What is a home EV charger beta test?

A pre-release or early-access trial where a manufacturer lets real owners run an unfinished charger, firmware or app at home and report faults before general release. The tester's job is to find problems in everyday use and describe them so engineers can reproduce them.

Can I install a home charger myself for a beta test?

No. A home charger is a fixed electrical installation, so a licensed electrician should install and set it up, and you should never open the unit. Your beta agreement may add its own rules. Testers log what they can see and do from outside the unit.

What should I record when a charge stops early?

Photograph the charger's light and the car's screen before you touch anything. Then note the time, the state of charge, the limit you set, what the app says and whether the Wi-Fi was up. Check the session list in the charger's app, and log how often it happens, not just the one time.

Is BetaSuite a TestFlight alternative?

No. BetaSuite: Tester's Toolkit is not an app-beta tool and has no connection to TestFlight or Google Play testing tracks. It is for people who beta test physical products in the field and need timestamped evidence and a report for the manufacturer.

Is BetaSuite a subscription?

No. It is a one-time purchase from the App Store or Google Play, with no subscription, no ads and no account. Each store sets the price.

How to beta test a home EV charger

To beta test a home EV charger well, run the same short checks each week (pairing, charge rate against the limit you set, schedules, load balancing, access control and firmware updates), record the conditions every time and back every fault with a timestamped photo or clip. The installation, and anything inside the unit, is a job for a licensed electrician, never for the tester. BetaSuite: Tester's Toolkit (betasuite.app) is an iPhone, iPad and Android app built for this: it burns the date and time into every photo and video and turns your sessions into a report for the manufacturer. The checklist below works with any tool, and there is a free 12-step protocol to import.

Updated 2 October 2026 · Written by Goodfield Studio, the maker of BetaSuite

What to test in a home EV charger beta

A home charger beta is mostly about the everyday basics going right, night after night: it starts when you plug in, charges at the rate you set and stops when it should. Cover each area below at least once, then repeat the ones that fail so you can say how often they fail.

Area	What you are checking	Evidence worth capturing
Installation notes	Who installed it and what they set: the supply rating, the maximum current, any load-balancing sensor. Anything awkward about the mounting, the cable length or the cable route. Note it from outside; never open the unit.	Photos of the finished install, the cable route and the rating label, plus the installer's commissioning sheet if you get one.
App pairing and set-up	Time to pair, retries, whether the app finds the charger on your Wi-Fi and whether it survives a router restart.	A screen recording of the pairing, and a screenshot of any error with the time visible.
Starting and stopping a charge	Charging starts when you plug in (or when you authorise it, if it needs that) and stops cleanly when the car is full or you press stop. The app, the charger's light and the car should all agree.	A dual recording of the app and the charger's status light together.
Charge rate against the set limit	The rate in the app and on the car against the maximum you set. The car can be the one limiting it, so note its own limit too.	A photo of the car's charge screen and a screenshot of the app, taken together with the time visible.
Scheduling and off-peak charging	Scheduled start and stop times, the day the clocks change, and what happens after a Wi-Fi outage or power cut if one happens during the test.	Screenshots of the schedule, and the session list showing when each charge actually began.
Load balancing	If your unit has it: the charge rate drops when the house draws a lot of power (oven, heat pump, kettle) and recovers afterwards, without anything tripping.	A screen recording of the rate in the app as the other load starts and stops.
Access control: RFID and app lock	Cards or app users are accepted and refused as you set it up, and the unit starts straight away when plugged in if you left it open.	A short clip of an approved and an unapproved attempt.
Firmware updates	The update installs without cutting a charge short unexpectedly, and your settings, schedules and cards survive it.	Screenshots of the firmware version before and after.
Error codes and indicators	What the lights or display show for each fault, whether the app says the same, and whether it recovers by following the manual.	A photo of the indicator with the time visible, plus a screenshot of the app's message.
Session reports and totals	Energy per session in the app against the car's own figure and your meter, if you have one. Some difference is normal because of charging losses; a figure that jumps around between sessions isn't.	Screenshots of the app's session list and a photo of the car's charge summary.

Electrical safety comes first. A home charger is a fixed, high-current electrical installation. Only a licensed electrician should install it, change a setting that depends on the wiring (such as the maximum current) or look into a fault inside it. Never open the unit, never bypass or tamper with a safety feature, and never set a limit above what your electrician installed it for. If you see damage, burn marks or melted plastic, or notice a burning smell, unusual heat, buzzing or tripping, stop using the charger and call your electrician. Keep children and pets away from the cable and plug, don't use a damaged cable or connector, and don't try to trip a safety cut-out unless the manufacturer's brief says how and a qualified person is there. Check your beta agreement for anything else it requires.

A repeatable charge-rate check

"It charges fine" can't be compared from one week to the next. This check can, so you can tell whether a firmware update or a setting made things better or worse. It is a relative check on your own set-up, not a lab result.

Pick one car and one cable, and use the same ones for every check.
Set the limit in the app to a value your electrician says is safe for your circuit, and write it down.
Plug in with the car charged low enough to run for at least half an hour, and note its state of charge.
After five minutes, photograph the car's charge screen and screenshot the app's charge screen together, with the time showing. Note the current (amps) or power (kW) each one shows.
Repeat at 30 minutes, and again when the car starts to taper near full, if it does.
Note what else was running in the house, and the outside temperature.
Repeat at the same state of charge after every firmware or settings change, and log the numbers in the same row each time.

The car can limit the rate on its own (a low state of charge, a cold battery or its cable rating), so a rate below your limit is only a finding if you can show the car wasn't the one holding it back. Note any limit the car shows.

Conditions to record every time

A fault you can't reproduce is just a story. Log the same details every time so engineers can line your problem up against everyone else's.

Record	Why it matters
Date, time and time zone	Engineers can match your report to the charger's own logs and to your tariff windows, if the manufacturer collects them. Note it again around a clock change.
Supply and installation	The circuit rating and maximum current your electrician set, single or three-phase if you know, and whether a load-balancing sensor is fitted. Ask the installer; don't open the unit to find out.
The car and the cable	Make and model, battery size if you know it, state of charge at the start and end, and the cable and plug type. Different cars behave differently on the same charger.
Settings	The charge limit in the app, the schedule, access control, load-balancing mode and any other custom settings.
Weather and temperature	Outdoor units face rain, heat, frost and sun. A cold battery or a hot unit can change the charge rate.
Network	Wi-Fi or mobile signal at the charger, router changes and any outage. Many faults turn out to be connectivity rather than the charger.
Software	Charger firmware, app version and your phone's operating system. Note them again after every update.
Other loads and changes	What else was running in the house, plus anything different since last time: a new router, a second car, a tariff change or a firmware update.

BetaSuite adds the date and time to every photo and video for you, and can add GPS, live weather, the season and the time zone, each of which you can turn on or off in Settings.

A first-week routine

Adjust this to your brief. The point is to do the same checks in the same order, so a change in the result means something changed in the charger.

When	Focus
Day 1	Installation by a licensed electrician, then pair the app. Photograph the finished install from outside and note the firmware, the limit the installer set and the supply details. Do one short first charge and watch it start.
Days 2–3	Normal charges with the same car and cable. Run the charge-rate check once. Try a manual start and stop from the app and from the car.
Days 4–5	Set an off-peak schedule and check it starts and stops on time. If you have load balancing, run a normal high-draw appliance during a charge. Test RFID or app access.
Days 6–7	Let it run on its own overnight and check the result each morning. Log every missed start, early stop, error light and disconnection.
First outage or storm	If the power or Wi-Fi drops while it is charging or scheduled, note what happens and whether the charger recovers without help. Don't cut the power on purpose unless your brief tells you how.
Every week	Repeat the charge-rate check. After any firmware update, repeat the pairing, schedule and access checks.

A pass/fail checklist for a home EV charger

Agree your thresholds with the manufacturer's brief first. If it doesn't give any, write your own before you start (for example, "no more than one failed scheduled start a week") so you aren't judging after the fact.

Is installed and commissioned by a licensed electrician, with no extra work needed to get it charging.
Pairs with the app first time and stays online for the whole week.
Starts a charge within the time the manual gives, whether you plug in, tap a card or use the app.
Charges at the rate you set, allowing for the car's own limits.
Stops when the car is full or you press stop, and you can unplug without a fault.
Starts and stops a scheduled off-peak charge on time, including after the clocks change.
Lowers the rate when the house draws a lot, and recovers afterwards, if load balancing is fitted.
Accepts approved cards or app users and refuses others, if access control is on.
Reports energy per session consistently from one session to the next.
Shows each error with a clear light pattern and app message, and recovers by following the manual.
Has no unexplained stops, trips or disconnections in a week.
Installs a firmware update without losing your settings, schedules or cards.

A fail isn't a verdict on the charger. It's a finding. Write it up with the conditions and a clip. Anything that looks like an electrical or heat problem goes to your electrician and the manufacturer straight away, not into next week's notes.

How to capture evidence engineers can use

Film the whole event, not just the fault. Ten seconds before, the fault itself, and ten seconds after.
Start wide, then close. First the charger and the car, then the detail: the indicator light, the error on the app. Keep your hands off the unit and the cable if anything looks damaged.
Put the app and the charger in one clip. Dual recording in BetaSuite records your phone's screen and the rear camera into a single video, so what the app says and what the charger's light is doing sit side by side on one timeline.
Photograph the indicator with the time in the frame. Lights change quickly. A still of each pattern, labelled, is worth more than a description.
Shoot the car's screen and the app together. The two rates, and the state of charge, belong in one photo or one clip.
Screenshot what you can't film. Session lists, schedules, firmware screens and error messages, each with the time visible.
Burn the time into the picture. A stamp that is part of the image travels with the file. File metadata is often stripped when a photo is shared or compressed. BetaSuite stamps every photo and video, with optional GPS, weather, season and time zone. More on that in the timestamp camera app guide.
Catch faults day and night. Overnight faults happen when you aren't there, so check the charger app's session list in the morning and screenshot it with the time showing. For a fault you are standing next to, Instant Capture in BetaSuite keeps a rolling buffer and saves the last 15–30 seconds when you tap.
Mark it as it happens. Add a one-tap marker or a quick voice note with the time, then write it up properly later.
One issue per clip. Name it by what happened ("Stopped at 40 percent, garage"), not "Video 14".

What to send the manufacturer

A good report is short at the top, specific in the middle and backed up at the bottom. See how to write a beta test report for the full structure.

Section	What goes in it
At a glance	Model and serial number, firmware and app versions, install date, the supply and limit the installer set, the car or cars you used and your tariff windows if they matter. Three sentences on how it went.
Findings, worst first	Safety issues first (heat, tripping, damage, anything electrical), then anything that stops a charge, then annoyances. For each one: what happened, what you expected, how to repeat it, how often it happens and the conditions.
Evidence	Time-stamped photos and clips matched to each finding by name or time.
What worked	A short list. Engineers also need to know what not to change.
Data files	A CSV or JSON of your findings if they ask, so they can load it into their own tools. BetaSuite reports can ship with both.

Here is the format for one finding. The values are made up, to show the shape.

Title:      Charge stops after about 20 minutes with a red light
Severity:   High (the car isn't charged by morning)
Expected:   Charges until full or until the schedule ends
Actual:     Stopped about 20 minutes in; the app said "Connection lost"
Frequency:  3 of the last 6 overnight charges, all in the off-peak window
Conditions: Garage, 8°C, one bar of Wi-Fi, firmware 2.1.0, limit set to 16 A
Evidence:   Photo of the light stamped 23:12:40, screenshot of the app message

Want to see a finished report? Open the sample report (PDF). It has an At a Glance summary, findings sorted by severity and an image appendix.

Running it in BetaSuite

Create a project for the charger, and note the model, serial number and firmware in your first session.
Import the free protocol below.
Start a session each time you test. Capture the photos and clips the steps ask for, and drop a marker whenever something happens.
At the end of the week, generate a PDF or Word report with an At a Glance summary and findings by severity, plus JSON and CSV data files if you want them.

AI summaries are optional and opt-in. For units under NDA, Confidential Mode blocks cloud AI and cloud uploads and warns you before you share or export anything; on a supported iPhone or iPad, on-device Apple Intelligence can still write summaries. Everything is stored on your device, with no account.

Free BetaSuite protocol: home EV charger test

This is a ready-made, 12-step protocol for the first week with a home EV charger. It was built with the site's own Protocol Builder, so the link below is a real import link. It mixes pass/fail checks with choice, multiple-choice and rating questions, and asks for a photo or a dual recording where the evidence matters. It assumes a licensed electrician has already installed the unit; nothing in it asks you to open it. For the general idea, see the test protocol template.

Home EV charger test · 12 steps · free to import and edit

Open this protocol

Installation: a licensed electrician has installed and commissioned the charger, and no further work was needed to get it charging. Do not open the unit. Photo: the finished install from outside, showing the unit, the cable and the mounting.Pass / FailPhoto required
Pairing: the charger pairs with its companion app on the first attempt, shows as online, and stays online through a router restart.Pass / Fail
First charge: plug in and start a charge. It starts within the time the manual gives, and the app, the charger's status light and the car all agree that it is charging. Record the app and the charger's light together.Pass / FailDual recording required
Charge rate: with the limit in the app set to a value your electrician confirms is safe for your circuit, the rate shown in the app and on the car matches it, allowing for any lower limit set by the car. Photo: the car's charge screen with the time visible.Pass / FailPhoto required
Over the week, how did the charge rate compare with the limit you set?Options: Matched it every time · A little below at times · Well below at times · Varied a lot between sessionsChoice
Schedule: an off-peak schedule set in the app starts and stops charging at the times you set, and keeps working after a Wi-Fi outage or a clock change if one happens during the test.Pass / Fail
Load balancing: when a big household load starts, such as an oven or a kettle, what did the charge rate do? Only if your charger has it and your electrician set it up.Options: Dropped, then recovered afterwards · Dropped and stayed low · Did not change · Not fitted or not testedChoice
Access control: with RFID cards or an app lock switched on, what happened when you tried an approved and an unapproved card or user?Options: Approved started it and unapproved was refused · Approved failed to start it · Unapproved was not refused · Not fitted or not testedChoice
Firmware update: after an update, the charger comes back online with your settings, schedule and cards intact, and no charge was cut short without warning. Screenshot: the firmware version screen in the app.Pass / Fail
If the charger showed a fault or an error, how clear was it?Options: No fault seen · Clear on the unit and in the app · Clear in only one of them · Unclear, with no explanationChoice
Which problems did you see this week? Tick all that apply.Options: Charge did not start · Stopped early · Rate below the limit I set · Missed a scheduled start · Charger went offline · Error light or code · Unusual heat, smell or marks (call your electrician) · None of theseMultiple choice
How confident would you be leaving this charger to finish an overnight charge without checking it? 1 = not at all, 5 = completely.Rating (1–5)

Steps marked required show the tester a Start capture button for that photo, video or dual recording, and the capture is attached to the step's result. Answers roll up into the report: pass rates, ratings and every result grouped by question. A step that asks for a screenshot has no capture button: take it with your phone's own buttons, then import it from your photo library afterwards.

Show the raw code

BSPROTO1:H4sIAAAAAAAAE-1YW6_jthH-KwO9tAXEhWXrYhkIDtLdLLJAc8FumzwU-zCiRhZxaFIlKbtGsP-9GFL2sc8mXRTpwybto3kZznzzzTcj_5ThNGW77M8U8N2sAmV59qhMn-2yydlgpdU-y7Njtivym5Xd33_KDB4o22Vf2wPBVz-AHNHtyUEgH7I8U2yibgbZbotOrIaiEmVbSoE9tqIaZFNht5Hroc7yzNEx263zzAea2Hb2xviAWmNQ1uwAQStJxlMPpEkGp6RCAyN6UOkg9YCmB2kPB-W9soZ6CCNdfMrjrrEwzC6M5OBk3SOc0IMh6vmshT0FUCHdUGb_Al5ZMDaAnchEW7NR4QV8P9pgd3FhUEb5kfqLEzA4ewA7B696ysGP9qTM_no3Tx5hpym6w78OdjaBX8vy7HtUTpn97tZxmFA5DycVRlDBc4ATGmUN4DSBNYsfzgfAEOgwhfSuB_RgjVaGUuw-4PmyAmF0dt6PgODsHMiBIx_QBfbidTSWnt_BpOc9KHMx4QLgsvcC3oS0lNxTyZegDpQiQzOjhr06ks-v8eI05bfx_cGzjTB70Go_hus5iQ4YUdw7YnsYc6P8TXrekrTuavXp5tVwshjsnjjlHNvLuAcOA-0SpnxDqwPbNldTnvgaIBxRzwRnO7s73klrBuUOnv3xOBAM1qVTUjk5XzLNz8RkmFvj7OeSNw7ygEGO5IEvodaJMWwPzRm0PZFb_GOnuvPl3h0PJXK4KXDw0hGZp-hiQo7Kq04TY_DdkUt0JDgRPeYw2hP06ha65HckmqPnKJ3tzJ48ZHn2To7Uz5p2gAbsMIiJ8BH8shr9vcU0MSXxyE5PiQQMVz_9xX4izCPR5GOpxnMDMxXhRyVeK64y3BMwUCC1lY9s0OwJ1ADWEIw4TWQ89LO71CDrEiPwF4s9dKjRyFhup5EMIHRqD6OdPY1W96D5UHI6Bz_LkQuKAz2SSa8-UgiacjgxOX8Owt4-wHdGn9mlxI6lpqNuJa5_xC2fVGie2NMvpSTPRW-Cs3qh7NvXb15xynsf_UhKEBHwJ8VkYn4tbiUUqE8xMrjBqaiVfMvZ46KbaGA21xU2zrZnT-4hScLhxGSYpz6WzpIKsyzcVTQzhzx0KB8vchPdjpF6Cqx2DOmFJ1G2YzTKBJThKtULlCzScg5cSC5EU3YOcEJnogq8i3T3ow0XTV58PZLjPnCphycqMrBvhjuXuUgZCRhw1mGBlZyzLhWI1IQueqIi9X8clRxhcrbTdPAx-Ym4LFXKx9J6gL8q-RhFLMoXTpM-89tfs0FWkJ5MgJOddbrdEWjCY2LrRem4Vu3SaBb6ORN17QLPAogcScYyUeEBCvgiti5-VuscKvgiFrSmQOzE-zz7x0yem2vq5JOzhylku__JvnuZdtD716h0lmcSpzA7nm0mfpXP0DnbZattXa1WVSHqpiJRtnUrutWqETSUJclhRZvVKvuQ3-D5efT0jyNM8ZRDPwyy7cV6talEKYetaIeuFLSp66You5rq_j6e3_N08O940M-ok0ll9lf8qKUO--0gqrLrRDlQJbZdLQUOVVUNRVvUsr3H7_8TyH9Sb3U19MO2XYuhKFtRVnUhENtCNA3Kqi16xP4Zvv-16WZx0iuz1_RytEryh5GdLpqZfYOp16oAdCR3jmFyzwateDCAjrQ9xemGJxvuGqT1x6s_YOrIoG2AjsKJsfMUxdSzUicoBrklknUpsEYUZVl1oqVNLfq-bWW3qbfr-pn0_Gbns19Sq4bkWq6KVqxk34hyIyuBfd2JuqFt07UlVUV5D8FvZ9L7JN1eOTtN1Me6NuBI8iTAvGHUTzw_Zfnl0LU5EEd34g3Vx56acpDl2bc2wKBCoDjo8RajT_0N4VZb2fRbFGXRbkXZ9CSw2aBoNgUWRbeusNjeo_2ZTKufhPLLy82Y9FTCbPbGJk8ojobZU88lfVkeUOk0tKRup_h_jr_dX2Msn65-Gud-U2C9lhuxlt1WlO1Qi66rWoFltRlq2RRdv_qoB__OxvFfqvhhs9k01JSibisUZSUb0VFXirajjrrNtqyKZ_r_Kwf7T3LnW7uY8kSG_1GIBuzToBrheoruekQZhv8ctc9GJw-RO9GDPOXEWKB_ThpNHL9vKFLzaLkdRFdsG1EStqKTTSk2VVVuGqqqphnuYfhVHygLCIdZB_VzGCwzTL9oSiwF_j8gJPEhdPqc5dlbVsbU7p467BvmXJZn3yjvY2IuxOuvdl4uuTvx55EdBuZslmdfcdaWqc0yrXuKAM6eB8mRkKfkA7dYyzONe_TwR8nBPRfeP8WyvKbB0xPQZVFsS2ykaOttJco1rcS2a1H05aopVgPW2OA90J_Bx9w1YQ65mKtr9ayrtazK1UZ0EmtR0opEV7dSlNuyK2lNVGw22Yf3H95_-Bfm2AgaBBYAAA==

How to import it

On your phone, tap Open this protocol. If BetaSuite is installed, it opens its import sheet with the code filled in. If the link opens in your browser instead, tap Copy code there (or here).
In BetaSuite, open Test protocols, choose Import and paste the code or link.
Edit any step to suit your unit, then run it. Your answers are saved to a session and roll up into the report. Protocols, sessions and reports are part of Advanced mode; if you're in Basic mode, Test protocols offers to switch for you.

Want to change the steps first? Open the link in the free Protocol Builder. It runs in your browser with no account, and you can generate a fresh code from your edits. Running a whole beta programme? See how to give every tester the same protocol and merge the results.

When BetaSuite is the wrong choice

BetaSuite covers everything from a single stamped photo to a full report for the manufacturer. It is the wrong tool only when:

You need data from the charger itself. BetaSuite doesn't connect to the charger, so it can't read its logs, meter readings or fault history. You note what the app shows, or record the screen.
You need to measure electricity. A phone can't check a charger's current, voltage or safety cut-outs, and those checks belong to a qualified person with the right instruments. BetaSuite's charge-port logging (volts, amps and watts) is Android-only and covers the phone's own port, not a car charger.
You want unattended monitoring. BetaSuite records the moments you start or save. For a charger that fails overnight, use the app's own session history and screenshot it.
You want to test an app, not hardware. BetaSuite is not a TestFlight or Google Play testing tool. See what a hardware beta testing app needs to do.

Don't need a report? If the manufacturer takes findings through its own portal or form, or you only want stamped photos and video, switch BetaSuite to Basic mode (Settings > App mode). It keeps every capture tool, including dual recording and Instant Capture, and leaves out projects, sessions and reports, so it works as a plain timestamp camera. Attach the files wherever the manufacturer asks, and switch back to Advanced at any time without losing anything.

If you run the programme rather than test in it, see the programme page. For the longer case for the app, see why BetaSuite. Testing other battery kit? See the guides to portable power stations and the electric scooter testing log.

Frequently asked questions

What is a home EV charger beta test?: A pre-release or early-access trial where a manufacturer lets real owners run an unfinished charger, firmware or app at home and report faults before general release. The tester's job is to find problems in everyday use and describe them so engineers can reproduce them.
Can I install a home charger myself for a beta test?: No. A home charger is a fixed electrical installation, so a licensed electrician should install and set it up, and you should never open the unit. Your beta agreement may add its own rules. Testers log what they can see and do from outside the unit.
What should I record when a charge stops early?: Photograph the charger's light and the car's screen before you touch anything. Then note the time, the state of charge, the limit you set, what the app says and whether the Wi-Fi was up. Check the session list in the charger's app, and log how often it happens, not just the one time.
Can I use BetaSuite for a charger under NDA?: Yes. Everything is stored on your device with no account. Confidential Mode blocks cloud AI and cloud uploads, and warns you before you share or export anything. Check your NDA first for what you may photograph and what you may send, and by what route.
Is BetaSuite a TestFlight alternative?: No. BetaSuite: Tester's Toolkit is not an app-beta tool and has no connection to TestFlight or Google Play testing tracks. It is for people who beta test physical products in the field and need timestamped evidence and a report for the manufacturer.
Is BetaSuite a subscription?: No. It is a one-time purchase from the App Store or Google Play, with no subscription, no ads and no account. Each store sets the price.

Start testing with timestamped evidence

BetaSuite: Tester's Toolkit burns the date and time into every photo and video, then turns your sessions, markers and findings into a PDF or Word report, on iPhone, iPad and Android. Only need a timestamp camera? Use Basic mode.

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No account needed. The price is set in each store.

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