I would like to create an automation where when both my wife and I leave home and it is night time my house light will turn on. I tried using an automation but it would only allow one member’s location. I need it to sense that both of us are not home. Has anyone done this?
Hi
Are you using the new or the old app…?
I use a similar trigger for something else, but i have used the “Smart Lighting” app to create this rule based on multiple peoples precense…
Try that…
How are you monitoring their location? Mobile presence? Arrival sensors?
I accomplish this using another tracking app called Life360. It’s been pretty reliable for me so far, more reliable than the native tracking in ST.
Mobile phone
Using the new Samsung Smartthings app. I tried using the automation on the app but it does not allow for sensing the location of more than one member.
I’m actually in the midst of figuring this exact problem out myself.
Where I am at so far is setting up Life360 on my phone as a presence sensor (the native ST barely worked). I’ll set my wife’s and oldest son’s up as well. Right now hers is set up on the ST and works mostly. So that gets presence to ST.
Next, I set up virtual switches that are turned on and off via the app Automation setup. That seems to be working as intended.
Final step is a webCORE piston. It is set to trigger when the virtual switch changes state. Right now I am just checking my own presence and when it switches the virtual switch to on and it’s after sundown, turn on the living room lights (i.e., don’t walk into a dark house).
I’m still testing but it seems to be working. Once I get my own presence working, I 'll get more sophisticated on checking against all three of us.
Try doing it with the “Smart Lighting” app.
(You may have to install it into the dashboard or something, first - I’ve never used the new app, so I’m afraid I can’t tell you how)
Automations created through “Smart Lighting” can use multiple devices in one rule…
And as a bonus, the run locally…
I found a SmartApp in ST that is suppose to do exactly what I want:
When both members of my house leaves the area my living room light turns on but only between sunset and sunrise.
The problem is the light turns on during random times of the day.
I wrote a SmartApp that I use to automatically set the mode of the location based on the devices you want to monitor. Basically when everyone is gone, it will set it to Away (or any other mode you choose) and when one person arrives home, it will set it to Home (or any other mode you choose).
Then what you can do is create an automation that says “If the time is after sunset and before sunrise AND if Away, turn on lights”
You can then use this in conjunction with another SmartApp I wrote and use which performs actions when a mode is entered. It will lock/unlock devices, send you a message and/or run a routine. I actually have one that runs a routine called Away when everyone is gone and send a message telling me that the location is secured. This doesn’t take into account the time of day but at least you can use it to run a routine.
Have you added your wife as a member of your home on the Smartthings app? When I choose “Member location” > “Who?” in the triggers, I then have a choice to select me and/or my partner.
Reviving and older thread to hopefully get some clarification on this. I’ve added my wife and son as members in Smartthings but when I’m trying to set up an automation for my lights to turn off when everyone is away, it only offers the option of choosing me on the list for “Who?”
I wonder what it is that I’m doing differently?
I’m looking for the same. I’m SOOOO frustrated and angry with smartthings. The new app doesn’t seem to have any way to recognize users as presence devices… it seems like they did away with that functionality except for hiding it and it’s effectively non-functioning.
Everything was excellent for years using webcore and the OG app. I’m looking into switching ecosystems.