Hey y’all, just wanted to share a little home automation magic I pulled off recently using only ONE Aqara motion sensor — yep, just one.
So, I had this idea of automating my hallway + living room lights without buying 10 different gadgets, and I started playing around with one of my Aqara Motion Sensors. I placed it strategically in the hallway where it could see enough movement from both the entrance and the living area.
Paired it with a few Aqara smart switches and a bit of scene automation through HomeKit (shoutout to HomePods), and boom — lights come on when I get home, dimmed lights when I go for that midnight snack, and full brightness in the morning when I’m stumbling around with my coffee. 
The coolest part? I set zone-based automations depending on time of day and activity. One tiny sensor now basically controls the vibe of my whole downstairs. It’s wild.
I honestly didn’t think it would work THIS well with just one sensor, but turns out, placement + tweaks in automation logic go a long way. If anyone’s on the fence or thinks they need to flood their house with sensors — maybe start small and get creative.
Curious if anyone else pulled off hacks like this? Let’s swap tricks!
. I’ve seen folks overcomplicate things with multiple sensors when strategic placement (like your hallway spot!) + smart automations can do the heavy lifting.
Have you played with adding lux thresholds (if your sensor supports it)? Could help fine-tune those auto-on moments even further (e.g., only trigger at night if ambient light is low).