App Use Best Practice - Control from 'Things' or 'Lights & Switches'

So, as I’m adding new connected switches to the app, I’m amassing a lot of ‘Things’, but they’re hard to identify. As extensive as the icon library is, there are only so many ways you can iconize a light fixture. I noticed that you can shake the phone to reveal the names for a split second, but that’s inconvenient, and I find that I’m turning lights on and off through muscle memory alone. I can make groups of lights for rooms with several, but this gets inconsistent with a room with just one light (e.g., Laundry Room). It doesn’t fit into another category, but I can’t make single-Things their own group.

Then it occurred to me that maybe I’m using it wrong. Is “Things” supposed to just be a library, while “Lights & Switches” has the intent of setting up single or multiple groups of light switches throughout the home to be controlled? Should I set up switches for each of my Things there, and just stay out of the Things category?

HOLY CRAP!

shake to reveal?! you just changed my world

2 Likes

Crazy right, shake to reveal names.

The funny thing is, I cant help with the issue either… don’t have enough sensors yet :frowning:

@kpardue

I have 54 things and also find it difficult wading through them. Grouping into rooms works the best for me. Those that don’t logically go into rooms like hall or rooms with only one device I keep separate.

I don’t turn lights on and off through the app that often however.

I’m also struggling with this – I don’t turn devices on and off from the app very much, but the jam-packed, randomly sorted mess of icons that is the “Things” screen is hard to manage (seriously, ST, how about sorting by name, or at least keeping them in the order they were added?). I’ve started setting up lights in the Lights dashboard (I guess you’d call these virtual switches?), which certainly makes it easier for manual control, but it’s weird how some apps pick up your virtual switches and some don’t.