Okay, hear me out—Matter-compatible lights are way more than just on/off with your phone or “Hey Alexa turn the lights blue.” I’ve been playing around with them for a few months now and found some super fun (and surprisingly useful) ways to level up how you use them.
My favorite so far? Turning my hallway light into a silent doorbell—not kidding. With some basic automation, the light pulses softly when someone rings the doorbell (I linked it up to my Aqara button near the entrance). Perfect when the baby’s sleeping or I’ve got headphones on.
Also set my bedside light to gradually brighten when my morning alarm goes off, mimicking a sunrise. Waking up feels way less painful, lol.
Oh, and here’s a weird one: mood light notifications. When my laundry’s done (dryer has a smart plug), the kitchen light turns light green. When I get an email from my boss, it’s red. Sounds unnecessary till you try it.
Would love to hear what kind of outside-the-box stuff y’all do with your smart lights. Anyone using them as motion alerts? Color cues for smart lock status? Drop your setups, I’m looking for more ideas.
