Hey everyone! I wanted to share a bit of excitement about a workaround I found for using an old tablet as a presence sensor in my SmartThings setup. I’ve been trying to figure out how to automate my garage door to open when my car arrives home, and I think I’ve finally cracked it!
I stumbled upon this solution after realizing that traditional presence devices only work when they’re in range, which wasn’t quite what I needed. I have an old 2013 Nexus 7 tablet sitting in my car, which I’ve been using for music and navigation. The idea was to repurpose it as a presence sensor, but the SmartThings app kept giving me errors, saying it wasn’t a supported device.
After some research, I discovered that installing the Life360 app on the tablet and linking it to SmartThings worked like a charm! I had to download the Life360 APK from a third-party site since the Play Store wasn’t cooperating. Once everything was set up, I created a “Place” in Life360 for my home location and connected it to SmartThings. Now, whenever my car (and the tablet) gets close to home, the garage door opens automatically!
It’s been working flawlessly for a while now, and I’m thrilled with how it’s simplified my daily routine. I no longer have to fumble with my keys when I pull into the driveway, especially when my hands are full. This setup has been a game-changer for me!
I’d love to hear if anyone else has tried something similar or has tips for improving this setup. It’s amazing how creative we can get with the devices we already have lying around. Thanks to the community for all the inspiration and support!