ArcTouch, San Francisco App Designers and Developers ArcTouch, San Francisco App Designers and Developers

IoT Smart Air Filters Powered by a Smart App

Is there anything more important in your home than the air you breathe? ArcTouch teamed up with 3M to design and develop the Filtrete™ Smart app that powers the Filtrete™ Smart Air Filter. Using Bluetooth® technology, the app communicates with the filter’s built-in sensor. Available for iOS and Android, the app monitors the air flow and filter usage — and alerts you when it’s time to replace your filter. Buy it now from Amazon.

3M Filtrete Smart app screenshots

“We placed a lot of trust in ArcTouch to help us bring Filtrete air filters to the IoT — that trust paid off with a truly smart product.”
— Patrick Hiner, 3M Filtrete marketing manager

3M Filtrete filters create cleaner air
3M Filtrete Smart app air quality indicator

Challenge

Air filters for home HVAC systems typically need to be replaced once every three months. But each home's environment is different and the exact filter lifespan may vary depending on the amount of particles in air and how often the HVAC system is used. When a filter is dirty, the air quality of the home will suffer. And filters can look clean when they are actually dirty.

With all these variables, people don’t know how often they need to change their filters. And often they forget to change their filters, resulting in poor air quality.

Solution

Working in lock-step with the 3M Filtrete™ team, ArcTouch designed and developed the app — and helped establish the channel for how the filter sensor communicates with the phone over BLE. This technical achievement is an enabler for an elegant IoT solution that solves a real consumer problem, helping improve air quality in the home. The app’s UX design surfaces the most important information at the right time -- letting you know when you need to replace your filter. But it also allows people to understand the air quality, offers tips for how to improve your home's air quality, and makes it easy to order replacement filters in a matter of moments.