Scenes vs. Automations – What’s the Difference and When to Use Which?

Automation Inspirations
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If you’re new to smart homes, Scenes and Automations can sound like the same thing. They’re not – but they’re best friends. It took me some time to understand and embrace the difference. So, happy to share some learnings.

Scenes

A Scene is basically a snapshot of device states. It says: “Turn on the living room lights, close the blinds, set the thermostat to 21°C.”

When you activate a Scene, everything in it happens right now – no conditions, no waiting. Perfect for:

  • “Movie Time” (lights dimmed, TV on, blinds down)
  • “Good Night” (lights off, doors locked, heating lowered)

Automations

Automations are if-this-then-that rules. They say: “If motion is detected after 10 PM, turn on the hallway light for 2 minutes.”

They run by themselves when the trigger happens – no button press required. Perfect for:

  • Turning on lights when you enter a room
  • Sending a notification if the washing machine finishes
  • Adjusting the heating based on outside temperature

When to Combine Them

Sometimes the magic happens when you mix the two:

  • Scene as manual override: You use automations for daily routines, but still have a scene button for instant control when needed.

  • Example: Your “Close Blinds” scene is set to be triggered by an automation every night at 10 PM. But one day you want to go to bed early at 9 PM. Instead of creating a whole new automation for 9 PM or closing the blinds manually, you just press a (smart) button that runs the exact same scene instantly. This way, you only build the scene once and can reuse it in both scheduled automations and manual triggers.

In short:

  • Want something to happen instantly when you say so? → Scene
  • Want something to happen automatically when a condition is met? → Automation
  • Want both flexibility and automation? → Combine them

If you get this right, your smart home won’t just work – it will feel… alive.

What are your learnings or best examples of combining scenes and automation?

And always remember: If your car is smarter than your house… you’re driving into the future while living in the past. :red_car::house:

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@RudyK Thank you for sharing your insights on the difference between Scenes and Automations in a smart home environment. Your explanation is both informative and relatable, especially for newcomers who might find these concepts a bit confusing at first.

Scenes, as you mentioned, are fantastic for immediate actions without any conditions. They’re perfect for setting the mood or managing multiple devices simultaneously with just a tap. On the other hand, Automations are the backbone of a truly smart home, enabling devices to react to specific triggers without any manual intervention. This distinction is key to optimizing how we interact with our smart homes.

Your example of combining Scenes and Automations is spot on. Using a Scene as a manual override within an Automation setup not only provides flexibility but also ensures that your smart home remains responsive to your immediate needs. It’s a great way to streamline processes and enhance convenience.

For those looking to delve deeper, understanding how to set up these features in the Aqara system can be beneficial. For instance, automations can be configured through the Aqara app by setting conditions (“IF”) and actions (“THEN”), which allows you to tailor the smart home experience precisely as you like [Reference: Hub M1S Gen 2 FAQ].

I’m eager to hear more from the community! What unique combinations of Scenes and Automations have you all found useful? Your experiences might inspire others to take their smart home setups to the next level.

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Nice introduction! I was confused when I first learn these two things. It will definitely help new users!

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