Insane Contact Sensor Automation Ideas for HomeKit + Setup!

Let’s look at some contact sensor automations! Ideas include a DIY outdoor contact sensor, time based lighting, Siri announcement, and more!
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🚪 Best HomeKit Contact Sensors Compared for 2022 - Stress Tested 100 Times: • Best Apple Home Contac...
-- 🛍 VIDEO LINKS 🛍 --
(Affiliate link. Helps support the channel at no extra cost to you!)
Aqara Door And Window Sensor: geni.us/ContactSensor
Aqara M2 Hub: geni.us/AqaraM2SmartHub
Aqara M1S Hub: geni.us/AqaraM1SHub
Aqara G2H Pro: geni.us/G2HProAqara
🌟 Aqara Weatherproof Enclosure (PrintSpiredDesigns): printspired.shop/products/wea...
Junction Box: geni.us/junctionbox
Outdoor Magnets: geni.us/outdoormagnets
Heavy Duty Tape: geni.us/heavydutytape
Shane Whatley Outdoor Gate DIY video: • How to Make Your Gate ...
Shane Whatley Channel: / shanecreates
-- 📺 PLAYLISTS 📺 --
⚡️ Siri Shortcuts: geni.us/SiriShortcuts
🪄 Automation Ideas: geni.us/AutomationIdeas
🐝 Ecobee Review Videos: geni.us/Ecobeevideos
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📸 Instagram: bit.ly/adamstechinstagram
🐦 Twitter: bit.ly/adamstechtwitter
#HomeKit #SmartHome #Aqara
* Note * - I accidentally installed the outdoor gate sensor backwards, the insets on the other side for the screw heads sit down on the fence for a more flush appearance. I didn’t realize this until a week later lol either way works though!
-- ⏰ CHAPTERS ⏰ --
0:00 - Intro
0:42 - Aqara Sponsor
1:04 - Time-Based Smart Lighting Effects
2:00 - Alarm If Left Open (Story Time)
4:33 - ☀️ Outdoor HomeKit Contact Sensors (DIY)
8:01 - AC Auto Off (without using Ecobee Contact Sensors)
12:00 - Siri Home Greeting on HomePod Mini
13:03 - Automations from around the world

[@AdamsTechLife]

How do you use contact sensors in your smart home?

[@ShaneCreates]

Great video and ideas! Thanks for the shout out Adam!

[@AdamsTechLife]

Thanks for watching!! 😊

[@Polkster13]

My wife has a curler set that does not have an on/off button. When you plug them in, they are on. Unplug them, and they are off. Since my wife uses these every day, this becomes quite a pain. I changed out the in-wall outlet to a ConnectSense In-wall smart outlet. Then I put an Eve contact sensor on the shower door. When the door is opened in the morning, then when she opens the door when she gets up, an automation runs and turns the curlers on (since they are plugged in all of the time now). After 10 minutes, they turn off. So it turns on when she gets into the shower and then turns back on again after she gets out. By the time she has dried her hair, the curlers are ready to go. She is a very happy camper as she doesn't have to remember to keep plugging them in and then unplugging them when she is done.

[@AdamsTechLife]

That is an awesome automation!! What a genius idea. Thanks for watching! 😊

[@NinaNng]

Very convenient.

[@AdamsTechLife]

Thanks for watching! 😊

[@inelonwetrust9169]

Really enjoyed this video. Some great ideas.

[@AdamsTechLife]

So glad to hear you enjoyed the video and found it helpful!! Thanks for watching! 😊

[@yakk0dotorg]

Homebridge can create virtual switches with timers. I’ve been using this to have HomeKit turn off lights that are triggered by a motion sensor after 5 minutes. You can do some really interesting things like this with the virtual switches in homebridge.

[@AdamsTechLife]

Those are great! Thanks for watching! 😊

[@neverman3398]

Absolutely brilliant video

[@AdamsTechLife]

Hello Neverman, so glad to hear you enjoyed the video and found it helpful. Thanks for watching! 😊

[@SoleLo]

Great stuff as always Adam. I'm using the Aqara contact sensors and the a couple Eve contact sensors also. I have some automations but not as much as I should.

[@AdamsTechLife]

Good setup!! Thanks for watching! 😊

[@sarabradley1317]

Great video!!

[@AdamsTechLife]

Hello Sara, glad to hear you enjoyed the video and found it helpful. Thanks for watching! 😊

[@VPSmartTech]

Great video! I am happy to be a part of it 😀👍

[@AdamsTechLife]

Thanks for submitting a clip, glad you were able to be in the video! Thanks for watching! 😊

[@Osiris.666]

Hi Adam thank you for your great work! I have purchased the Aqara door sensor after your recommendation. Question: can I prevent my blinds closing if the window is open? If so how would I program that automation in homekit? Any help appreciated. Thank you, Ian

[@AdamsTechLife]

Hey Ian! Glad I could help. You could probably use a “convert to shortcut” and if then statements. Thanks for watching! 😊

[@ericchatman7220]

Happy Spouse Happy House!!! Men need to be happy too!! Good stuff like the video

[@AdamsTechLife]

Haha good one! Thanks for watching! 😊

[@1899Denna]

It's possible to create a time based push notification with shortcuts and a webhook (e.g. via pushcut). Quite a pain in the a** but it's working even if I'm not at home.

[@AdamsTechLife]

That’s great to hear! Thanks for watching! 😊

[@aarondavis1096]

Great video. Ring does make an outdoor sensor but they're pricey.

[@AdamsTechLife]

True and doesn’t natively support HomeKit. Thanks for watching! 😊

[@esjovold6572]

How would you make it check multiple sensors for the thermostat . I’m doing this, but if I close one window it turns the AC back on? Thanks.

[@AdamsTechLife]

you'd have to use bunch of nested if then statements.

[@tomaszgawron5513]

Hi You're doing a great job! I've got a question - I've bought Aquaria door/window sensors and ordered a Zigbee gateway. Could you please tell me if the sensor will send me notifications even when I'm outside of my house (anywhere in the world)? From what I understand the devices need to be in the local Zigbee network to work properly, but do they send notifications to my phone wench I'm away? Thank you for your help and assistance.

[@AdamsTechLife]

Thanks for your comment and feedback. in order to receive notifications remotely with the aqara sensor from the aqara app you'll need an aqara hub. if you wanna receive alerts from the apple home app, you'll need a HomeKit hub.

[@canadianbeattyfamily]

Adam love your videos; this might be a dumb question but how do you create a single automation in HomeKit that when you open the door the light goes on and when you close it, it turns off. I currently have two automatons to do each step and it makes no sense.

[@AdamsTechLife]

I wish it were possible but it has be 2 automations. I have this same issue myself lol Thanks for watching! 😊

[@astrodano]

For the AC Auto Off automation, do you need two automations? one when door is open and one when door is closed? hard to tell if it's one automation with all those rules or one automation with the simple rules (for when a door opens), and one with the added "otherwise" rule (for when a door closes)

[@AdamsTechLife]

This is done with one automation with multiple conditions. You could do two automations I suppose but it could create some issues.

[@ypark2877]

Yolink works with echo and takes care of outdoor stuff like gates because it works at great distance.

[@AdamsTechLife]

What about HomeKit? ;)

[@ypark2877]

@@AdamsTechLife wish it did, but as far as i know their devices do not. Maybe they will in future. I hope they do, because would love to consolidate. But Only devices I found so far reliable at a distance and for inside a freezer in the garage for temp alert.

[@aguywiththreefirstnames1850]

i use a contact sensor on my amplified pager charger to trigger a smart plug and turn on a light when my fire hall gets paged out

[@AdamsTechLife]

That's awesome!! Thanks for watching! 😊

[@saisusheelsunkara462]

Cant we use the convert to shortcut method for checking aqara contact sensor is open for x minutes ? I mean to avoid using aqara app?

[@AdamsTechLife]

Yes, but the home app can't send a notification like the aqara app can.

[@thomastevis8655]

Awesome videos sorry I’m so late

[@AdamsTechLife]

All good, thanks for watching! 😊

[@howiethedrummer]

Awesome. I just bought the ecobee sensors. With this work with those sensors as well?

[@AdamsTechLife]

No, this 3d print is only available for the aqara sensors, there is also one for eve door and window but not Ecobee yet. Thanks for watching! 😊

[@howiethedrummer]

Whoops disregard the time stamp in my comment. I wasn’t inquiring about the weather proof cover I meant will your automation hack work with my ecobee sensors turning the HVAC on/off without having to pay for the ecobee subscription?

[@AdamsTechLife]

The video answers your question :)

[@soemid]

Hi. Great video. I’m pretty sure that you put up the 3d printed one wrong. If you look at the thick part there is a chamfer for a screw head. I have one myself that I 3d printed.

[@AdamsTechLife]

Yeah, I realized that just a couple days ago lol, thanks for informing me as well. Thanks for watching! 😊

[@user-kr3rv4pz6p]

People are always leaving the front door wide open. Is there a product kind of like a wireless doorbell that I can program to start chiming or to give a vocal notification after the door has been left open for a certain amount of time and continues to make a reminder sound until the door is closed?

[@AdamsTechLife]

you can create a Siri Shortcuts for this. similar idea to my window sensor temperature left open idea, just adjust it to a contact sensor on a door and add in a voice action and have it speak a message on homepods (i have a video of this on my channel)

[@user-kr3rv4pz6p]

@@AdamsTechLife Great, thank you! I was reading that the Aqara M2 Hub can be set up to chime with a door sensor open signal. Is that accurate?

[@heli.thatSTEVE]

Running into an issue with the new Acuara P2 contact sensors. I see a state of open and closed. But I can not generate a scene or automation around the state of open or closed. You can create automation when opens, and when closed. Thoughts?

[@AdamsTechLife]

the state of a sensor can be only created by converting a shortcut to an automation in the home app or using it in a shortcut in the shortcuts app. it's not an available feature in the home app.

[@heli.thatSTEVE]

@@AdamsTechLife i thanks, will try that

[@heli.thatSTEVE]

Thanks!!! @@AdamsTechLife

[@TheHardRunner]

Hello! So I did the automation where my HomePod says, "door open" when my door opens. However, it's pretty slow, takes like 4 seconds. Any suggestions on how to speed that up? Using Aqara sensors. My other door, I'm using an Aqara notification chime. It's much much faster, but the chimes are very limited.

[@AdamsTechLife]

There is a delay for the automation to run but the best thing i can say is make sure there is no delay in the start time of the voice recording. i showcased this a little in my recent custom homepod announcement video

[@TheHardRunner]

@@AdamsTechLife I'll look for that video, thanks. I was pretty sure there was no delay in the recording, but I'll double check. In the mean time, I created a custom ringtone for one of my Aqara cameras. Of course there's no delay there but the sound isn't as good because of the camera's location. I actually wanted to use my Hub M2, since it's in a central location, but apparently it will not allow custom ring sounds. It seems to be the only hub that won't allow it, crazy. Now, I'm debating whether to switch it out for the Hub M1S. Ugghhh!

[@jpileggi1]

Is there any update to this video in order to use apple HomePod mini if I don’t have Apple Music or apple laptop?

[@AdamsTechLife]

Nope, still current info

[@jpileggi1]

@@AdamsTechLife That’s unfortunate. I wish there was a workaround to this.

[@BUBearsFan]

I'm testing a window sensor before buying more. I'm using the Aqara app without Homekit. I have the automation setup to send notifications and the iPhone is setup to allow Aqara notifications. When opened, I get the notification inside the Aqara app. But I get no iPhone notifications. What might be wrong? Thanks

[@AdamsTechLife]

make sure notifications are enabled for the home app on the iphone and if you have alerts for that sensor specifically enabled in the home app

[@lilymetcalfe97]

I only have the option to set my ecobee to heat, cold, auto or off.. is there a way to just turn it on to go back to my comfort settings?

[@AdamsTechLife]

The closest is the auto setting in homekit. you can adjust the range in the home app but i dont think the comfort settings sync.

[@lilymetcalfe97]

Ok ya I don’t think they do either. No worries.

[@lilymetcalfe97]

I’m having issues with the window sensor. I can have the thermostat turn off but to resume after the window has been closed for 30 sec isn’t working..

[@kylemeys391]

My cat hates the Beep function so bad 😂🎉 no hiding now kitty

[@AdamsTechLife]

Hahaha 🤣

[@zc7396]

How do you have so much home automation and no house alarm ?????

[@AdamsTechLife]

Aqara is my alarm, as showcased in previous videos 😊

[@jakobholzner]

Let's just start using homebridge and/or homeassistent

[@AdamsTechLife]

Haha not for me, too complicated. I try to keep my setup as clean as possible so it's easier to fix things if something goes wrong. Thanks for watching! 😊

[@kylemeys391]

Apple AirTag on there collars

[@AdamsTechLife]

Lol

[@TimDeWaele]

My wife doesn't want me to set the Aqara alarm when nobody is home. She finds it annoying and unnecessary in our neighborhood. So I set an automation that when the Aqara tilt sensor detect a tilt motion on the garage door, the alarm goes off. We enter the house 99,9% through the garage door so it works.

[@AdamsTechLife]

That’s a great automation! Thanks for watching! 😊

[@adamoore]

my name is also adam can i have some of ur old shit hahahaha

[@AdamsTechLife]

Lol Thanks for watching! 😊

[@keyboard_zombie]

So... you use the bathroom in the middle of the night with the door open ? weird.

[@AdamsTechLife]

👀