As the holiday season approaches, many of us are looking to enhance our home automation setups. One feature that has been on my mind lately is the ability to control my SmartThings Location.Mode through Alexa. I recently discovered a workaround that allows me to do just that, and I wanted to share it with the community in case others are facing the same challenge.
The Challenge
With the Classic SmartThings app being phased out, I was concerned about losing the ability to trigger automations directly from Alexa. The new SmartThings app doesn’t natively support this feature, which is a significant gap for users who rely on Alexa for daily routines.
The Solution
After some research and experimentation, I found that using WebCore is the key to bridging this gap. WebCore allows you to create custom automations that can interact with both SmartThings and Alexa. Here’s how I set it up:
- Install WebCore: If you haven’t already, install the WebCore app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
- Create a Virtual Switch: In WebCore, create a virtual switch that will act as a trigger for your automation.
- Link to Alexa: Use the Alexa app to create a routine that toggles this virtual switch when you give a specific voice command (e.g., “Alexa, toggle SmartThings Mode”).
- Set Up the Automation: In SmartThings, create an automation that triggers when the virtual switch is toggled. This automation can then change your Location.Mode to the desired setting.
Tips for Success
- Keep Commands Simple: Use clear and concise voice commands to avoid confusion.
- Test Thoroughly: Before relying on this setup, test it multiple times to ensure everything works smoothly.
- Consider Advanced Scenarios: Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can expand this setup to control other aspects of your smart home.
Final Thoughts
While it’s unfortunate that this functionality isn’t built into the new SmartThings app, WebCore provides a reliable workaround. I hope this guide helps others who are looking to maintain their smart home routines as we transition to the new app. If you have any questions or improvements to suggest, feel free to share them below!
Happy automating, and here’s to a seamless holiday season with our smart homes working perfectly for us!