uploading photos again, I was disappointed to find that viewing the history was now considered a Plus feature that required a subscription. Really? Changing the terms of use after purchase doesn’t sit well with me. The upload process also changed a bit and isn’t as seamless as it used to be. I used to add photos to a “skylight” album from my phone but it doesn’t intuitively sync photos from that album anymore. Perhaps it’s just buggy? Either way, not loving the sneaky ways of up selling features I didn’t have to pay for in the past.

by Lover Of Endoxi

This frame is not only stylish it’s also very easy to use. I bought this for my parents during the beginning of the stay at home orders here in San Diego. I wanted a way for me, my 5 siblings as well as extended family to be able to send pictures to a central location. This way my parents wouldn’t have to sort through pictures received by phone, send to email, download to computer, save to a micro card, etc. etc. You get the picture? (Pun intended). My parents love it! The family loves it! I would’ve rated this 5 stars but I also purchased SkylightApp access, which should be free, and I am not at all happy with how clunky and poorly put together it is. I hope skylight is on top of making SkylightApp shine as much as the frame does. Oh, and the video with sound feature rocks as well!

by Ole Faithful!!!

My children gave this to me for Christmas with the promise to share more photos with me. It is enjoyable to watch but at the same time I could see some improvements could be added. Fading pictures in and out or other options would be wonderful, also a timer of turning on and off. In addition as it randomly switches pictures I see a few very often but not all of them. Another problem I noticed is the sound for videos. No matter how many times I turn the sound off it continues to come on with every showing of a video. It was necessary to remove the videos altogether. The Skylight does not have a battery therefore it must be plugged in at all times. It was a wonderful gift but not really very different from the Digital ones we used to put an SD card in with the exception of using WiFi.

by Nathan's Grammie

We absolutely love our Skylight! My son and DIL gave it to us for Christmas and we enjoy it every single day. I love that I can see my kids and grandson and all their animals every day, at any time. The photos scroll thru all day and sometimes I find myself just going into the living room to have a look and a smile 🥰🥰.
I recently went out of town to take care of my MIL as she was sick with Covid at 98. My husband (who also was getting over Covid and couldn’t go) doesn’t have a smart phone so sending him pics is a pain for him to get. So I sent him pics of his mom and her last days to our Skylight and he was able to “see” her and I was able to send him a video of a priceless conversation that mom and I had about what he was like when he was a kid ❤️.
This truly was one of the best gifts ever. So easy to set up and use and it truly is the gift that keeps on giving, everyday if you want it to. Our kids live thousands of miles away and I feel like this keeps us more connected.
You won’t regret this purchase. It’s way worth the money for all the smiles you’ll get or give.

by Machachochamocolatta

As far as SkylightApp goes, it’s pretty slick! One star knocked off for no way to change the upload order. I only use as a digital frame so the calendar is never used and I can’t review.

As far as skylight as a company. You can upload to the frame all day long but you must purchase a subscription to remotely remove content. If you’re ok with that, after all the money you already invested in the frame, then I recommend the product. Otherwise I’d keep shopping around.

One final note, SkylightApp only comes in a mobile/iOS version. Most of our pictures are on the desktop and the only way to load to the frame from the desktop is through email.

by Its Only $$

I am so NOT tech savvy! This was a Christmas gift from 2 of my girls and my son in law set it up fir me while we were all together. They started sending pic’s to me right away! So simple to use that I am able to do this all by myself now. The option of videos and pictures! It is amazing to feel like I am part of the family interactions now. I don’t use social media, it’s just not my thing, yet I wasn’t getting to enjoy all the interaction between family events. Well? This fixed that! I am setting in my room watching the pics right now as they scroll by! So cool. One feature that is fun for me is I have an e-mail set up specifically for this and anyone can send photos or video to that address and a prompt appears on the screen to view new photos!! At a touch of the screen they start loading.
I don’t have to turn it on or off because there is a timer to have it sleep and wake up! This is one of the best gifts I have received from my kids; except the grandkids!

by Hunna L

I don’t have a Skylight frame myself, but three of my relatives do. They all bought them as gifts for each other. They said I could download SkylightApp and send pictures to their frames. My husband and I are on our honeymoon now, and it’s so nice to send our pictures straight to the frame instead of texting them to everyone. Plus it’s a nice surprise for them to see the cool places we’ve visited. I may even get a Skylight frame for myself soon. SkylightApp is very user-friendly and sends my pictures to the frame almost instantly. I get notifications for any activity, such as when someone “likes” my pictures. I also get notified when others send pictures to the frames. It’s so fun.

by Kim G. Love

I bought this frame in December 2019 for my mother who lives in a nursing home and suffers from a rare neurological disorder that, among many other obstacles, leaves her unable to control her hands. Her condition hinders her from being able to utilize the internet and phone to see pictures of friends and family. This frame allows all of her friends and family to send pictures, videos and messages of love to her with her only having to lift one finger (you tap the frame when you see a message that new photos are available).
This frame has been a small source of comfort to my mom given the current global pandemic which prevents people from visiting those they love in nursing homes.

by R50J

My parents are in their 80’s. My Mom is visually impaired. I bought the Skylight Frame and had it mailed to my parents home. While visiting them, I was able to set the frame up in 5 minutes! We live in FL and my parents are in PA. I can send pics directly to the frame. It is such a joy to send pics of our teens in “real time”. No more checking email for pics we send! And, my Mom can see the pictures quite well (I ordered the 8 x 10 size, which sits quite nicely on her night stand.) My younger friends at work were pondering what to send their parents/grandparents. I suggested Skylight. The three who ordered it were delighted that their recipients were so thrilled to receive and enjoy the Skylight Frame!

by Lovethedeals!

My daughter got this for me after my granddaughter was born. I decided to upgrade so I could also load videos & add captions and I am so glad I did! It is so easy to use and send pictures or videos to the frame. I love walking through the house and glancing at the frame during the day to see what is being shown on the frame at that time. I also love that my daughter can send pictures or videos directly to the frame as well. Once I send anything to the frame it immediately shows up, I can tap the screen and see what I just sent. It’s the best gift ever and a fantastic upgrade from the old digital frames where you have to remove a USB or San disk each time you wanted to load more photos. It’s the perfect gift to give anyone!

by Gwendyl

My mother’s birthday was in August and she turned 89. She has felt very isolated from our large family due to the scare of Covid and all of us keeping our distance especially those of us working in the health field. I bought this virtual frame for her and now all of us are sending pictures pretty much daily and it has made a world of difference! We are sharing our lives with her daily and she looks forward to our daily visits never knowing who is going to drop in (on her frame). Next best thing almost to being there! The heart feature on the frame is priceless where she can just touch the heart on any new pictures and it automatically sends an email to the sender that she got and loved the picture. Perfect gift for her during this trying time.

by 'Ssica

So when I first saw this advertised, my first thought was “I would be hilarious to be able to send random memes and funny pics to someone”…so I told my mom about it because she would have found that funny too. Well, she immediately contacted her siblings and they pitched in for a Skylight for their mom. My grandma is in a nursing home several states away, and our family is really scattered around the country. It has been so nice for all of us to easily send her pictures of her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and various pets. SkylightApp is really cool because we all get to see what other people are sending to G-ma! Some of my cousins have children I have never met, and being able to open SkylightApp and see birthday parties or silly moments is something I treasure! I would recommend Skylight to everyone!

by Violetrae1

I’m super skeptical of products that I see in my IG feed that look too good to be true...this one wasn’t. It’s awesome. When I had a question about shipping/ arrival date, they got back to me within hours and addressed my concerns (getting it there by Xmas). SkylightApp is literally idiot proof, it’s so easy to upload video and pics. Plus my favorite feature is that anyone who has the email address of your frame can also use SkylightApp or email and send pics. My siblings and I use it to help make our parents feel included in our daily lives since they’re so far away and we haven’t been able to see them this year. The frame has a sleek, simple look and great resolution. I’m actually annoyed I didn’t take advantage of their buy 2 and save promo because I want one for myself now! Haha. Anyway, awesome purchase, high quality, and intuitive, easy to use interface. Love it!

by Rae Chel

I bought this for my 82 year old mom for Mother’s Day. She does not like technology and is very frugal & I have a really hard time buying for her anything she likes. I set this up & loaded pictures beforehand. I could tell when she opened the gift that she didn’t like it, but she brought it home. It was funny after her first complete round of pictures she calls me and says “how do I shut this off? I’m done looking at the pictures.” I tell her just to leave it on, I have a sleep mode set up. The next several days afterward she calls me to tell me how it’s growing on her and that she feels like she has company over, then how comforting she finds it. Needless to say she is very happy. I am also happy with the gift, the set up & how my siblings & nieces & nephews can email pictures in at anytime. My mom doesn’t have internet, so I’m going over once a week to hot spot the unit to download. A very nice unit

by Grocery1789

A very good friend got me this frame last year for Christmas! I absolutely love it! I had another digital frame (it was nice, too) but I’m not very tech savvy, & I had to wait for someone to help me get pics on it. But with my new skylight frame, I can send pics & videos immediately right from my phone/iPad all by myself! I love all of the features the skylight frame offers right now, but my favorite is being able to privately share pics/videos with my family & friends who also have skylight digital frames! I love this frame so much that I recently bought 3 of them, 1 for a family member & 2 of my friends! Like me, they are hooked & love it as much as I do! Thank you so much, skylight team! I’m looking forward to the new features that I have read about that are coming soon. However, if possible, please don’t make them an added expense on/for the customer to get them & add to the frame.

by Urthcreature

This has been a wonderful way to share pictures with my Mom, cellphone had gotten too confusing for her. With the skylight she can have so many photos in one place, easier for her than photo albums and we can send instantly to her from anywhere, she can easily swipe forward or backward on the screen but not have to deal with other navigation. Perfect for her and I’m glad we chose the Skylight. (Only improvement would be for me as manager to be able to see the entire photo collection, it only lets you see the latest handful of photos and you can delete any of those as needed, have to pay for a subscription to be able to see and manage the entire collection.)

by SteelHorseman

SkylightApp works great to upload photos to the $160 digital SkyLight Frame. But you can’t use it after 30 days unless you upgrade to the paid service. I tried to upload photos using SkylightApp and was told I could no longer do so unless I start paying them. Same is true for uploading from your phone using the mobile website. Of course all my photos are on my phone rendering the cool functionality of this frame pointless unless you pay the subscription. Boo to you Skylight.

by Hlpflrvws

Love the option for sending pictures to this frame. So far, ok. But, there needs to be more functionality, preferably through SkylightApp so that you can control more pictures at one time. An easier way to change the orientation of the pictures, and a way to add a caption in post. When uploading a bunch of pictures, it would be nice to have all the pictures in a list with the option to add a caption next to each one of them, before uploading all of them to the frame.

by Mavsguy842

The Skylight app seems to function fairly well overall, but is missing features that are only available on the website.

The main omission I’ve found is that I cannot add approved email addresses from within SkylightApp (to allow photos to be sent from a new email address). Instead, it just informs me that new requests will be emailed to my personal email address to approve.

Another nice feature would be to be able to manage the frame to a greater degree. For example, be able to add a new WiFi network/credentials so it’s pre-setup prior to gifting. Or being able to manually reorder the pictures, or to randomly reorder the photos from within SkylightApp .

by Bemof13

I got my Skylight frame for my birthday and was thrilled! I get new pics from the kids and grandkids regularly, and it gives a feeling of connection with them, especially during this distancing phase. It works as advertised! No sideways or upside down pictures. I like having access on my phone to deal with duplicates.

by Happy Granddaughter

I bought this for my 92 y/o grandmother who is NOT tech savvy (she can’t even use a flip phone). She LOVES THIS. She receives new pics daily from her family all over the world. Great way to stay connected and gives her something to look forward to, and for others to share every day moments with her. Best gift I’ve given in a long time.

by Birdiejr

Love my Skylight and have bought several for other family members. SkylightApp makes it easy to send pics to everyone in one swoop. It would be nice to be able to add more than one at the time if adding text but I think we’ll get there.
Btw be sure to upgrade to include video and text. It’s so worth it!!

by Gramma Vi

My son purchased the skylight frame for my birthday... I am enjoying it especially now during the virus, I get pictures of the grandkids and am watching them grow in digital delight... what I really was impressed with was the response I got when I contacted the help line.... it was a Sunday afternoon and I was able to troubleshoot my problem and get it resolved kudos to your staff...

by Tschneiter2

I bought this frame for my 88 year old mother. She’s very active and such but never been much for social media. She lives 700 miles away so it is a great way for me to show her all of my activities and my beautiful flowers. I have my whole family sending her pics from all over the u.s. she calls me several times each week telling me about all of the pics she is receiving. I seriously believe this is the best gift I have ever given anybody. It is so simple to use as well! Thank you thank you thank you.

by Sue - A Happy Customer

The BEST gift...ever! We bought a Skylight Frame for our elderly non-tech parents last Christmas. It is easy to set up and all family members can send in videos and photos while our parents just have to sit back and enjoy the show! They’ve said it was the BEST gift they’ve ever received. They feel connected to their entire family now. They get to see updated photos and videos of their Children, Grand-Children and Great-Grandson. We highly recommend the Skylight Frame!

by Mmg8690

This is an awesome picture frame. I own 2 of them for my 2 homes. I send photos to both of them so I each and every pic at both homes. So cool to that my children can send pics to my frames from where ever they are and I’m always surprised cause I never know when I’m going to a pic or where they are. One of sons loves to travel the world so when he is in another country I get these amazing pics. Love theses frames. Thank you for your product.

by Michellenoel6

This is wonderful for any family member however we bought it for my Grandfather’s 90th Birthday. Both him and my 85 year old Grandmother love it! It’s a great way to keep connected, especially during these times of COVID-19. Surprisingly they do have Facebook but sometimes certain photos are just meant for family only. It’s easy and fast to send the photos and within seconds they can see the photos. I would highly recommend this to anyone. I’m very happy with it.

by Tr As Veler

We bought this for my 97-year-old mother who is in a senior living facility. We have not been allowed into the facility during the Pandemic and she is not at all technically inclined and does not have a smart phone or computer. The staff set this up for her (simple set-up) and now the whole family and friends can send her updated photos and short videos so we can keep in touch. She loves it; and it arrived just in time for Mother’s Day! It truly is “the gift that keeps on giving”.

by @reesedorrepaal

I just purchased my parents a Skylight frame after a glowing recommendation from a friend, and I have to say... I am thrilled with my purchase! I’m constantly getting asked for photo updates from my parents (we live in different cities), but trekking to CVS or Walgreens to print them out & bringing them home when I come back to visit is way too much of a hassle. With their new Skylight, I can share photos instantaneously that they can display in their home, which they love! Using SkylightApp makes this process even more convenient.

by Damo-H

I live overseas and we just had a baby, it’s the best way for us to constantly show my family new pictures of him growing up. Sometime we just don’t have time for FaceTime but through skylight we can easily and quickly upload photos to connect with our family.