FAQ: The Many Ways of Detecting Presence (2020)

[Scott_Barton (Scott)]

@JDRoberts

Build Your Own WiFi Detection

Finally I should add that some highly technical members have added their own detection systems based on their phones connected to their specific Wi-Fi. Again, people who did this were people who found that the more general solutions just weren’t accurate enough at their house. You can find a number of threads on this approach in the forums. But that’s more work than most people find necessary.

IFTTT, now has an Android connect to WiFi applet.

Android Device Integrations - Connect Your Apps with IFTTT

I use this to turn on a Virtual Presence Sensor that uses the Universal Virtual Device Type Handler (needs to be a Switch and Presence device).

@RyanW

Has anyone had success combining multiple presence sensors for a single user (ST App, WiFi, Tasker, etc) into a single virtual presence sensor? It seems like the “super presence sensor” would be more reliable for running routines versus having WiFI based presence sensors false triggering.

That’s what I did here: Uses ST Phone Presence, IFTTT Android Location, and IFTTT WiFi to control a Virtual Presence Sensor.

Fix for Android presence arrival problems

I think I have come up with a work around for smart phone app presence constantly arriving and leaving even when home. I created a Virtual Presence Sensor using the Universal Virtual Device Type Handler. I then use 3 IFTTT recipes and an ST Smart App to control the Virtual Presence IFTTT Android Location enters a location, turn on ST Virtual Presence Sensor. This location is the same size GeoFence as ST IFTTT Android Location leaves a location, turn off ST Virtual Presence Sensor. This location is much bigger as it includes the areas where Google thinks I’m jumping around to (more on that later) ST Smart Lighting App to turn on Virtual Presence Sensor when my Android Presence Sensor arrives. IFTTT Android connects to Home WiFi turn on ST Virtual Presence Sensor Now change your R…