Hello. I have successfully installed the ST Hub, and the Iris Garage door opener. There are two questions to assist me with. First, I am not able to have Alexa open or close the garage door. i used the routines in Alexa along with the ST options, but to no avail, any help?
Also, I cannot configure two phones with my hub. I want each phone to have its own options with my smart home. Any help with this would be great also. Thank you
Alexa won’t open or close garages for security reasons. I.e. stranger yells from outside your house for Alexa to open the garage. If you search on here there are some work around involving community written code you can install. As far as other users, SmartThings doesn’t have any concept of user profiles. You can invite someone else to use the app, but they get the same access in the app that you have. If this is ok, invite them and you can then add that Phone as a separate presence sensor. There are workarounds for presences without the app (life360) and websites with limited controls (ActionTiles).
Thank you for your reply. Okay, so when I invite another person, it asks for the hub code, and then will not let the individual sign in, I guess I am not sure how to complete that. Can you help?
Hmm, that isn’t right. It’s been a while since I’ve done it, but it should email them with a link to setup their account and password. Then they install the app and select I’m a SmartThings user and login with the credentials they just created.
so when I invited them, it did ask me whether they were a Smartthings use, I used that and tried to sign in with my account. When I did that, it automatically would bring up their Samsung account information, and not allow me to sing in with my information, unless I delete all of their Samsung information from their phone. Any additional help?
You shouldn’t be using your login information. It should be a unique email address you are inviting. If their phone is a Samsung, there have been issues using an email address different than the one the phone is registered under.
So does that mean I will not be able to complete this?
You can easily Open or Close your garage door with Alexa.
- Create two virtual switches (devices) in SmartThings (On/Off)
- Name one of them Garage door opener
- Name one of them Garage door closer
- Create 2 Routines in SmartThings
- one that opens garage when garage door opener turns on (turn the switch off in this routine as well)
- one that closes garage when garage door closer turns on (turn the switch off in this routine as well)
- Create 2 Routines in Alexa:
- Create one that you say "Alexa, Open garage door and for your add action you want to turn on the garage door opener switch.
- Create the other when you say "Alexa, Close garage door and for your add action you want to turn on the garage door closer switch.
So now when you say either, it will turn the correct switch on and the Routine in SmartThings will take over when that device/switch is turned on.
Okay, I understand what you are saying, as I did try something similar, however, this will prevent the usual garage door openers from working then, right?
I’m not sure what you mean by this. All this does is allow you to bypass the native functionality in Alexa that doesn’t allow you to unlock a lock or close a garage door. It doesn’t prevent anything else from working.
If you create a Routine in Alexa that you specifically say “Close the Garage Door” or “Open the Gaage Door”, she sees those Routine names only.
If you have other Routines in SmartThings that opens or closes the garage, this doesnt have any impact on those. This setup is simply used so that you, Alexa and your garage door get along just fine.
Okay, so how do I create a “virtual switch”. I sent into the switches, and did not see that as an option. Sorry that I am so new to this.
To create a Virtual Switch
Login to the IDE @ https://account.smartthings.com
Click “My Devices”
Click the “New Device” Button
Enter a “Name” for the device, this can be whatever you want.
Enter a “Label” for the device, this is optional and can be whatever you want.
Enter a “Device Network Id” This can be anything you want. I recommend short and sweet but it cannot duplicate other device ID’s. Lets say it was a virtual switch for your living room lights, maybe call it LRVD01
“Zigbee” Id should be left blank
Select a “Type” from the dropdown, this should be Simulated Switch
“Location” should be your hub location, probably “Home”
“Hub” should be your hub name. (This isn’t required)
Click Create
After you create the Garage door opener and Garage door closer, goto Things in the ST mobile app and you should see your two new devices.
Maybe explain what you are trying to do with a new user. Do you have a family member you want to give access? Or do you have a tablet you want to use?
Give a user access
Follow these procedures for that:
Exact link I was about to paste. And note that when that article says “you”, it is referring to the new user.
Ok, I think I have that part now. Except that the new person is not getting all of the switches and things that I have on the account. Do we have to set up everything as if they were the only ones on the hub? Also, Did I do something wrong with the switches, because I followed the instructions, but the switch is not working. I may have turned the wrong things off or on in the ST app. Please assist.
Do the switches show in the ST app under Things (your account)? Not worrying about the second account. That’s it’s own issue. I will help you through the garage stuff. You can work on the 2nd account problem later.
Show me a screenshot of one of the devices you created in IDE.
Name GD 2 Open
Label Billy
Type Simulated Switch
Device Network ID GD 2
Hub home hub
Group (nothing)
