EcoFlow PowerStream: Critical Cloud Dependency & Lack of Local Control

[Just-Zuul]

Hello everyone,

I want to highlight a serious issue with the EcoFlow PowerStream inverter series that could affect many users, especially those who rely on a stable and independent energy system.

The main problem: No control over base load without the cloud / Internet

EcoFlow’s PowerStream inverters / the App have a significant limitation:

• The feed-in power (base load) cannot be adjusted locally via Bluetooth (BLE).
• The app only displays the base load settings if the smartphone has an active internet connection, even when the inverter is connected via BLE.
• If the internet goes down, either due to a regional outage, provider issues, or server problems, it becomes impossible to adjust the inverter’s base load.

This means the inverter will remain locked at the last known setting if:

• The internet is down due to a local or regional outage.
• The EcoFlow cloud experiences failures (which has happened multiple times in the past).
• EcoFlow ever decides to shut down or modify its cloud services.

For users who rely on zero feed-in setups, this could create major issues.

The technical flaw: BLE control is available, but restricted

• The inverter itself does not require internet to function – it connects via BLE without issues.
• All other settings can be adjusted over BLE, except the base load.
• The app only loads the base load settings page if the phone has an internet connection.

Why does a local BLE function require an internet connection on the smartphone?

EcoFlow justifies this by mentioning smart plug synchronization, but:

• The smart plugs communicate via the cloud and are irrelevant if the inverter has no internet connection.
• Users who do not use smart plugs are still blocked from adjusting the base load locally.

This system appears to be artificially tied to the cloud without any real technical necessity.

Suggested solutions that EcoFlow ignores

I have contacted EcoFlow support multiple times and asked the following questions:

• Why does the app require an internet connection to activate a local BLE function?
• Is there a technical reason for this, or is it an intentional restriction?
• Is EcoFlow willing to fix this issue in a future update?

The responses have been vague and evasive. They only stated that "EcoFlow is working on local solutions," but without any clear details or a timeline.

Final thoughts: Millions of users could be affected

This problem affects every PowerStream inverter user.

• Users who rely on EcoFlow products for autonomous or emergency power solutions are heavily impacted by this forced cloud dependency.
• If EcoFlow’s cloud were ever shut down or unavailable, users would lose the ability to control their inverters.
• Even short-term internet outages would make it impossible to adjust feed-in power.

There is no technical justification for this limitation. BLE control could easily be expanded to allow full local operation.

I hope this post raises awareness about the issue. Perhaps we can create enough pressure on EcoFlow to introduce a true local control option via a software update.

If you have experienced similar issues or want to support this discussion, please share your thoughts.