Standalone SmartApps vs. SmartApps associated with Things

Has anyone come across a good description of the difference between a SmartApp that appears in the dashboard, the SmartApps that appear in the “My Home” panel (second one on the bottom), and the SmartApps that you can configure when you set up a Thing? So far as I can tell the three don’t overlap.

I’ll give a concrete example for why I’m asking. I installed another Linear garage door controller last night. It was late, I wanted to go to bed, and I clicked past the initial screen where you can install SmartApps during the onboarding process.

Is there a way to get back to that initial Thing-specific app installation screen once a Thing has been fully onboarded? Is that type of SmartApp somehow different from Smart Home Monitor (on the Dashboard), or other installed apps in the My Home list of smartapps?

Well if you are talking about the SmartApps that show when you are on the Room/ Things/SmartApps/Family page; these are apps you already have installed. The apps that are shown when you add an item are suggested apps that can be quickly set up for some basic functions, as opposed to looking for them right at the get go. These apps are also available in the MarketPlace, but you’ll have to find them. I don’t think you can generate the list of suggested apps without adding the device again but you should be able to find what you need in the MarketPlace. In any event the apps are the same whether you get them from the MarketPlace or from the suggestion screen.

Tagging @slagle

It is possible (indeed, the old Dashboard Solution SmartApps, and SHM are special)… But nearly everything else is a normal SmartApp which you can reconfigure anytime and only need to search and reinstall cleanly if you actually deleted the installed instance.

Is the SmartApp in your list of Installed SmartApps? If not, is it in any of Marketplace categories?

Dashboard apps at the moment are apps the ST provides as solutions. These will be more open in the future.

Marketplace apps are apps that you can install as you see fit, and those will show up in the “My Home” section for reconfiguration as you need.

The apps that show during the install process are apps that are in the marketplace that we recommend based on the device type. These ones aren’t special, just surfaced as a suggestion.

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Thanks slagle. Is there a way to get back to a suggested app from the install process, once you’ve blitzed past it? I found those to be really relevant and intuitive.

That said, your response was really helpful in figuring out what shows up under the various “SmartApps” panes through the mobile app, and why. I think I finally get it, and part of that is being able to recreate what I’m trying to do using a Routine instead.

At the moment their isn’t:(

Also helpful to know, I’ll stop looking!

Thanks again.

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