The cloud isn’t required for automations if the devices involved are running locally. That’s the big advantage. If you are using the app directly, then yes, the cloud is involved. If you do something like have your thermostat change state based on windows being open, that can run locally even with the internet down. Depending on the devices involved (Zwave, Zigbee, etc.) it may even work with your wifi down as well.
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Yup… and replacing it all with a CLI is just lazy (which pretty much defines ST development since 2015).
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The only reason I got involved with SmartThings is, I was starting to read up on home automation about 5 or 6 years ago and saw a SmartThings home kit that included the hub (v2), 2 multi-purpose sensors, and motion sensor for a really great price at Bestbuy, so I bought it. Once I set that up, since the hub had Z-wave, I started to change over some light switches to Leviton z-wave switches. So z-wave is important to me, and the hub is crucial for my scenario.
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I decided to test local execution today, after about 90 of my 110 devices now are migrated to edge drivers, either automatic by Smartthings, or by me manually.
I disconnected my router, so no internet in the house, and then I pressed some zigbee buttons that should turn on lights.
It did not work!
Everything is marked to run locally, all devices i used are running with edge drivers, and the rutines are showing this little symbol (a house), that the routine also run locally.
So my questions:
Do local execution (without internet access) work for anybody?
Is local execution only working from the date when Smartthings close down the Grovey IDE?
Do I have to set something on the hub or somewhere to enable the local execution?
I thought the hole idea of transition to rules API, and LUA edge drivers, was to get local execution…
You should be able to get some local execution and it shouldn’t require you doing anything special.
I honestly don’t know how the house icon works now. @jkp might know more.
There are quite a few things that can cause a routine to require the cloud, though. That includes scenes. @h0ckeysk8er has a list of what he’s found so far.
If you can post a screenshot of one of the routines that didn’t run locally when you expected it to and also tell us the brand and model of the devices included, we might be able to say more. 
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My understanding is only routines work locally, button pushes still require internet but like @JDRoberts said, im kinda lost these days
I investigated a little more, and found out that the routines for my devices actually was not marked as local, meaning missing the little house symbol.
It seems if Smartthings automatic migrated some devices and not all devices in that routine was migrated, also the routine itself stayed in cloud mode (missing little house symbol).
I then copied each individual routine, made a small edit, and saved it again, and then it show as local routines.
After edit of routines, and they show they are local, it works without internet 
You can see on the picture, the small house symbol, then it’s local. (All text is Danish)
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Local execution has worked for me on several occasions when my internet was down. Of course not everything works.
I have broken up some automations into 2 separate automations. The 1st has only local devices and the 2nd has nonlocal devices and/or notifications. This allows the 1st automation to fire without the internet when needed.
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It is my understanding that Scenes are not Local, currently. Even if you can get the API Viewer+ to show them as Local, they do not run Local. I am hoping that this will be fixed in the future.
I had to open the automation or scene, make a minor change, reversed the change, and then saved. If they qualified for Local, they then show the House symbol or are reported as Local via API.
If you are not familiar, API Viewer+ is a very helpful tool!
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My understanding is the the Scenes do run execute locally but there is no way to tell them to so do without the cloud.
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@orangebucket See jkp’s response above. ST acknowledged Scenes run in the cloud and it is their plan to make them local, eventually.
I quit using scenes. Instead I created a virtual switch (with vDev Controller) and a routine to perform the needed tasks like turn devices on, off, dim etc. The last line of the routine turns off the virtual switch with a 5 sec delay. Turning on the switch can be done using the App, a button or by Alexa.
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That was a year ago.
I coincidentally came across this thread yesterday - there was a beta for local scene execution but it looks like it may have stalled out.
I who am not a programmer, wonder why it is not possible to directly use all the devices locally through the app, if they allow it. I have shelly devices, which is true, they are in wifi, but the app itself, if used in the same wifi network as shelly, allows you to turn devices on and off locally. This would be great if it could be done.
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It’s just a question of design. For example, the exact same Meross smart plug will work totally locally with Apple HomeKit (including app control), but requires an active internet connection to work with SmartThings.
Even after Matter deployment, SmartThings still requires an active internet connection for app control.
They didn’t have to design it that way, but they did, and so now it’s a SmartThings requirement.
Maybe some day, especially if Matter takes off, this will change, you never know.
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An Edge driver can be written to talk to local devices. The manufacturer of the device will need to build the new driver, if they want to play with Smartthings locally. Might SmartThings write some drivers with this capability? It’s possible but unlikely.
Yes, but the question was about the app, and the SmartThings app currently always requires an active Internet connection to the smartthings cloud in order to talk to the hub, even if both the hub and the phone are on the same Wi-Fi network. You can see that in the upper right corner of the official schematic I posted.
Again, they didn’t have to design it that way, but they did.
Also, my guess is that almost all device manufacturers would choose to do a Matter integration before doing anything that was smartthings – specific. It’s just a better use of their resources. And a matter integration would give you local operation of the device whether you have a hub or not. But it still wouldn’t change the fact that the SmartThings app needs the cloud.
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I’m not going to get into an argument about the SmartThings architecture. I bought it years ago and the improvements are greatly appreciated.
If you wish to use SmartThings and want all local, then utilize a button device to initiate scenes or automations.
Our primary interface used to be buttons. Today, it is primarily Alexa, which is cloud based anyway. I use the app for configuration and not day to day operation.
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