Second question - what is double tap being used for by various folks? Is this something that I can use to trigger some other action?
I’ll answer my own question, I just created a new routine with csstup driver and a GE switch that I have… In the routine I can create an action based on double click up/down and double click (I don’t get that one). The routine will brighten outside lights for five minutes and then lower them again! I had this routine connected to a generic button but this is way cooler how I can use an existing switch to do something else behind turn the lights on and off! Thank you
One simple use of double-tap that I’ve adopted is to turn off both the office desk lamp–which is on its own Z-Wave Plug–and the ceiling lights controlled by the wall dimmer switch. So, when leaving the office a double-tap of the “off” side of the switch turns 'em both off.
A number of switch brands offer multitap functions, some of them even up to five taps!
They can be very useful, as others have mentioned, one big issue is that they aren’t intuitive to guests or anyone who has any difficulty remembering, so they’re usually the most useful to the person who selected the device in the first place.
Some common uses in a SmartThings system:
zone control of multiple lights
arming/disarming SmartThings home monitor. This is particularly popular for a switch right next to the main exit door.
changing the SmartThings location mode, particularly if you have modes which are manually set like “movie time“, “guest mode,“ “party mode,“ etc.
starting or stopping a robot vacuum
scene control, such as different mood lighting scenes
turn the lights on a ceiling fan on/off independent of the fan operation
Lock/unlock a dog door
operate an automatic door or window opener
Open/close curtains
announce “dinner is ready” throughout the house
And many more. Any of these might be useful for a given household, but again, you have to remember which tap pattern does what. That’s why some people prefer a “scene switch“ with multiple buttons instead, like this Zooz model, because they can label the individual buttons.
But as long as you can remember what the taps are for, there are a lot of good uses.
