Hey everyone! I wanted to share my recent success in setting up a ‘Follow Me’ lighting system in my garage. This setup has been a game-changer for my daily routine, and I thought I’d walk through how I achieved it, in case anyone else is looking to do something similar.
The Goal
I wanted my garage lights to automatically turn on when I arrive home or leave for work, without relying on motion sensors. The challenge was to ensure the lights turned on when I entered from outside and off when I exited towards the house, and vice versa when I was leaving from inside.
The Setup
I have two doors leading to my garage: one from the outside with a smart lock and another from the inside with an open/close sensor. Here’s how I made it work:
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When Coming Home from Outside:
- The garage lights turn on when the garage door lock unlocks (indicating I’m entering from outside).
- Once I open the kitchen door, the lights turn off, signaling I’ve moved indoors.
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When Leaving from Inside:
- The garage lights turn on when I open the kitchen door (indicating I’m leaving from inside).
- Once I unlock the garage door from the outside, the lights turn off, signaling I’ve exited.
The Solution
I used a combination of smart locks, door sensors, and automation rules to achieve this. The key was setting up conditional triggers based on the state of the locks and doors. For example, if the garage door lock is unlocked from outside, it triggers the lights to turn on. If the kitchen door is opened from outside, it triggers the lights to turn off.
Tips for Others
- Identify Entry/Exit Points: Clearly define how you enter and exit your garage to set up the right triggers.
- Use Conditional Logic: Automations with conditions are essential to differentiate between entering from outside vs. inside.
- Test Thoroughly: It might take a few adjustments to get the timing and triggers just right.
This system has made my mornings and evenings so much smoother. No more fumbling for switches or dealing with lights that stay on unnecessarily. It’s a small but impactful way to enhance home automation!
If anyone has questions or wants to share their own ‘Follow Me’ setups, I’d love to hear about them! 
