Huge FixHub News: Native Mobile App, Shipping Update & More

When we launched FixHub in September, we knew it was just the beginning. This is our first tool with software, and we designed it to evolve, improve, and adapt to the way you work.

We got some great recognition right out the gate: Time Magazine awarded FixHub one of “The Best Inventions of 2024” for its thoughtful design and safety features. That’s a real honor, but we know that FixHub needs to keep getting better.

Your feedback has been rolling in, and we’ve been listening. Today, we’re excited to share how FixHub has already grown—and where it’s headed next.

Change Settings on the Go: More Control In Your Hands

We built FixHub to adapt to you—whether you’re at the workbench, in the field, or fixing something on the fly. Now, with the FixHub Android App, you can fine-tune your settings wherever you are. 

Think of it as a pocket-sized control panel for your iron. You can use the app to fine-tune your Smart Soldering Iron with precise temperature adjustments, customizable idle and sleep timers, and easy temperature calibration. The app also provides metrics for your Smart Iron, monitoring temperature in real-time.

Of course, there are limits. Your phone can’t power the iron—that’s a hardware limitation, not a software bug. Soldering irons need serious juice (FixHub can pull up to 100 watts), and phones simply aren’t built for that. The iPhone, for example, can output 4.5 watts–enough to warm up the iron but not really enough to solder.

We will continue to support our web interface: if you’ve got a laptop handy, you can always plug in and customize the same settings through the FixHub Web Console. For now, firmware updates are only available through the desktop interface.

Grab the FixHub app on Google Play, or download the APK directly from us if you prefer to to load your apps without Google’s help.

We’d love to add iOS support. There’s a technical blocker: we haven’t yet figured out a way to support a USB-C serial interface from an iPhone without an MFi license. If anyone knows how to do that, please let us know! (In the future, if Apple adds WebSerial support to Safari, then we wouldn’t even need a native app.)

Don’t have a Soldering Station or Smart Iron yet, but want to see what all the fuss is about? We’ve added a demo mode to the interface so you can explore the settings.

When Can I Get One?

This is the question we’re getting the most. The demand for FixHub has been incredible, and has outstripped all of our projections (and manufacturing capacity). We’re thrilled at the interest in our humble soldering iron, and are building and shipping units as quickly as possible to keep up.

This is the most complex and sophisticated product that iFixit has ever made, and it has been a real learning curve and challenge to get production yields and volume where you all are demanding. We’ll write more about our challenges soon, but trust us—it’s been an adventure.

We’ve shipped all Smart Iron and Soldering Stations orders placed through September 20, but we’re behind schedule on the full Soldering Toolkit. The last preorders from October will go out in February. Right now, we’re sold out until our next production batch arrives April. We’ve doubled down and are ramping up production, and we should be caught up with all preorders by then. You’ll hear more from us on this soon: we want to get these irons out into the world!

Here’s where we’re at with production:

• All US, Europe, Australia, and Canada Smart Iron and Soldering Station orders placed by September 20 have shipped (and got to people before Christmas).
• Remaining orders for Irons and Soldering Stations placed by December 5 will be shipped in January.
• Orders placed now will be shipped with our next production batch, which will get to us in February and will be shipped out to you in April.
• We are quite behind on production of the full Soldering Toolkit. We’re having manufacturing yield challenges with our wire strippers and flush cutters. We refuse to compromise on quality, and have been working with our factory to upgrade their machinery and production process, and yields are improving. We’re shipping units as fast as we can make them, and our goal is to fulfill outstanding orders by mid April. 

Those dates apply to our US store. Availability will be similar to this, but a little behind, in the EU, Australia, and Canada.

If you’re super eager for a Soldering Station or Smart Iron right now, MicroCenter has some in stock both online and in retail stores.

If you are still waiting for yours, be sure that we are doing everything in our power to get FixHub into your hands.

A Smarter Tool with Every Iteration

One of the coolest things about FixHub? It gets better after you buy it. Since launch, we’ve been shipping firmware updates to squash bugs, boost performance, and fine-tune FixHub’s behavior.

We’ve shipped several firmware updates so far—we’re up to version 1.07 now. We’re making FixHub more reliable, safer, and more responsive to the way you use it. If something feels off or you’ve got an idea for improvement, let us know. We’re here to listen—and iterate.

• More Reliable Power and Charging: We improved the battery charging and temperature monitoring. The Power Station now does a better job of charging from a variety of USB devices.
• Battery Longevity Enhancement: Several customers asked for a way to limit the maximum percentage to which the Power Station will charge. We added a new setting giving you the ability to extend the lifespan of the internal battery.  
• Iron Accelerometer Calibration: Accelerometers have a way of drifting out of calibration over time, so we implemented a method for you to re-calibrate the accelerometer yourself. This is in the web interface.
• Better Tool Compatibility: We made a few changes to ensure the Power Station plays nicely with a variety of other USB devices and soldering irons.
• More Robust Firmware Updates: This one mostly helps us, but it’s important: the Power Station’s internal firmware now builds more predictably, and includes more thorough checks to catch build failures early. A number of changes also improved how data is communicated internally, leading to more stable performance.
• Reduced Battery Drain: We originally built a “ship mode” for reducing battery usage during transit. Then we thought, why don’t we just put it in this lowest discharge state every time you shut the Power Station off? Duh! Well, we do that now. You should see much reduced battery drain in between uses.
• A Variety of Other Fixes: We’re listening and chasing down every edge case you report to us. USB is complex, and there are a lot of devices out there. The sooner we hear from you about problems, the faster we can fix them.

These changes are mostly under-the-hood improvements: ironing out quirks, making sure power and battery handling are safer and more reliable, and simplifying the user experience. The result is a more dependable tool that’s easier to operate and maintain.

We Left the Locks Off for Tinkerers

FixHub is a repair tool at heart, but it’s also a sandbox for those of you who love to tinker. As many of you have figured out: FixHub has a serial command line interface, and you can connect to it with any serial terminal.

We’ve posted documentation for FixHub’s Command Line Interface on GitHub, giving you low-level access to explore and customize your FixHub tools.

We’re not locking you out, because tools should work for you, not the other way around. Want to push the limits? Go for it. 

Do so at your own risk: You can use the command line tools to remove safety settings and put the device into a state that we didn’t design for. That’s perfectly fine: it’s your device and you should be able to do whatever you want with it. Damage caused to the device by tinkering (like melting the tips) isn’t covered under warranty, but don’t let that stop you.

You can find the docs here, and we’d love to see what you do with it. Again, improvements, ideas, and pull requests are all welcome.

CAD Files Now Available

We’re excited to announce that CAD files for the FixHub Power Station Case, Smart Iron, Tip, and GaN Fast Charger are now available on Printables! These files enable you to 3D-print custom cases, holders, and accessories to tailor your FixHub setup to your specific needs. Whether you’re looking to organize your workspace, add a personal touch, or explore creative mods, these CAD files provide endless possibilities. We’ve also posted them to GitHub. Check them out and start customizing today!

Want even more nerdy details on what went into FixHub? We recently published in-depth articles on the Smart Iron’s tip design and maximum power output.

FixHub in Action

From workbenches to fields, FixHub is already being put to work. We’ve seen it tackle ambitious projects—like two totally different fixers who independently wanted to add running lights to their Cybertrucks. How are you replacing your bulky soldering stations?

Photo: Mark Pauley of Axiom Armor rewiring his CyberTruck to add 12V undercarriage LEDs.

So tell us what’s working. Tell us what isn’t. Download the app, explore the CLI, and let us know what you think. Share your projects with us, too—because the coolest part of this journey is seeing what you create.