Resetting a device

When the app becomes out of sync with a device, is there some way to fix without totally removing and re-pairing the device? Specifically in this case, GE Link bulb is physically off (and light switch is on), but app says it’s on. I really don’t want to remove and re-add to ST because it will kill all the associations with Webcore, IFTTT and Stringify.

Unfortunately, that problem is common with that particular model. The following FAQ should help ( this is a clickable link)

Oh, wait, I just reread your post. Are you saying that you cut all power to the bulb with a switch? In that case, the cloud just has whatever the last state was. Those bulbs are intended to always be on power, you’re not supposed to turn them off at the switch.

If you do, they should just re-sync the next time they come back on power. If they don’t, then go through the steps in the previous FAQ.

But if you are frequently cutting the power to any smart bulb, regardless of brand, with a switch, then the inrush current when you turn the bulb back on can potentially damaged the radio inside the bulb. It’s not usually a safety issue, but it can significantly shorten the life of what are already expensive bulbs. Plus there’s the out of sync issue.

Instead, you might consider one of the alternatives in the following FAQ:

If I’ve misunderstood what you’re saying and it’s just the problem I originally mentioned of the GE bulbs dropping offline, my apologies for any confusion.

It sounds like OP did not flip the physical switch to “off.”

Are you still able to control the Link bulb from the ST app? I understand it’s out of sync, but if you tap the device on/off a couple of times does it come back and sync up?

Or is it unresponsive now?

As JD mentioned, the GE link bulbs are notorious for falling off the network (even when the physical switches to the fixtures are always-on).

If that’s what’s going on, you can usually reset the bulb without removing it from any smartapps. See the FAQ he linked to, and it should go through the physical reset procedure; they usually come back online that way, for a little while at least.

Some people have reported success with their Link bulbs as a part of their ST setup. Many others find them to be nothing but trouble (myself included).

It might have something to do with different firmware versions. But I think the only way to update the bulbs with older firmware is to connect them directly to a Wink hub.

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@marktheknife, thanks- you’re correct: I didn’t flip the switch “off”, but I lost all control of the bulb (unable to control by tap in the app). I tried tapping a few times but no response.

Firmware: If it’ll help, I can certainly connect it to a Wink hub to update firmware… I’d have to research how to do it, but I just recently switched to ST from Wink Hub 2, and it’s still physically set up. That’d make an issue with my webcore pistons, IFTTT applets, etc- but if it’s a one-time inconvenienvce I’d do it.

From JD’s response (thanks @JDRoberts!), I haven’t yet tried unplugging the ST hub in order to put devices into “panic mode”. Last night I just flipped the physical switch to off and gave up for the evening.

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I recently had an issue where all my zigbee devices stopped responding. I was able to get them back by doing a “silent rejoin”, which is basically just acting like you are pairing the device again without ever removing it. That may work for you so you don’t lose all your associations.

Wow… seems like that shouldn’t work because a previously discovered device wouldn’t show up as a newly found device, so for future reference I’d love to understand what you mean if you wouldnt mind a bit more detail… However for this instance: Last night I flipped the physical lightswitch off and gave up for the evening. Just now I flipped it back on (in order to try your suggestion), and it appears the light is now working perfectly as it should. Even my contact sensor that triggers it is working (webcore piston). Weird!

For example with my Lightify strips that I lost…I went to add a new device, then with strip I put it in pairing mode by doing a series of power on 5 seconds, power off 1 second. The strip then blinked 3 times signaling it connected to the hub. The add device section on the app just keeps searching never acknowledging it found the device, but when I backed out I had control over it again.
For battery powered sensors it the same thing, but you take the battery out, hold the devices pairing button while you put the battery back in.
This process saved me this weekend from having to recreate a lot of automation in my home.

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Love it… thanks bro