Feature Request: Smartthings App Permissions

I would like to be able to delegate permissions to certain areas of the Smartthings app to other users. More specifically, I would like to be able to give someone permission to turn devices on and off and use their mobile device as a presence sensor, but I do not want them to have access to add or remove devices, change smart app settings, change smart home monitor settings, etc.

Maybe it’s there and I’ve just missed it somewhere?

Doesn’t currently exist. Emailing support or leaving app reviews are the official way to submit requests to SmartThings.

Done. Thanks for the tip.

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You might want to take a look at ActionTiles, not free but well worth the nominal cost.

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I use action tiles on panels all over my house. That still doesn’t get me around the problem of giving someone access to change settings just because I want to use the app on their smart phone as a presence sensor.

Oh right, sorry missed that part.

You could do a split approach. Life 360 on their phone for presence and Action Tiles for control.

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Yah… This is a bummer, but there are a couple alternative ways to manage phone based presence.

  • Life360
  • Running a script on your router or something that watches for the phone to join WiFi.

Neither is as “easy” as just using the SmartThings App, of course. But granular permissions for the App have been requested for over 4 years.

We (ActionTiles) are do a bit of research to see if we can handle presence somehow; but no strong leads yet.

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The Life360/Action Tiles method is the approach I take when we use a house sitter. It’s not a bad idea, but I just thought it odd that something like this isn’t included functionality. Plus it’s just another in the plethora of apps that I have to load on their phone when we get a new friend to watch the dogs (Action Tiles shortcut, Nest, Kevo, Life360, etc.)

I had thought about running a script that watches the wifi AP for association or pings the device, but then it occurred to me that most modern smartphones disconnect from wifi in power-saving mode when they sleep to conserve battery, and I don’t need Smart Home Monitor inadvertently arming when I’m home just because my phone is trying to save it’s juice.

yeah, definitely not ideal, and smartthings 100% needs a way to add permissions. Just throwing out things that can be done now.

do you have a smart lock? For our dog sitter, when her code is used, SHM is disarmed. Then when she re-locks with the Schlage button it re-arms. no phone apps needed.

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Yeah, we do have smart locks. Kevo Plus (x2). I got them because I liked the “tap anywhere to unlock” and bluetooth/smartphone security integration & features. But unfortunately there’s no integration with SmartThings (which is BS because they work with Alexa, but I digress).

What happens when the battery dies?

Does the lock also have a key and that is available or if keyless, does she know to carry a 9 volt battery (used with my Yale locks - backup method) that she can still get in and unlock?

And if getting in with a key, how would she disarm the system if no app available?

Do you have an Action Tiles tablet on the wall that she can access to disarm? Or a Dog Sitter Routine that she can press specific to her so that disarming and modes are set correctly?

Then when she leaves and locks the door with the key, how does the system rearm?

No additional combination (Arrival sensor or Mobile Presence) of devices?

Just call you and say, no dog walking today? What if you are on vacation for a week?

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Again reaffirming my cases for both app permissions and the necessity for Kevo Plus/SmartThings integration. :-p

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Let me make a couple of suggestions that may or may not work, but let me throw them out there.

Unfortunately as you have seen from previous posts, what we call in my world, multi tenancy or row level locking, ST hasn’t implemented anything like this for multiple accounts to assign or allow access configuration to different accounts.

With that, If you were to install webCoRE and webCoRE Presence Sensor (fairly new), there wouldn’t be any need for you to install the SmartThings App on his / her phone. That’s one problem averted. And the system would arm / disarm without any need for accessing SHM or critical parts of your ST environment.

Then, with Action Tiles, if she had a guest account and you created a Panel just for him / her that only allows them access to a small specific set of devices that he or she can turn on or off, or a specific set of Routines that can be run, setting a specific Mode, etc. and then of you want to revoke something at any time, you could pin protect those specific tiles or remove a tile or remove the panel entirely if you fired that person.

Is it possible that this would cover your use cases satisfactorily?

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Then she calls and I open the garage for her.

But what happens if the internet is down…

And if she can’t get a hold of you or your battery dies or you are in an accident and it’s a few days? How does she get to the animals and disarm everything?

If the internet is down or the power goes out and battery is dead, if a key is hidden somewhere on the property, and the above scenario hasn’t happened and she does get a hold of you by phone, then she can gain access by you telling her where the key is for the short term.

I just pointed this out in looking for what your backup plan was, that’s all. :grin:

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I use CoRE for quite a few things. I have not yet looked at webCoRE. It sounds promising.

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I am waiting for an answer from the team that works with the Presence. I know that you install the webCore App (from the play store) on their phone (I have it installed in mine), but the answer I am waiting for is that they would or would not need a password in trying to access the dashboard. If it automatically would allow them to open the dashboard, it’s the same problem with the ST app in that they would be able to access the Pistons you have created, not that they would know what to do with them… I will ping you once I get confirmation on that.

IFTTT is free and has widgets and geofencing.

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But they would need permissions to your smart things account in order to use ifttt