Pair bulbs together

[Ryan_Friedman]

Can I pair two light bulbs together in one room and control just as you do with the Phillips Hue app?

[JDRoberts]

@Ryan_Friedman

Can I pair two light bulbs together in one room and control just as you do with the Phillips Hue app?

Technically that’s “grouping”, not “Pairing,” but, yes you can.

This is one of those areas where smartthings is very versatile but not very intuitive.

There’s a how to article in the community – created wiki on grouping lights for exactly this reason, it’s just not obvious from the app how to do it. But it can be done.

http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=How_to_Group_Lights_Together

[PhilB]

Sorry, JD has got the better answer. As always we’re glad to have you around JD.

[JDRoberts]

@PhilB

I’m working from the assumption that these are two lights in separate fixtures such as table lamps. You can put them in the same room within the app. But if you are asking if you can put them in a group called bedroom and then control them as one unit, the answer is well, not really.

Sure you can. It might require custom code, but you can definitely have one follow the other or both follow a master virtual switch, depending on exactly what you need to have them do.

[PhilB]

Thanks for the information JD. I had never read this article but it’s good info.

[Ryan_Friedman]

Thanks for the help! I would ideally like to be able to have one bulb follow the other by controlling a “room” but not limit myself to that option if I want to only control one bulb in some instances. The article is very helpful. I’ll play with the smartapps function and see what I can come up with.

[Ryan_Friedman]

When you say “virtual switch” - how might one go about setting that up? I would like to do exactly that. Have a “grouped” bulb that’s basically called bedroom and controls two bulbs with one change. Otherwise, I have to set one then set the other to the exact same color/dim/ambiance, and it’s not easy to match.

[JDRoberts]

@Ryan_Friedman

When you say “virtual switch” - how might one go about setting that up? I would like to do exactly that. Have a “grouped” bulb that’s basically called bedroom and controls two bulbs with one change. Otherwise, I have to set one then set the other to the exact same color/dim/ambiance, and it’s not easy to match.

It’s pretty easy. The link to the Instructions for setting up a virtual switch are in the wiki article.

Here it is again:

FAQ: Creating a virtual Device

Need a FAQ for the simplest version of this: a virtual on/off switch. Maybe even two FAQs, one for why you would want one with use case examples and one step by step how to for creating one in ST. Thanks! 2021 Update Since groovy will be going away soon, so will groovy virtual switches. One community member has written a new virtual switch creator Edge Driver for the new platform called VEdge Creator. Since edge drivers themselves are still in Beta, so is this code, but it’s worth following. Note also that while groovy virtual devices could be used without a SmartThings hub, Edge drivers will require one. [ST Edge] vEdge Creator: a virtual device generator for end users

[Ryan_Friedman]

So I followed the FAQ for setting up a “simulated switch” now I’m wondering how to set lights to be controlled by this Virtual Switch. In other words, how do my “things” end up part of the virtual switch?

[JDRoberts]

@Ryan_Friedman

So I followed the FAQ for setting up a “simulated switch” now I’m wondering how to set lights to be controlled by this Virtual Switch. In other words, how do my “things” end up part of the virtual switch?

Seriously, that’s all in the wiki article. Did you get a chance to read that yet?

You just use the virtual switch as the “master” in the step by step scenario in the wiki article.

[Charles_Scott]

I need to pair multiple bulbs in the same fixture to my smartphone app. But it only ever recognizes one at a time, then when you put the other bulb into pairing mode, it puts them both into pairing mode because they’re in the same light fixture and power source, then the app only recognizes one again and only one gets paired. I’m totally frustrated. I heard the help center for a brand of bulbs said this can’t be done and they need separate fixtures. But I was wondering if anyone figured out how to do this. Maybe a different app. We have tried smart life. And go life, and we heard kasa smart works in this situation

[JDRoberts]

What’s the brand and model of the bulbs?

Worst case:

Screw only one bulb into the fixture. Pair it. Unscrew it again.
Screw the second bulb into the fixture. Pair it.

Now put the first bulb back into the fixture. With all the brands I know of you will end up with two separate bulbs each paired to the network. But I don’t know if there’s something unusual about the particular brand that you are using.