I recently implemented a smart lighting system to help manage our busy household, and I wanted to share my experience and a fun automation idea I came up with. Our setup includes Govee LED bulbs, Hue lights, and a mix of Z-Wave switches. It’s been a fantastic way to streamline our daily routines, but one challenge we faced was balancing privacy and family life when I’m on important calls.
A few months ago, my wife suggested setting up an “On Air” indicator using our Hue lights. The idea was inspired by radio stations, where a red light signals that someone is live on air. We programmed our Hue bulbs to turn red when I’m on a call and switch back to white once the call ends. It’s been a lifesaver for our 14-month-old son, who now knows not to interrupt when the lights are red!
However, manually changing the scenes every time I start or end a call has become a bit tedious. I’m curious if anyone has a clever way to automate this process based on my phone’s call status. I know iOS has some built-in features, like pausing music when a call starts, but I’m not sure how to extend this functionality to control smart lights. Any ideas or tips would be greatly appreciated!
This project has been a fun way to integrate technology into our daily lives, and I’m excited to explore more automation possibilities. If anyone has similar setups or creative solutions, I’d love to hear about them!