Last year we showcased how you can use Perch set up on one of your old devices to instantly create a home monitoring solution. It was a nifty way to be able to see what’s going on at home without shelling out big bucks for some of the expensive cloud-linked cameras like DropCam.

It seems as though Samsung thought this idea was nifty too, as they’ve bought out the company and the current Perch beta app that is available in the Google Play Store will be taken down. In a new post on the Perch blog today, the company announced the transition.

We’re excited to announce that Perch is now a part of Samsung Electronics. Our team will be working with Samsung groups around the world to develop next-generation IoT products. We’re thrilled to have this opportunity. Sadly, in starting this new chapter, we will no longer be able to support the Perch home monitoring service in its current form. We will be removing the beta from the Google Play store, and after February 17, 2017 we will end support for the Perch application. As we move forward, we wanted to thank you for helping to make Perch a great product. We wouldn’t have been able to build it without you! For your security and privacy, all recorded data will be deleted when Perch service ends on February 17.

It’s unfortunate to see the startup shutting down so quickly, but perhaps Samsung plans on incorporating the technology into its suite of products? Who knows. Either way, we’re sad to lose a product that had a great set of uses for anyone with an extra Android phone laying around the house.