
#Auto turn off lights full
Tell it to trigger your IFTTT-compatible smart lights as you come and go, and you'll be all set.Īlong with Hue, smart lights that work with IFTTT include bulbs, fixtures and switches from Lifx, Lutron, iLumi, Nanoleaf, Sengled, Wiz, TP-Link and more (click here and scroll down to "Lighting" to see the full list). If so, you're in luck, because IFTTT lets you trigger automation recipes called "applets" using your phone's location. If you're using smart lights that don't offer location-aware automation as a built-in feature, then check to see if they work with IFTTT, the free, online automation service. And yep, you can tap Leaving home to program your lights to turn off automatically when you leave, too. Voila! Lights that turn on as soon as you get home (provided you've got your phone with you, of course). Toggle the Location aware slider to the on position, and make sure that the Hue app has permission to access your phone's location data.Tap Coming home, then tell the app which lights you want on when you arrive and your desired brightness or color settings.Open the Hue app and tap the Routines button at the bottom of the screen, then tap Home & Away.So, step one: Get some Hue lights and set them up according to the app's instructions. The cheapest are the standard Hue White bulbs, which cost just $15 each, but you can automate any Hue bulb or fixture provided it's connected to the Hue Bridge, which plugs into your router and translates the lights' Zigbee signals into something your home network can understand.įor my money, the four-bulb Hue White starter kit, which comes packaged with the Hue Bridge for about $90, is your best way in. There are all sorts of different smart lights in the Hue catalog.

The most obvious example is Philips Hue, which remains the most popular and well-developed smart lighting system on the market.

Let's start with the smart lights that can do location-based lighting triggers all on their own. Here are a couple of ways to get it done. With the right upgrades to your bulbs, plugs or switches, you'll be able to program your home to turn things on as soon as it detects that you're arriving. Wouldn't it be better if your house could welcome you home by turning some lights on for you before you even made it in the front door or turned down your block?Īt least, it can if you're using smart lights. If you don't believe me, try coming home to a totally dark house at the end of a long day at work. Few things have a bigger impact on the way our homes look and feel than our lights.
