Hey everyone, I’ve been diving into the world of smart home automation and wanted to share my experience with setting up dual trigger automations in SmartThings. If you’re like me and want your routines to activate only when multiple conditions are met, you might find this helpful!
The Challenge
I wanted my desk lamp to turn on only when two specific events happened simultaneously: my iPhone leaving the house (indicating I’ve left) and sunset (meaning it’s getting dark). Initially, I tried creating a routine with both triggers, but it didn’t work as expected. The lamp would sometimes activate even when I was still home, which was pretty frustrating.
The Solution
After some research, I discovered that SmartThings doesn’t natively support AND logic in routines. However, there’s a workaround using the hub’s built-in capabilities and a bit of creativity. Here’s how I did it:
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Create Individual Triggers
- Set up one trigger for when my iPhone leaves the house.
- Set up another trigger for sunset.
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Use a Virtual Switch
- Create a virtual switch in SmartThings. This will act as a intermediary to track when both triggers have been activated.
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Configure the Routine
- When the iPhone leaves the house, toggle the virtual switch on.
- When sunset occurs, toggle the virtual switch off.
- Set the lamp to turn on only when the virtual switch is off and the iPhone has left the house.
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Test and Adjust
- I ran several tests to ensure the routine worked as intended. It took a few tweaks, but eventually, it started behaving perfectly!
Tips for Success
- Timing is Key: Ensure your triggers are timed correctly to avoid unintended activations.
- Location Services: Make sure location services are enabled on your devices for accurate trigger detection.
- Virtual Devices: Don’t underestimate the power of virtual devices. They can help bridge gaps in native functionality.
Final Thoughts
While it wasn’t straightforward at first, breaking down the problem into smaller parts made it manageable. I now have a reliable system that keeps my dog company at night without unnecessary light usage. If you’re facing similar challenges, I hope this approach gives you some inspiration!
Feel free to share your own automation hacks or questions below. Happy automating! 