# What does “Refresh” Do on Automation? **URL:** \ **Category:** SmartApps & Automations\ **Created:** [March 16, 2021, 1:21am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/what-does-refresh-do-on-automation/222837 "2021-03-16T01:21:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jb1677](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5ac83/32.png) [@jb1677](https://community.smartthings.com/u/jb1677)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2021, 1:21am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/what-does-refresh-do-on-automation/222837/1 "2021-03-16T01:21:10Z")
When creating an Automation or a Scene some devices include a Refresh option - what the heck is it’s purpose? Pic below for reference. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/original/3X/0/f/0f6a1da5b279d60f460d721d9442f3c8cfbb9566.png) ---
**Author:** ![orangebucket](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/orangebucket/32/81590_2.png) [@orangebucket](https://community.smartthings.com/u/orangebucket)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2021, 5:28am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/what-does-refresh-do-on-automation/222837/2 "2021-03-16T05:28:18Z")
It calls the `refresh` command, part of the _Refresh_ capability. What this does is up to the author(s) of the device integration but it might typically poll the device for its latest information. It also gets called when you pull down the page in the device detail view in the app, just like refreshing a web page. It has been suggested it is also called when the page is opened but I see no evidence that is true. ---
**Author:** ![jb1677](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5ac83/32.png) [@jb1677](https://community.smartthings.com/u/jb1677)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 6:00pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/what-does-refresh-do-on-automation/222837/3 "2021-03-17T18:00:30Z")
Interesting, why would one NOT want the device to refresh when being actioned in an automation? Why is it only available on some devices. Either way, thanks - I will enable it when I see it ---
**Author:** ![Brad\_ST](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/brad_st/32/15696_2.png) [@Brad\_ST](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Brad_ST)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 8:23pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/what-does-refresh-do-on-automation/222837/4 "2021-03-17T20:23:20Z")
> [@jb1677](#): > > I will enable it when I see it The option is going to be removed given the lack of value it offers. It was only surfaced due to a backend change. The refresh command polls the device itself for device status. Devices should be proactively reporting their state and would only be useful if SmartThings had an incorrect state for a device which would indicate a device or platform error. As this is rare, rarer than people might think, there isn’t much value to the capability in an automation. ---
**Author:** ![Mariano\_Colmenarejo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/mariano_colmenarejo/32/220132_2.png) [@Mariano\_Colmenarejo](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Mariano_Colmenarejo)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 10:21pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/what-does-refresh-do-on-automation/222837/5 "2021-03-17T22:21:50Z")
@Brad_ST , Now that the refresh issue comes up in the new app I’m going to abuse your kindness! Smartthings removed the “refresh” and “configure” tiles in the new app. Now if you want to make a new configuration of the zigbee device, for example changes in the intervals and thresholds of the temperature or humidity report cannot be done including calling the configure () method in the dth code itself. With the classic app, clicking on the confugure tile and it would run. Many of us want to be able to change the frequency of the temperature or humidity reports and we have to be changing the dth version in IDE to “Draft” and back to “published” so that the configuration of these custom reports is executed and not having to change the sensor batteries every 3 months or throw them away. I put a link to one of the posts on this topic, which was tagged by smartthings in November and I don’t know anything else and you will see in the post, which I asked again. Thanks again @Brad_ST . > [@Multisensors Samsung Battery drop quickly after hub v3 firmware update](https://community.smartthings.com/t/multisensors-samsung-battery-drop-quickly-after-hub-v3-firmware-update/211339/29): > > Until smarttings offer, if is possible, a solution to return to an acceptable battery life in our sensors and if someone need to improve the duration of the battery (currently about 2, 3 months for CR2450 batteries) of the samsung smatthings sensors or that use the DTH “SmartSense …” with multi-open/close, moisture, temperature or motion devices and do not need as much precision in temperature information. I have added two settings in preferences: Adjust between 1 and 240 minutes of the maximum interval for sending temperature information. Now by default it is 5 minutes if there is a change of =\> 0.1º and there is no change =\> 1º. Adjust between 0.5º and 3º of the temperature variation that triggers the temperature report even if the maximum interval set i… ---
**Author:** ![orangebucket](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/orangebucket/32/81590_2.png) [@orangebucket](https://community.smartthings.com/u/orangebucket)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 10:52pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/what-does-refresh-do-on-automation/222837/6 "2021-03-17T22:52:51Z")
> [@Mariano\_Colmenarejo](#): > > Now if you want to make a new configuration of the zigbee device, for example changes in the intervals and thresholds of the temperature or humidity report cannot be done including calling the configure () method in the dth code itself. > With the classic app, clicking on the confugure tile and it would run. Why can’t you call the `configure()` method from the DTH? It should work fine as long as you remember that if it returns hub commands it is down to you to send them. That said, there really ought to be a way of running it manually as there is for `refresh()`. Not necessarily a tile, but something, somewhere. Perhaps there is and I haven’t noticed. Otherwise why even make it a capability? ---
**Author:** ![orangebucket](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/orangebucket/32/81590_2.png) [@orangebucket](https://community.smartthings.com/u/orangebucket)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 11:18pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/what-does-refresh-do-on-automation/222837/7 "2021-03-17T23:18:12Z")
> [@Brad\_ST](#): > > As this is rare, rarer than people might think, there isn’t much value to the capability in an automation. Possibly not, but we have _device configs_ just so we can make that call where it needs to be made. ---
**Author:** ![Mariano\_Colmenarejo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/mariano_colmenarejo/32/220132_2.png) [@Mariano\_Colmenarejo](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Mariano_Colmenarejo)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 11:19pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/what-does-refresh-do-on-automation/222837/8 "2021-03-17T23:19:22Z")
It does not work, I have already tried it and other users too. For example @mvevitsis Way it does not work? I do not know. The device does not answer when a call to configure () is made from update () after changing preferences in the app. But if you install the dth in the IDE simulator, which works like the classic app, on a real device and click on the “configure” tile of the simulator device, the configuration is always executed perfectly and the refresh also. I gave up … **IDE simulator with dth installled in real device:** ![Simulator device tile](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/original/3X/3/b/3bbdbb68e8f9c2dd0ae5f0b7dc303c9c17198130.png) **Device response to configure command by simlator device tile or DTH version change:** ![Configure From Version DTH](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/original/3X/f/4/f484d18e863b8dca0fc7045da380da68fc214c47.png) **Device does not respond to configure command from dth call to configure():** ![Configure from update](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/original/3X/4/a/4aa9017aa9b5ad373ecb01814e12e85635f7780f.png) ---
**Author:** ![Mariano\_Colmenarejo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/mariano_colmenarejo/32/220132_2.png) [@Mariano\_Colmenarejo](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Mariano_Colmenarejo)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 11:30pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/what-does-refresh-do-on-automation/222837/9 "2021-03-17T23:30:43Z")
The DTHs linked, have created “configure” and refresh" tiles if you want try. The dth SmartSense Temp / Humidity Sensor does not have them created ---
**Author:** ![orangebucket](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/orangebucket/32/81590_2.png) [@orangebucket](https://community.smartthings.com/u/orangebucket)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 11:33pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/what-does-refresh-do-on-automation/222837/10 "2021-03-17T23:33:05Z")
> [@Mariano\_Colmenarejo](#): > > The device does not answer when a call to configure () is made from update () after changing preferences in the app. Wouldn’t totally surprise me. I found that deleting child devices from `configure()` broke things in weird ways and setting the DNI from `update()` had to be done by scheduling a separate method to run a second later. ---
**Author:** ![Mariano\_Colmenarejo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/mariano_colmenarejo/32/220132_2.png) [@Mariano\_Colmenarejo](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Mariano_Colmenarejo)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 11:52pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/what-does-refresh-do-on-automation/222837/12 "2021-03-17T23:52:58Z")
I tried a scheduling for call configure() some seconds after call refresh() or ping() and device does not answer anything to none, refresh(), ping() and configure(). As the dth run locally, need set the dth versión to “Draft” in order to can see the liveligging in ide ---
**Author:** ![Mariano\_Colmenarejo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/mariano_colmenarejo/32/220132_2.png) [@Mariano\_Colmenarejo](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Mariano_Colmenarejo)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 12:00am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/what-does-refresh-do-on-automation/222837/13 "2021-03-18T00:00:14Z")
see you tomorrow I’m going to sleep ---
**Author:** ![Mariano\_Colmenarejo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/mariano_colmenarejo/32/220132_2.png) [@Mariano\_Colmenarejo](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Mariano_Colmenarejo)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 1:01pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/what-does-refresh-do-on-automation/222837/14 "2021-03-18T13:01:42Z")
Well reading the post of the beta version of firmware 0.36.X, we can intuit that just as for z-wave the hub will control and generate certain commands to the devices, the most logical thing that is happening with zigbee is that the hub is who controls when configure, refresh and ping commands can be sent to devices instead of dth > [@Hub Firmware Beta 0.36.x](https://community.smartthings.com/t/hub-firmware-beta-0-36-x/222582): > > Hey everyone! We’re excited to announce the start of a new SmartThings Hub Firmware Beta. Version 0.36.x will begin rolling out in batches starting in the week of March 15th; we will send out an email when we start updating Hubs. We will be paying close attention to any issues encountered by users so your hub may not get updated right away. The hub will be offline for about a minute during the update. See below for more specific details about the update. Version 0.36.x Hub Target: Samsung SmartThings Hub 2015 (Hub v2) Samsung SmartThings Hub 2018 (Hub v3) Release Date: March 15th - March 19th, 2021 Release Notes: New Features Z-Wave: Automatic handling of Sleepy device cycles by the Hub – This shifts the generation of Wake Up No More Information (WUNMI) command from the DTH…