HOW TO: Flash Your HOMEKIT Lights as an ALERT Automation

[@nickziemer8123]

As a Deaf person thinking of getting a smart home setup, THIS. WAS. AWESOME! Thank you, Shane.

[@ShaneCreates]

Great! Thanks for watching!!

[@randygreen007]

Absolutely and I’ve suggested this exact situation to Amazon in hopes they will incorporate something like this into their system.

[@gcsealey]

Shane, this was very helpful. I honestly did not know the Advanced "Convert to Shortcut” option even existed in the Home App. Thanks for showing me the way today.

[@ShaneCreates]

Awesome Greg! I’m glad this was helpful!

[@EricWelander]

This is a really great use of Shortcut automations in the Home app...and a great tutorial for it too. Nice job Shane!

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks Eric!

[@scareymons]

HI Shane - my husband and I are doing a MASSIVE remodel on our existing home and adding a detached garage with workout studio. As we got into it, I decided to automate as much as possible and chose the Homekit route. I stumbled on this channel and have take a ton of your advice. Your experience, input and accessory reviews are super helpful!! I have made decisions on several accessories based on your advice. I am just starting to play with the shortcuts. So, thank you for sharing your experience. Keep up the awesome work!!

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks so much for the support! Your remodel sounds pretty awesome! Good luck with your setup!

[@user-ye1hh1ut9r]

Thanks Shane, this is really helping make my Homekit setup even more useful! Please keep the automations coming!

[@ShaneCreates]

Will do! Thanks for watching!

[@jonathanitin9065]

Dude, you’re awesome. Been Playing with HomeKit for a couple years and had no clue you can now convert to shortcut until just now. Powerful stuff!!! Gonna dismantle my whole setup and back to the drawing board. Outstanding job with this video!

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks Jonathan! Be careful "dismantling your whole setup"...that makes me nervous! 😬 Glad the video was helpful! Good luck man!

[@jonathanitin9065]

Shane Whatley yes huge PITA but won’t be the first time and this will be worth it lol.

[@CaptMCFox]

You just helped crack though a mental block. This really helped a lot. Now, if my wife is gone and I’m home alone and my elderly mother goes in the kitchen, I get an alert.

[@ShaneCreates]

That's great! I'm glad the video helped. Thanks for watching!

[@stephenl4845]

Brilliant Shane, this is so helpful and opens up a ton of new things I can do with our smart home.

[@user-he8qc4mr4i]

Priceless! Thank you for sharing!

[@KanIkFindeEtNavn]

Shortcuts inside HomeKit is a very nice tool for some tasks, but I wish it was a bit more advanced😃 There is some statements I wish they included, like more loop functions instead of only having the repeat loop😄 A while loop would be very handy😋 I made a shortcut that runs if our alarm system goes off. All colored lamps turn red, and all lights starts blinking at 100% brightness until the alarm is manually turned off. In this case a loop that goes on until some parameter changes would be VERY welcome😂

[@ShaneCreates]

KanIkFindeEtNavn hopefully they will continue to improve the capabilities of shortcuts, and I believe they will. That is an awesome shortcut that you set up by the way. I have been wanting to do something similar and you might have inspired me to actually do it! 👍🏻

[@KanIkFindeEtNavn]

Shane Whatley Instead of using shortcuts 100%, I ended up making an virtual switch in homebridge that has an virtual moition sensor included, so when the switch is activated the motion sensor goes on and off with 1 sec intervals. That was the best solution for me, for getting a stable on/off that repeated until I disabled the switch again 😅

[@ShaneCreates]

KanIkFindeEtNavn nice! That’s a creative solution. Very cool!

[@willpapke1286]

Very very very helpful! Thank you.

[@tharais]

Shane: You got me all excited with this. And, I have no doubt it works as you have demonstrated. But, it turns out there is a caveat I didn't hear you mention. And, it's a reminder to me of why I always balked at IT equipment regular upgrades ($$$) from the dark days of when I worked with mainframes. (Yes, I'm that old!) I have long wanted the motion sensor in my Arlo Pro 2 that's aimed internally, at my front doors, to flash a table lamp in the living room at night. This would likely be enough to scare an intruder off more quickly than an alarm response. You provided the perfect solution. Or, so I thought. Well, I jumped right in on my iPhone X and started setting up the automation as you did. Only, when I go to "Convert To Shortcut" I get a message: "Software Update Required....To add an automation, make sure the software on your home hub is up to date." Well, my Home Hub is a first gen, iPad Air I had around. But, it won't update past iOS 12.xxx. All our other Apple devices are on the latest iOS. But, I wonder for how long. Particularly our gen 3 Apple TV. Which I can't use as a Home Hub and which actually has no meaningful use for us since we acquired ROKU TVs. So now, I'll have to spend $$$ to get a new device for my Home Hub. :-( I don't want an Apple TV. I don't really want an Apple. Don't want a HomePod as it would provide no other use for us other than as a Home Hub. And, it would be a waste of a current model iPad to use it as a dedicated, Home Hub...... Like I said, I lived through this kind of thing with IT in business long ago. We'd buy the latest and greatest hardware only to have the manufacturer tell us two years later that, we have to upgrade to the newest operating system to use the then current features. Which wouldn't work on our "old" hardware. So, we'd buy new hardware with the latest software and..................... You get the idea.

[@ShaneCreates]

I understand the frustration. But in my opinion I think Apple does a pretty good job at making older devices compatible with their latest operating systems. The first generation iPad was released in 2010, over 10 years ago. With the pace of technology, it's hard to expect something that old to keep up. And if it's still usable, then that's saying something...you just can't use it as a homekit hub. I'm still using an old iPad air 2, release in 2014...6 years ago with the latest iPad OS. That's what I'm using for my wall-mounted iPad, but I know it's just a matter of time that it won't be upgradable anymore being so old.

[@tharais]

Shane Whatley Yes. I’m considering picking up a used iPad as the most cist effective option I have for a home hub. Or, buy a new one for my wife and convert her old one into our home hub. But we have had unresolved issues with the iPad as a home hub and our Arlo video doorbell (not homekit compatible) that can be irritating at times. 🤔

[@treyprewitt7085]

That help me out big time Shane.

[@ModernDayTech]

Pretty sweet stuff Shane. Very helpful. I think this helped me figure out a new way to automate checking the weather and perception every day and put the eve aqua into a delay scene with no further action from me. Keep up it buddy!

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks Eric! Shortcuts are awesome for automating common tasks!

[@uniqueflh2941]

Cool stuff Shane. Office looks awesome!

[@ShaneCreates]

Bradley Reece thanks man! It’s definitely coming along.

[@faengelm]

Very well done!

[@JonathanBaileyn2u]

Great job!

[@dbrewood]

We're trying to work out if the following is possible (I think not). If (nobody is home OR it is between 22:00 and 04:30) AND motion is detected on a motion sensor then send a iMessage to contacts & flash a light. From what I can see there isn't a way to see if folks have left home and to OR that state with a time period. Or for that matter to send an iMessage?

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Nice video shane! I love the planet in the corner of the demo

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks Jon!

[@GeovaneMorgan]

Great automation, what worked better for me to create a better flashing light effect was adding another 1 second wait after the turn off light command.

[@ShaneCreates]

Geovane Morgan that’s a great point. I actually ended up doing the same, and I agree, it can make the flashing a little smoother. Thanks for sharing!

[@myHomeKithome]

What a great idea! This gives me tons of ideas for some other automations. Thanks Shane!

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks Dustin! Look forward to seeing what you come up with!

[@randyvonmagnus2471]

Shane, this is perfect for stopping my dogs from barking at the door bell.

[@martialb3662]

Thanks for the video ! At least someone explaining simply the Siri Shortcuts !

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks for watching!

[@martialb3662]

Shane Whatley thanks for your vids ! They are the best for HomeKit on KZbin! I follow a dozen of channels dedicated to HK and my opinion yours is the best ! Best regards from Switzerland !

[@ShaneCreates]

Martial B wow, thank you for the high praise and support!! 🙏🏻

[@europlane77]

Awsome Shane, you didnt forget me. Love your new office. Congrants. Now my aqara alarm flashed red in the whole house, but Shane it takes almost 5 seconds between flashes. On both 1 and 2 and 3 seconds it takes forever.

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks! That's interesting. Have you put a wait action at the end of the repeat (maybe try if you haven't)..so it would be lights on, wait, off, wait, repeat. Not sure if that would help. Different smart lights seem to act a bit differently too depending on how fast they turn on, etc. so it may just be the lights themself and not much you can do.

[@rivertonrock]

I love advanced Shortcut automations in the Home app, and I’m excited they’re finally getting some love! We use flashing lights for coffee automation, popcorn machine automation, garage door and home alarm automations. I’ve even mimicked the Hue motion sensor’s behavior, because I like how it dims lights before shutting them off, giving the occupant a moment to re-trigger the sensor. Quick question, Shane: is that Aqara button outside, and how is it holding up?

[@ShaneCreates]

Brian May those are some great automations! Nice job! Yes, the Aqara button is outside, however it is under a covered front porch. So it doesn’t really ever get wet. I live in the south, with hot and humid summers, and doesn’t ever get too cold for too long. It has held up fine for quite a while out there. Still using it.

[@europlane77]

Mine is outside on the shadow side of my house. This year we had - 6 degrees celsius. It works just fine.

[@ShaneCreates]

@@europlane77 good to know. Thanks for sharing!

[@DavidWicks1000]

Thank you this video has helped me with a problem I’ve been having the convert to shortcut is exactly what I needed 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@ShaneCreates]

Awesome, glad it was helpful!

[@cartermw]

Awesome automation for hearing impaired individuals!

[@RalfZille]

Also for the hearing people. Who play the game with headphone and it can not hear the doorbell.

[@MrNavest]

This is great, Thank you! I have set this up but I am struggling with just a tiny thing. Would it be posible to set the light back to it's original state? For example flash red 100% brightness but then set it back to what it was, lets say white 30% brightness. How would you set that up? Can't figure it out.

[@melvintan5117]

Another great video Shane! Take care and stay safe

[@ShaneCreates]

Thank you Melvin, same to you!

[@techytime6197]

Thanks for this!

[@iandrono]

Really cool... do you know if there’s a way to not only set the light to the previous power state but the hue, brightness and saturation? I couldn’t find a way in shortcuts to set those values in control home item...

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks Iván! Unfortunately, I have not found a way to set the lights to the exact state they were initially. As you see in the video, it is possible to GET the brightness, power state, etc and even add it to a variable for later use. But I have not found a way to apply those states to the light after it flashes. So the only thing I've been able to do is to specify the settings after the light flashes. Maybe a common setting that is always used for the light? I think this method works best for lights that either don't have color settings (smart wall switches for example) or lights that you usually keep a certain setting for (so you can set it to that after the flash).

[@Ayode1121]

I was struggling trying to do that, and same result, not found. That's a shame^^. But it made me play with Shortcuts, so now I understand more how powerful it can be. Thanks a lot for this video again ! (And don't hesitate to tell us if you found a way to get previous states for smart bulbs^^")

[@regislefloch9138]

Thanks Shane for yours videos! It really helps. Just a question about this one. Let’s say that my light is already on when the blinking happens, then the light will turn off. How could I do to keep the light on after the alert since it was on before?

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks for watching! At about 5:55 I showed an automation using an IF statement. Just do the same for what you want. IF the light is on, flash five times and then turn it on...OTHERWISE, flash it five times then turn it off. Hope that makes sense.

[@regislefloch9138]

@@ShaneCreates thanks a lot! That helps

[@woliver79]

Can you do an updated video this with the new automations?

[@MortyP]

Good one. I set this up with my Hue Strip light Plus and a few simple Hue LED filament bulbs… They all only turned on once, and crocked out with this error message and stalled. “Accessory is out of resources.” I did play with the timing and upped the intervals etc. No change. I do have a slew of Hue products shared over two Hue bridges. Any idea if why this may be the case?

[@andrewa8367]

Great video! Thank you for sharing this!

[@ShaneCreates]

Andrew A thanks for watching!

[@kevinturnr]

For smart bulbs they often take a second to fully dim off so I’ve set my hue bulbs to turn on to 75% > wait 1 second > 10% > wait another second, and after the repeat I have a full off action (haven’t yet updated this to return to original state). This way the “animation” of the light bulbs is less jarring.

[@r.walker346]

Thank you so much for this useful information. I do have one question tho. Upon following your instructions, the “Convert to shortcuts” button isn’t there. I am trying to set this up on my iPad, just like you. Any ideas? Thanks!

[@BarneyCraggs]

Decent job that sir. Super helpful. Any ideas how to clone the Home Shortcut to another automation? Would be great to have lights blink based on one or more of say motion sensors being triggered

[@geetmadan1991]

this is an amazing idea. i would add one thing. Maybe you can check the state before starting the repeat action and restore the state. So if the light was on before it flashed, it would remain on after the shortcut is done.

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks! That’s what we did in the second automation in the video.

[@geetmadan1991]

@@ShaneCreates haha I guess I commented too soon lol sorry about that

[@ShaneCreates]

@@geetmadan1991 hey no worries! Thanks for watching!

[@atomicdetailsoc]

is there a way to add a condition for this alert to only play at specific times? i have it working but want to see if there was a way to make it alert only at certain hours…

[@yoyonanim]

Hi Shane ! Is there a way to put back the state of the light after the scripting sequence ? Let say my light is at 75% (this is my variable) and I want to get it back to the same state after flashing it 100% to 0%.

[@pepreo1546]

is it possible that they changed something in newer iOS versions. I can’t find many of those screens in my Automations App in Homekit 🤔

[@tonyferrandino8770]

I am using aqara camera to turn on light when sensing motion, after a minute light turns off and trips motion again. So in a loop. Any thoughts on how to correct this?

[@sarooprince]

Thank you very much Shane got this set up with individual variables for separate lights love it just wondering if I can get it to flash two colours and repeat

[@ShaneCreates]

Sure, just add another action to control your homekit accessory and change the color inside your repeat action. Haven't tried that so I'm not sure how reliable it will be flashing different colors, but it works in theory. Might have to add a little wait action in there... it will probably depend on how responsive your lights are.

[@sarooprince]

@@ShaneCreates Hi Shane thank you for the reply appreciated as always. Did as above and the lights I’ve choose. Flash the colours and other just have a 2 second delay instead of one works perfect that you :)

[@ShaneCreates]

@@sarooprince great!

[@HToubro]

Dude, that’s a very nice workaround. I’ve been jealous of your flashing LED strip ever since you showed that, however, and I believe you state that, the accessory needs to support natively. This is a bit slow compared to that flash, but it’s an inventive alternative to make it work with others 🙂 Now if I could only get the Aqara hub to make a sound when the door bell is pressed, but I can’t really figure that one out. Because of it being EU it’s limited to HomeKit and I can’t get the Mi app to work with it, which you have recommended to me before, but I forgot to answer that. Thanks for your videos, I enjoy them a lot. Stay safe.

[@ShaneCreates]

Henrik Toubro thanks for watching! Yes, the “light effect mode” is better but most lights don’t expose that to HomeKit. I’m not sure how to get the Aqara hub to ring as a doorbell without using the Mi home app.

[@easyon54]

hi Shane, About for deaf needs assistance alert. I Wonder if this home kit hub device supports the device eufy doorbell camera able set up an ALERT Automation to notify the flasher that someone rings the bell for the deaf and can adjust how many flashes? what product is homekit model that I can find?

[@RalfZille]

Hi. Thanks for this video. I like flash for the doorbell. I am hard of hearing (almost deaf). This codes are not easy with Philips Hue. I want to learn the codes for Automation. 👍🏻

[@Paulgarfunkle]

Another awesome video!

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks Karl!

[@joelss94]

I’m looking for clock alarm- flash light. Where I can find it ?

[@randallpatrickc]

Ha shortcuts! Wowza - didn’t;t even know about those

[@eadmineadmin2374]

How to stop shortcut ( flashing action) if door was actually closed :) ?

[@MemoriesArchived_L.E.]

Thanks a ton!!! We have a special needs son, and been working on setting up lights to flash when certain doors and windows are opened. We are using Meross Ambient Lights. I have it flash red each, then return to on or off. But if on, I can set the color it goes to, but I can't figure out how to return it to the same color it was before the red flash. For example, I can set it to turn on to Green, but if it was Blue before the flashes, I can't figure out how to return it to Blue. Thoughts?

[@ShaneCreates]

Hey Lucas, the only way I've found to do that with HomeKit lights is to use an app called Signals for HomeKit. It'll flash the lights and then return to the previous state. If you have a Mac that is always plugged in, you can use their new Mac app to create these types of automations. I talked about it in this recent video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4HWqGhsas98paM

[@dc-tc1th]

as far as I can tell, you can repeat as many times you like ( i have a timer with repeat every 15 min ). The problem is that if it repeats for too long and something goes wrong ( usually communication with sensors, etc, ) the program will abort without notification. So you will think your automation is controlling the temperatura in your home but it is Actually Not ( and no way to know the automation had stopped )

[@adrianvele5041]

Thanks for the video, I’m shocking, you are very ingenious, very smart and very good idea 💡👍😱😳👊💪

[@ShaneCreates]

Thank you for watching and for the kind words!

[@TheYooToob2000]

I like this one. I’m wondering if it’s possible to use something along these lines to create a slow dim automation. Set light to 100%, wait one minute, dim 1%. Or something like that

[@TheYooToob2000]

Set light to 100%, wait 60 seconds, set light to 99%, wait 60 seconds...and so on. It would be a nightmare to enter it all. But should work for slow dim.

[@afmm007]

Amazing

[@HaydeBitter]

Great tip. Can i add that i receive a notification on my phone when the door opens? For example to create an alarm?

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks! Unfortunately, we don’t have the ability to use send notifications in homekit automations or shortcuts. You could make it sound an alarm on a HomePod or something like that, but not send a notification or message.

[@jim52356]

@@ShaneCreates How would you sound an alarm on homepod? I found the below article, but looks like apple is now making you subscribe to apple music in order to play an alarm? Below method no longer works :( www.jemjem.com/blogs/apple-products-how-to/how-to-use-a-homepod-as-a-homekit-alarm

[@sherryadams4557]

would be awesome if theres different ways to have flashing light for doorbell and fire alarm. Im a deaf person and I dont get the help from my Landlord so Im trying to find ideas for me

[@wbulondon6299]

Loved the video, Shane. Would this type of thing work for notifications on an IPAD? Say a desk light will flash until you dismiss the notification on the IPAD?

[@ShaneCreates]

Sending a notification triggered by a homekit sensor or device is a whole other beast. That is not easily accomplished. Maybe using something like the pushcuts app... but I'm not sure. Haven't tried that one.

[@jesperplgersrensen6053]

Hey again. I have a lot off hue bulb. I don’t want to switch them out. I’m building an alarm system like you show in another video. Can I use this teknik to make my light flashing. I can’t find a way to let a scene Activate a shortcut. I have plugs light, homepods, but I can’t make my light flash. Only in shortcuts.

[@ShaneCreates]

You can't flash most lights within scenes. You must use shortcuts/automations for that. You could create an automation that could trigger the shortcut to flash lights.

[@COLT45UK]

I'm glad that I found this "partically" solution. However, how do I correctly setup a shortcut that allows multiple lights to return to the last state it was set at. i.e. My study room light is on, my hallway lights is off. When the doorbell presses, all lights flashes and when it's finishes, all lights appears to be stuck on. How do I make sure that hallway lights goes off like it was and leave my study room light on as it was? - (I'm talking about 10 lights around my home - I can't just manually turn them all off 1 by 1 everytime someone presses the doorbell? ;) - Hope you can reply back or make a new video of it? Thanks 👍

[@ShaneCreates]

I discussed that around 6:20 in the video. You can't go back to the exact state, using color, but you can turn the light either on or off, after the automation, based on that state. Also might wanna look into this video, using the Signals app gives you some options for something like this. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4HWqGhsas98paM

[@COLT45UK]

@@ShaneCreates Thankk you, will give that a try. Keep up the nice video.

[@marcuscrellin8966]

HI Shane great videos, good to see Apple HomeKit is becoming a lot more diverse in what it can do now, especially with Shortcuts and other apps like HomeKit Controller. I have a question regarding the flashing lights using the shortcuts. If you set up a shortcut to flash the lights, say 100 times, how do I include in the shortcut a script that will stop the lights from flashing when I turn off my Aqara hub?

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks Marcus. You would probably need to do something like add an IF statement to check the status of the Aqara Hub. Exit shortcut IF the alarm is disarmed.

[@marcuscrellin8966]

@@ShaneCreates Thanks Shane, yeah I have tried multiple variations of IF functions trying to get this to work and can't seem to manage it. If you have any ideas I would be really grateful if you can share, thanks Shane

[@ShaneCreates]

@@marcuscrellin8966 New Automation > when security system is triggered > convert to shortcut IF Security System Current State is Triggered, turn light red. Otherwise "exit shortcut." Put that inside a "repeat" action for 100 times. Might take some tinkering and testing, but that's where I'd start.

[@beckydayedgar1764]

I am hearing impaired for my house right now.

[@zenbrother]

Shane, thanks for the awesome tutorial. I was wondering: do you notice much of a lag / delay between the trigger (for example door sensor opening) and the automation?

[@ShaneCreates]

I only use this for my doorbell currently. It’s pretty responsive for me but there are lots of factors that contribute. For example Bluetooth sensors will often have more lag than WiFi or zigbee, etc.

[@lahan08]

Very interesting video. I did not knew about convert to shutcut. Any suggestions if I also want a email notification after light have flashed 5 times.

[@ShaneCreates]

lahan08 it is not possible “out of the box.” I’ve been able to accomplish it by using the “automation server” feature of the Pushcuts app, but that can get pretty complicated pretty fast. If you want to dive in, look up the Pushcuts app and specifically the Automatuon server feature.

[@lahan08]

@@ShaneCreates I just tested out the Pushcut app, but can't get it to work, as the Importing Shortcuts fails. Also can see it requires a subscription, and don't want to pay for this small feature. But I think I found a other solution on sending mails/sms triggered by an event. I already use a homebridge to connect my Ring Doorbell and Sonos to homekit. So can just configure the homebridge to sent an email/sms. So an Aqara alert will also send a email/sms now.

[@ashpole20]

“Startle the piss out of each other” OK, we need an Eve Aqua under your chair; when that happens the dampness will be detected, then have a routine to turn on a HomeKit socket to electrify the door handle, hey even flash it five times! Just kidding! Another great video, thanks Shane.

[@ashpole20]

That’s Eve Water Guard 🤦‍♂️

[@ShaneCreates]

😂 😂 I like the way you think!

[@Surend89]

Hey Shane, thanks for uploading a really useful video. I have been setting up HomeKit ecosystem and I really needed this automation since we have a toddler at home and those loud doorbell sounds were annoying. While this video shows automation for a single bulb, would it be possible to run the same automation on all the smart bulbs and HomePod in the house ? Say I have a Aqara D1 wireless switch and if we press once, all the smarts lights flash simultaneously? Any suggestions?

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks for watching. Yes, you can add as many lights as you want to the automation. Or create scenes and add them to the repeat action to turn on and off. You can also take a look at the Signals app, which is pretty nice, especially if you have a Mac that you can use it on.

[@robynharpeng9786]

Hi is there any chance any of like text notications, messagner, clock alarm and more things from apple apps as you may be aware there is disabitility need visual alert like hue phillip to blink lights I am deaf myself and i normal use Andriod and i have them all set up and I am doing apple now as there is lots people needs assist with this and I am trying to help ard with their needs. I have no idea how to start with it as i have watch few video but still have no idea to beging to start on with. I have got everything hue and lights set up with andriod but id like to learn more on Apple and im using ipad. Could you help me out? Many thanks Robyn

[@ShaneCreates]

Hi Robyn, thanks for watching. Apple has a lot of accessibility features built in. You might want to look through this if you haven't already: www.apple.com/accessibility In regards to your home, maybe you can set up automations like in this video for flashing lights. Or in my latest video, I showed how to use an app call Signals for HomeKit to flash lights - kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4SkqYmNZqmMbKM Maybe that will be helpful too.

[@TheUnofficialMaker]

how about a video on using homekit Signals.

[@ShaneCreates]

I've done a couple. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4SkqYmNZqmMbKM kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4HWqGhsas98paM

[@outtrun]

Shane mate your a legend, im definitely going to use this method with my own setup, I have a lifx strip behind a small tv and I was looking for a way return it its original power state after a tv boot-up scene so thank you! Quick question, do you know any way to use shortcuts to control actions on you Apple TV besides from opening an app or simply play/pause? I want to know if I can launch specific content on my Apple TV from a HomeKit scene/shorctut. From my own research im pretty sure the answer is no, but you're the guy so its worth a shot! My dream of "Hey Siri We Gotta Go Back" triggering a specific light theme, Turning my tv on and playing Back To The Future from my apple movies library might still be a ways off. thank you Leo

[@ShaneCreates]

Haha thanks man! That would be a pretty awesome shortcut, but unfortunately I don't think this is possible still. We do get a few more Apple TV actions available in shortcuts with iOS 14, but still no way to control specific content as far as I know.

[@joerobinnettebiden4723]

How can I set a action like 15sec before a other action starts ?

[@ShaneCreates]

Just use the "wait" action.

[@simplyrepair]

Does this still work? I don’t have the option to convert to shortcut

[@Pifemaster]

Shane, Thank you for the awesome video. Hopefully, you can help me tweak your automation slightly. I have a Lutron Caseta switch controlling a 120 volt siren. I configured your automation to flash my exterior lights when the switch is turned on. I have set the automation to repeat 600 times and it all works perfectly. The problem is that I would like the automation to stop when I turn the switch (siren) off. I can not find a way to end the repeat once it starts. I would love to have the automation stop when the switch that activates the automation is turned off. Any ideas?

[@ShaneCreates]

Hmm... that may be a tough one. I'm assuming you've tried already a separate automation that, when you turn the siren off, simply turn off the light? Possibly consider using another IF statement within the repeat action that says IF the siren is ON, then flash. Then it would check to see if it's on/off each time and potentially stop when it is no longer on. I'm not sure how that would affect the repeat flashing action...if it would slow it down or mess it up. Could be worth a try though.

[@Pifemaster]

@@ShaneCreates Thank you very much for the reply. After posting my question yesterday, I did figure out a solution and hopefully this will help someone else with the same problem. I inserted an IF inside of the repeat script looking to see if the siren outlet is OFF and if so, it will exit the shortcut. So now my automation looks like this: When Siren Outlet is ON > Repeat 600 Times > Set 3 Accessories On > Wait 1 Second > IF Siren Outlet is OFF > Exit Shortcut > Set 3 Accessories OFF > Wait 1 Second > End Repeat. I have tested it and so far it seems to work perfectly. It will run for 10 minutes unless I turn the siren off. Thanks again for your video. It was a great help in getting this figured out.

[@sskalin30]

Shane cool stuff. I saw your other video with the NFC tags that you can add a vibrate to your Shortcuts and I thought this would be really cool when the doorbell rings too. However, in Shortcuts I try to search for vibrate and nothing shows up. What am I missing?

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks! If you are using the "convert to shortcut" from a homekit automation, a LOT of the norma shortcutl actions are not available...unfortunately.

[@imlon2]

Here is an off the wall question. I have a home bar, that is Hockey related. I want to be able to push a button (when my team scores) that makes the LED's behind my TV that are blue to flash RED a couple times then go back to a solid blue, While also triggering a cheer sound to play over my speakers in the ceiling. Problem is I don't know how to make either of these work even without a button. Any ideas? Currently I only run Google, no hubs so I don't know if this is even an option. Any thoughts?

[@ShaneCreates]

It can be done pretty easily in HomeKit using Homekit accessories and a HomePod. Not sure about using Google.

[@imlon2]

@@ShaneCreates do you have good setup instructions for Home Kit. Seems like everything I have doesn't use home kit. I don't think my Magic Home LED controllers work with Home Kit, if they do I cannot figure out how to make them work together.

[@imlon2]

I may be confused. Is HomeKit, the app on iphone? If not, than I need to look more into this.

[@199wildman]

How can I get a notification when a certain light is turned on? There is no opposition for notifications for lights.

[@ShaneCreates]

No, you can't get a notification for lights. That is just an options for sensors, alarms, etc. in HomeKit.

[@burogs]

Dude, a shout out would have been nice. I sent you all the screenshots on how to do this months ago.

[@ShaneCreates]

Hey Burak, a few people have sent me similar ideas, screenshots and videos and unfortunately I didn’t record every one. Didn’t want to offend anyone by shouting out some names and forgetting others. Nothing but love man, we’re all just trying to learn from each other.

[@lordvectivus1]

Nice job bro, i want to start in to some home kit stuff, where is a good place to start ?

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks Victor! I have a playlist on my KZbin channel, also on my website, with a few videos that cover the very basics of HomeKit. From there, I’d probably recommend smart light switches. That lets you automate your existing lights, and still use the physical wall switches if you want. I’d also look into a good router or mesh WiFi if you haven’t already. That is essential once you start adding lots of smart devices to your home.

[@lordvectivus1]

Shane Whatley Thanks bro

[@sskalin30]

Shane, What happens if the accessories are in a powered state of on already? And your Shortcuts starts with turning the accessory on and then off?

[@ShaneCreates]

Everything will still work fine. The last shortcut made in this video checks to see if the light was on or off, then after it flashes the light, turns it either on or off depending on what the initial state was.

[@ducsue751]

Do you have or know how to make a light flash every x minutes when enable? Example: during a routine workout where you want to be notify every 5 minutes has elapse so you can move on to the next exercise.

[@ShaneCreates]

That's a tough one. I'd start by trying the "wait" action in a shortcut and set it for 5 minutes and repeat. But sometimes shortcuts has problems with long wait times, so I'm not sure if that would work.

[@stephenl4845]

Shane, using this video I was able to setup an alarm for my barn that flashes the lights 10 times when I open the door, if the alarm is not set to off by the time the lights stop flashing then a siren goes off. Awesome! Now I would like homekit to send my phone a message that the siren has started. Any ideas?

[@ShaneCreates]

Very cool! It might be possible depending on what type of siren you are using...whether or not you can turn on homekit notifications for that device. But otherwise, this is something that is not very easy to do since homekit shortcuts are much more limited than the standard shortcuts we can make. I managed to do something similar using pushcuts, which requires a dedicated iOS device running an automation server 24/7. This dedicated device is basically used to run the shortcuts and can therefore send text messages and do a number of other things. But it is not a very elegant solution and might be more trouble than it's worth, or maybe not, up to you. It's shown in one of my past automation videos.

[@stephenl4845]

@@ShaneCreates Thanks for the fast reply! The siren is a basic 110 noise maker and I am attaching it to a smart plug. I have Homebridge running on my Mac 24/7 that lets me setup virtual switches etc. (before your wonderful shortcut tutorial this is how I flashed my lights) My "Barn Alarm" is one of those virtual switches. When I open the barn door Homekit checks to see if the Barn alarm is on, if yes lights flash 10 times to give me time to flip alarm to off, if Barn Alarm is off I can come and go through the door without the disco lights. There is mention of sending text and HTML messages with Hombridge but it is currently outside my skill set. If I cannot figure it out I give pushcuts a try. Keep up the genius work. FYI: I figured out how to tell the direction of a vehicle travelling on my driveway and execute homekit commands accordingly. Happy to share if it something you would find useful.

[@ShaneCreates]

@@stephenl4845 wow that driveway tigger is pretty awesome. I'm always happy to hear how people are doing cool things like that. Since you have home bridge, you might want to look into a virtual alarm/security system plugin. I haven't used one personally, and can't remember the name, but I've heard from others who have done this. The idea for you is...IF you can get a virtual security system exposed to homekit through homebridge, then you should be able to get notifications if the security system is triggered. At least I would think, since that is how regular security systems work that are exposed to homekit. Hope that make sense.

[@stephenl4845]

@@ShaneCreates Here is my DIY to attached a non-homekit driveway alarm to my smart home: I purchased the Dakota driveway alert with two break beams. I also purchased two electromagnets and two Eve door sensors. I can now tell what direction the vehicle is traveling (our country driveway is ~ 600 ft) If the vehicle is arriving I trigger the front porch lights on (if night) and I flicker some lights inside the house and my workshop. When the beam is broken it sends a signal to the Dakota receiver which plays a chime and applies power to the electromagnet. Glued to the electromagnet is an Eve window/door sensor. The electromagnet activates the Eve sensor (which is Homekit compatible of course) Using electromagnets meant no soldering, and this is the trigger for automation and scenes in Homekit. Here is a picture: imgur.com/a/pBQ9wAf

[@sarooprince]

Hi @Shane do you know if there’s a way to set up shortcuts to do different actions depending on the time of day?

[@ShaneCreates]

Sure do. Check out this video. - kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4KrloV_ZdRkq9U

[@sarooprince]

Shane Whatley then you so much Shane Appreciate the reply and help :)

[@luisdemetrio3053]

Nice video as always. I was searching for a mini buzzer to act like a sound alarm, any suggestions Shane? Another question: Would it be possible to create a scene to turn or off your lamp automation you created in your video?

[@ShaneCreates]

Thanks Luis. For the first question, there is only one product that I've ever used personally that exposes a sound alarm to homekit that you can actually use in automations, etc. That is the Onvis door sensor/burglar alarm. This product has some pros and cons (did a review a while back) but a recent update did seem to expose the alarm sounds to homekit so you can call on them in automations. It is not very obvious and requires some tinkering using a 3rd party HomeKit app such as the Eve app to get it to work. But I was able to create an automation to sound the alarm using a completely separate homekit sensor. Not sure I understand the second question. You want a scene that triggers the flashing light? If so, it could be done but would probably require you to use a separate homekit accessory as a trigger, then add it to a scene. Then create an automation for when that accessory turns on, run the shortcut.

[@luisdemetrio3053]

Shane Whatley basically it is to use your light automation as an alarm with the possibility to turn on or off when I want. Thank you!

[@ShaneCreates]

@@luisdemetrio3053 Ok, so yea, you would probably need to use a homekit accessory as a trigger. For example, when the smart plug turns on, run the shortcut, and visa versa. The no need for a scene...just turn on/off your smart plug. Dummy/virtual switches are great for this kind of thing if you are using homebridge. Also, there is something called light effect mode in homekit, but the only lights I've seen that expose it is the Vocolinc lights (any of their bulbs or light strips). With those lights, you can create scenes in homekit with light effects like the flashing lights. I made a video on that as well a while ago.

[@luisdemetrio3053]

Shane Whatley Thanks Shane

[@ChampagneWasTaken]

Hi guys, do i need an aqara hub for every room, or just one in the whole house?

[@tavishsatrom8568]

Just one

[@ksticher2]

Have you done a video on switches yet? I have been looking, but need a double DIN as most of my switches are double, but dont see any good ones out there, or that are in stock.

[@ShaneCreates]

light switches?

[@ksticher2]

@@ShaneCreates Yes

[@ShaneCreates]

@@ksticher2 I made a video about a year ago using Lutron Caseta switches. I love them...no complaints at all. I've also recently installed light switches from Aqara. They are not available yet in the US but should be very soon. I will also release a video on those in the near future.

[@ksticher2]

@@ShaneCreates Can you put two Caseta next to each other to make a double-DIN and the wifi or communication won't be impacted? Ive heard there are issues when you put them together. Have you tested this?

[@ShaneCreates]

​@@ksticher2 Not sure what a double-DIN is. Like a double rocker or two gang switch controlling two different lights? I have multiple Caseta switches in two and three gang switch plates and they work great side by side. Aqara will offer double rocker and single rocker switches once they become available.

[@kylehigashi]

At 4:00pm my kitchen lights flash 4 times. Used a shortcut to make this happen.

[@ShaneCreates]

Nice!

[@JJCoxUTube]

Do you know of a way to apply this flashing light to the ringing of a home landline phone or to a cellular phone ringing? Thanks

[@ShaneCreates]

I'm not sure if that is possible.

[@juliecalvert5615]

With sound recognition becoming available in iOS 14, you might be able to make it work with that

[@JJCoxUTube]

Julie Calvert - I looked at that during the Keynote and in a few KZbin videos, but they aren’t including a phone ring as one of the sounds. It would really be nice if they allowed you to sample a sound and allow that sound to be used as a ShortCut automation trigger.

[@juliecalvert5615]

@@JJCoxUTube Dang, that is disappointing. I know it can be done with smartthings and IFTTT with some bulbs. tap.gallaudet.edu/smarthome/

[@notbearygoodgeek2467]

i'm just getting into homekit, but man.. i really wish apple has a way for us to just write out the code. it so time consuming doing it like that

[@barryanthonyhall2945]

Man... I don’t know how you do it but almost daily I wanna give up on my homepods actually working with anything. They don’t turn on the Apple TV and they can never find my Koogeek outlet.

[@regislefloch9138]

Do you use the app remote in shortcuts?

[@joshx413]

Any way you could share the shortcut for "connect AirPods" 😊

[@ShaneCreates]

Sure! It is a very simple shortcut with only one action (set destination playback), but super useful and I use it all the time since I often change devices that I'm using my AirPods with. It works great from the home screen or widget area on your devices. I added it to my "favorite daily shortcuts" page so you can download it from there if you wish: shanewhatley.com/my-favorite-daily-shortcuts/

[@joshx413]

Shane Whatley thank you!

[@joshx413]

Shane Whatley Thank you!

[@michkal91]

Hi Shane, I am trying to make exactly what you did but as follows. I want the light in my room to flash 5 times if the door opens. After the 5 times I want the light to return to the previous state. Is it possible?

[@ShaneCreates]

Unfortunately I have not found a way to revert the light back to the exact previous state. As seen in the video, we can GET the power state, brightness, hue, etc but there is no way to apply that info to the light. So the closest thing I've done is to determine if the light was either on or off, then based on that info, set the light to a specific color/brightness, etc. in the shortcut after the light flashes. I suppose you could take it further using more IF statements to determine what color, brightness it was then set it back to a similar color or brightness, which would require more steps.

[@michkal91]

Let me clarify. I mean, if the light was on to turn back on, if off to stay off. I tried the second method you provided however I have a problem with the variables. I cannot set the state.

[@ShaneCreates]

@@michkal91 Oh, in that case the method I used should work fine. It has worked form me. You use the variable that you set in the beginning at the end using the if statement. If the light was on (using variable) then "control your home" and set the light to ON, otherwise "control your home" and set the light to off.

[@michkal91]

Shane Whatley oh!!! You are right. One last question. At the if command you chose the eve lightstrip. I want the shortcut as follows. Every time the door opens flash 5 times bathroom light. If the light is on after the 5 times return to on. If off stay off. I am confused. What do I have to set at the if command?

[@ShaneCreates]

@@michkal91 Ok, then you would just skip that first IF statement with the eve light strip. That was to determine if I'm in my office so it would only run if so. But if you want your automation to run all the time no matter what, just skip that part.

[@Kgharney427]

Do you know if there is a way to convert a scene to a shortcut as well. I want to create an interactive scene where Siri reminds them to do other things too when that scene is triggered.

[@Kgharney427]

And how do I get Siri to talk over the HomePod with the reminder of other things?

[@ShaneCreates]

It sounds like the best option for you would be to create a new shortcut that includes setting your scene. You can set a homekit scene within shortcuts. And if you run the scene from your HomePod (hey siri) it will speak everything back over the HomePod. For example, my "start my day" shortcut (I always run using HomePod) sets my morning HK scene, gives me weather and calendar info for the day and asks if I want to play any music.

[@Kgharney427]

Thanks. When I create a new shortcut it says I haven’t set up that scene!?

[@Kgharney427]

That is what I tried first

[@Kgharney427]

Example. Hey Siri. Turn on the water. Ok it’s on don’t forget to turn on the breaker for the hot water heater.

[@zsqduke]

Key word: “Convert to shortcuts” and “Repeat”

[@noxious_nights]

When you're too broke for HomeKit but watch anyways

[@ShaneCreates]

Well thanks for watching! 😀