20 INSANELY Helpful Smart Home Ideas with a Stream Deck!

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Since this wasn’t a review I didn’t talk about all the Stream Deck details. Yes it needs to be plugged into a computer for it to work. Any time I show it working in the video, it’s plugged in next to my computer. If you want something for around the house a dashboard (old tablet converted to a smart home display) would be a better fit. You could still take many of these ideas and apply it to a dashboard though. Shout out to Jean-Luc for emailing me about using a Stream Deck as a smart home dashboard! My desk will never be the same.

[@LoadingStudios]

What is that cube on your desk. The black one with blue lights . 0:11

[@MichaelGraves3304]

Bitfocus Companion extends what can be done with Stream Deck. Further, they have a Pi software package that allows the keyboard to be connected to a Pi instead of a PC. That free you to locate it away from your PC.

[@KakistocracySurvivor]

My Stream Deck has been connected to one of my computers for months with no tiles in use. You just turned on a lightbulb or twenty for me! I appreciate you sharing, this was needed and useful for me. You have a beautiful family!

[@tyzone]

why did you even buy it?

[@ballfanta888]

@@tyzone i have lost of gadgets that i've bought sitting in boxes, one day i keep telling myself. It's a thing, especially for IT people.

[@TheJonHolstein]

One thing that can really speed up the workflow when using streamdeck, is to use multiple ones. Not just because that gives you access to more buttons, but you can actually use a button to change the profile of another streameck, and that is really useful when working with software as it allows you to quickly jump between sets of different type of tools. It of course also means that you can set it up to switch what home automation profile is shown, instead of having to page to the right page.

[@GabooN]

I’ve been using one in my home ‘study’ for the last year. Mix of HomeKit functions and Mac functions. Pull up my Eve app with all cameras, open folder of various light colours, play/pause, shortcut to adjust clipboard, etc. plus the pages of buttons specific to other apps.

[@espressomatic]

The problem is it's a USB device that needs to be connected to a computer at all times. If it had its own SoC and WiFI then we'd be talking.

[@carsandtools]

Yes. It's basically a keyboard with OLED screens for keys and is meant to be used as a keyboard at computer, not as a take-anywhere-remote for HA. There are other solutions for that.

[@MrKlawUK]

could it be paired up with a pi?

[@hks-lion]

@@carsandtools what other solutions are there? 👀

[@carsandtools]

@@hks-lion Wireless programmable keyboards, wireless MIDI controllers, apps for phones and tablets like TouchPortal, Macrodeck, Deckboard etc.

[@ag6371]

Use a mini PC or a thin client headless to have it standalone

[@bagorolin]

I know this is 7 months old but maybe no one mentioned it already: I noticed you have some use cases where you use two buttons for similar things. One button to turn something on, and one button to turn it off. Or two buttons for your speakers. Streamdeck has good possibilities to combine then into one button which allows you to save button space and have even more automation on one page

[@FutzyM3]

I've had a Stream Deck for a little while and bought it specifically for iOT control. I was pretty pleased with how mine is... or should I say WAS configured. You had some really GREAT integrations that I hadn't even considered. Thank you very kindly! There is today's rabbit hole. :)

[@alyasvlogs]

I've been using the Stream Deck to control my smart home for about a year and you're right, the biggest problem is the infinite capabilities! Thanks for some more ideas, Now I'll be busy again for at least the next week lol.

[@Dglinski2]

I would love to see you do a silent video meaning no words just ambient sounds and music of just you going through your day. It would be so neat to watch a montage of you interacting and using your smart house like you normally do.

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Ohhh that's a great idea! I'll have to look into it!

[@ipsinghification]

Reed 'Insane' workflow is the best description for your video , It's the best workflow i have seen , infact your video got me tinkering and i initiated my HA setup , - Have a pi3 b+ running HA - Have HACS installed - your icons are so beautiful But i am stuck at few things , might i request your complete walkthrough video for your setup and how to get everything running , you have a great eye for minimal and tactile workflow. i look forward to your videos. and would love to create the same eco system at my place. Thank you

[@marcus_cole_2]

Great video! I really enjoyed seeing how you're using the Stream Deck for home automation. I do something similar, but I have a couple of recommendations to share with you. First, adding a profile page that shows all your profiles would make it easier to navigate through them without having to switch manually on the desktop app. With one button, you can see all your profiles and easily select the one you need. Second, creating multiple pages per profile and having next and previous page buttons on the Stream Deck would allow you to quickly flip through the pages and gain unlimited button combinations. While you've already created three buttons - one for the home/profile button and two for right and left pages - having multiple pages would make it even easier to access every profile. Although you would lose the three buttons you currently have on each page, I still believe the benefits of having a streamlined way to access all your profiles and the flexibility to add more buttons with multiple pages per profile would be worth it. Thank you for sharing your setup, and I hope these suggestions are helpful!"

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Those are great tips! I haven't spent much time fine tuning the pages so I'll have to try your recommendations out. Thanks!

[@Stephen-Jones]

@@SmartHomeSolver I have it setup with a profile for when using Chrome, but also the default has a button to show the Chrome buttons (and the chrome one has a button to go back to default). Can be quite powerful and useful when alt-tabbing and having contextual aware buttons (and being able to override where needed)

[@TerraMagnus]

One of the guiding principles that is winning a lot of points with my family is making the automations… automatic! So I have multiple “I’m busy” accent lights in the rooms adjacent to my home office. But they are triggered by my webcam being active. Yeah, I can trigger manually with a button. But then I need to remember to turn it off again. Having them turn on and off the instant I join or leave a meeting has been fantastic. I’m driving this through Home Assistant using the sensors provided by the companion app that runs on my MacBook.

[@MobileGamerDude]

I’d love to see an in depth video on how some of these are set up

[@sgk8220]

Ooooo the busy light, thank you for that!! Very helpful to have a visual cue to the family when I am on a call.

[@dkrotine65]

Awesome video. Would love to see one with detail on actually configuring the functions. Especially the garage door piece! Keep em comin!

[@JFloridaTech]

I randomly got a “Razer” stream deck for excessive Apple Script/shortcut combos on Mac to Windows, and almost immediately started using it for HASS also. We have many similar automations, though I’m now adding the Spotify idea! Also your two up/down blinds buttons can be merged to one using icon templates and toggle service.

[@thenextlayer]

FYI for your blinds ip and down you can do a switch that does up and down. I forget what it’s called. But you could do one press up and long press down.

[@markkempton4579]

I've wanted to try a Streamdeck but had no idea what I'd do besides pull up my Teams video calls. I've also been wanting a dedicated smart screen to control my Sonos speakers. You finally connected the dots for me! Thank you!

[@Stephen-Jones]

The ability to open up a (long running) zoom meeting with a single press has been the best thing ever second only to having dedicated mute camera and mute microphone buttons. 🤣

[@Airblazer]

I just got the streamdeck+ and quicky realized I need more buttons :)

[@AustinMccoy5000]

i saw this video 2 days ago and now i have one on my desk...... sooooo useful! Love it!

[@DevilzFan]

Well, this is extremely relevant, as my Stream Deck was just delivered today. I had no plans of using it to stream anything, but was intrigued by how I could use it when playing games and using smart home stuff.

[@jeepdog5]

I use it mute my headset mic and also toggle between outputs (headphones & computer speakers)

[@Aurleis]

7:04 - You can create an audible notification on an Echo device to inform you when your battery reaches a certain level. Not as big of a deal with a phone, but for something like a tablet that you may not be accessing every 20-30 minutes it could be helpful (esp if you have a number of tablets). I don't know about down in the valley, but up here in the mountains of Yavapai we get power outages all of the time. A notification to top off your devices if a storm is being forecast within a few hours could also be a helpful notification. (I guess I'm as lazy as you want automations to take care of much😆)

[@XSemperIdem5]

Is that only on the echo devices with screens or would an echo dot be capable of doing that too? I started using the Google device finder app to check on devices that are charging so I don't have to get up to check if they're done yet 😅

[@Aurleis]

​@@XSemperIdem5 Are you asking if you can do something similar to what Reed has done with a Steam Deck on an Echo Show? If so, I am unaware of a means to make that work. Part of the problem is that Echo Show devices can't have Home Assistant (or other apps) installed, so you can't create a dashboard specific for your Echo Show to work in the same way as Reed's Steam Deck. The closest you might be able to come would be through something like a Kindle, but it would almost certainly require greater programming effort to swap out icons (possible, but a serious pain). You'd probably be best off spending the $130 through Amazon to get a Steam Deck.

[@HATipsByLarry]

That's very cool, i made a poor man's version by using a wireless keypad, some key caps and two free programs. Got around 35 dollars invested in it. Works very well. Not as fancy as the stream deck, but also not near as expensive either. But that looks very cool. Might have to save up my pennies for one.

[@TheNameOfJesus]

It's a good product, but it could be much better if it had the ability to communicate with my smart home hub without needing to be connected to any computer. Maybe they are planning that for the next version of the product. Yes, I know you are thinking that some features won't work when it's not connected to a computer. But an app on the computer could communicate to the Stream Deck using some Smarthome Hub API, (either for Windows or Mac) and you should be able to get it to work with your computer wirelessly.

[@BaronOfHell666]

I love my stream deck. Never used it for streaming. I use it pull up my most used apps, organize apps I use for pacific purpose, and video games. Now you given me some other ideas on how to use it.

[@masterbond9]

i use a stream deck mini because i love my old ibm model m keyboard. i just moved a few months ago, and now that its getting nicer out, i will be slowly setting up my smart home. i didnt even know that the stream deck could be used with home assistant. i can definitely use it

[@KnhoJ123]

I've been using mine at work for the past 2 years for logging into devices. Opening apps. I even have a few profiles set up to type common phrases for me and it saves a ton of typing. Thinking of getting the new model for the icon switching and other new features since I can't update the software anymore for the old one. I also like that If I'm not logged into my station, or walk away and my station times out, nobody else can use it to get into secure devices because the stream deck profiles are stored under my Windows user profile only.

[@koifish1le996]

If you ever end up doing LED projects using WLED software on an ESP32 for example (QuinLED Dig Series are amazing for this), there's a Stream Deck plugin that works with the HTTP/JSON API for WLED. You can also edit the config files of the plugin to add additional preset selections. At least when I set it up that's what I had to do.

[@kylehancock9923]

Would love some details / info on how the heart button works???? BRILLIANT!

[@Moon-Raven]

I personally have a ring light that is plugged into a socket where I can turn on and off the USB ports through Home Assistant. I have HASS Agent installed on my PC, so if my camera turns on, it will turn on the USB port, so that my ring light turns on. As a backup, I have a button on my Stream Deck to turn it on and off. Amazing stuff.

[@AuthenTech]

As always, awesome video! Just bought one through your link. Excited to try it out for Smart Home, FCP, and so much more

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Thanks Ben! There are so many great FCP shortcuts I forget and this has really sped things up. Hope it works well for you!

[@jester667]

That's cool stuff. I will use some of your ideas. I use my stream deck wirelessly with home assistant, by using a Companion software with raspberry pi zero 2w, pisugar and a small battery. Then you can even upgrade it with usb-C QI receiver pad and make it charged wirelessly too.

[@domramsey]

You neglected to mention that it's difficult to set up and you need to keep it plugged into a computer at all times. I'm sure it's useful for a very small subset of people that already use a Stream Deck, but for most people a tablet based dashboard is probably a better solution.

[@beau2418]

Agreed. I wish I read the comments earlier, because the way he was holding it in the video, it looked like it was wireless. I bought one due to this video, started setting it up, and then realized that it had no internal battery or Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity.

[@static_sid]

There is a blueprint available for stream deck which mkaes it very easy, also I think that it is mostly used as a desk accessory, so when people sit in front of their computers to do work, it will already be running.

[@curtisbme]

@@static_sid Agreed. This is example is not a smart home dashboard like a tablet. He is showing how to use this flexible tool to get some of that functionality, along with PC functionality, or whatever else, for when you are working at your desk. This is not meant to be a dashboard for having in your living room or mounting on the wall.

[@dirktijssen4095]

Thanks for that

[@Roxelchen]

Cause he hid all those cables in the video and you weren’t able to figure out the purpose of the device before buying it … Lmao… It’s not his fault that you are not the brightest candle on the cake

[@alphaville4584]

I got a very small one hopping my old disabled mother could use it to deal with the lights because a stream deck is much better than having switches and has a lot of advantages compared to tablets (it’s stable, real and customisable buttons, the inclination is good, etc.), but it’s not possible. Unfortunately it has to be plugged to a running computer (if it’s on screensaver the stream deck is also on a sleep mode). I hope with this new way to use it, they will make it evolve (battery and wifi).

[@MatthewN8OHU]

I'm really liking my Stream Deck XL, so much so that I'm planning on buying several more of them. One is going to be a Stream Deck + for audio management; the others will probably be XLs.

[@stevenlo6740]

What plugin did you use to show the battery level of things?

[@dankelley9361]

Fantastic setup, what you failed to mention is how it works & how difficult it was to setup all these automations. Does it work with SmartThings? Be nice to dive in deeper & show how you enabled these automations!

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Thanks! It's easy to set up, especially if you check out some of the tips in the description. I don't think there is a good way to get it to work with SmartThings right now.

[@Jacksonabean]

You might be the smartest man I know. And I don't know you. This is genius! Ordered mine!

[@matts1196]

Thanks for this video! I'm curious if you figured out a way to present Powerwall battery % on the stream deck. I was able to get solar production and house load, but powerwall charge just doesn't seem to present on the deck.

[@matts1196]

I found a solution - leave the Title blank, then enter '{{state}}{{ "%"}}' into the 'Enter custom button title' (that shows after you tick the box).

[@joolz7890]

24 hours ago, I didn't know this existed. Now have one, and am using it to turn on/off my Hypercube nano (thanks Paul Hibbert) that is on my desk. Absolutely mental.

[@ZacharySkaggs]

Any tutorials on these? Like the changing icons based on state and text messages?

[@kramasz]

This is great. I kept seeing that deck go on sale and was curious if it was really just for streamers. Thanks for the tips!

[@raytang233]

love this video! i own a streamdeck but did not know it can do this much! I really hope you can make a video guiding us the setup process because I do not know how to make it do the things you showed it the video. i would love to try it out and would really appreciate you for making that video! thank you so much!

[@JKStudios101]

Woah! I never knew the stream deck is one awesome smart home gadget. I'm impressed 😄

[@StolenJoker84]

I never thought about using the StreamDeck for other automated tasks, but I do have it set up to control my Hue lights in my office/studio. I have a single button that I press that turns the lights off and then shuts down my computer. I have another button configured to stop my automatic backup service and restart the computer. These are basically the two non-streaming related automation tasks that I have configured.

[@PtolemyInventedThePSVita]

If you have a Mac the Home Assistant companion app is super powerful. I have automations for desk lighting when my computer is active, and if my external speakers (on my computer) start playing audio, HA will lower the volume on all rooms Sonos speakers as to not interfere and then put it back to the previous volume when system media stops playing. This all paired with the HA plugin for StreamDeck gives you desk automations super user privilege haha

[@williamk52]

Im surprised you dont have the shades set to a toggle

[@WizRd0]

3:10 You should use "multi action button" to toggle the power of both speakers at the same time

[@mwjones71]

Great ideas, and I see myself adding some of them to my Stream Deck that I've been using for a while. Here's a couple of things that I use it for: Control my Sony Bravia (Android/Google TV) Smart TV, from turing the TV on and off, selecting inputs (or directly launching apps), Volume/Mute/Play/Pause - it's to the point I rarely have to pick up the remote. I normally bring up my security cameras on it while working, one button turns it on, launches the camera app and mutes the sound. Like your "quiet time" timer app, I have a LaMetric Time that is right next to my webcam for video conferencing. I have one button that turns on the appropriate lighting for the webcam and mutes the phone and my personal computer (which is the one Stream Deck is connected to, not the work computer being used for Video Conferencing), and additional buttons that start a countdown timer on the LaMetric Time (one for 30 minute calls and another for 60 minute calls), and another button that cancels the timer, turns of the webcam specific lighting off and unmutes everything muted previously. The timers help me (especially when they're my meetings) keep the calls on track and not run over.

[@bikerg6294]

I have a Bravia and a stream deck, can I ask how you use it to control the Bravia?

[@mwjones71]

@@bikerg6294 I use the Stream Deck integration with Home Assistant to send the commands via Home Assistant's Bravia integration. In fact, most everything I do with Stream Deck is via that integration with Home Assistant.

[@wimalaabeyasinghe6687]

Can you please give us a detailed video about how you set the stream desk because the steps that are mentioned in the link is confusing for me 😊😊

[@iGageit]

Love this! I will be looking at the stream Deck for my Smart Home! Keep up the great videos!

[@HikingWithCooper]

I just got one and am loving it. I would love to see how you set it up to show your CPU temp and how you connected it to your phone. Also, if you have a way to turn a smart tv on / off would be super cool. Thanks for the vid!

[@BeneathShadows]

Yeah I couldnt find anything would love to see the phones battery tutorial as well

[@gregsedwards]

This is great, Reid. I'm pretty familiar with the Stream Deck as a tool for video streamers, but I hadn't really considered its usefulness as a home automation hub. I may just have to pick up one of these and give it a try. I do already have a Google Nest Hub on my desk, which allows me to control my lights and other smart home devices pretty easily, provided they integrate with Google Home. I'm wondering whether one might get a little creative with routines and mimic a lot of the same functionality you're talking about achieving with the Stream Deck.

[@pawjeppesen-ifttttricks605]

You could use it to Chek status on your ev. Set charge level instantly, precondition the temp and so on.

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Those are great ideas!

[@DawidNH94]

I'm just waiting for smart mirror

[@REkzkaRZ]

Awesome video. I'm not a smarthome person, but I am interested in StreamDeck. Appreciate your open minded approach & creativity. You missed one thing -- show me what is being streamed on my TV. HA HA

[@HazeBaze]

Just better 1:14 : When Spotify plays, and i hit the pause Button, it Pause Spotify but also play KZbin... thats sometimes strange ingame. Music is on the flow. You want to Pause your Spotify but KZbin Starts to play ...

[@Littleferris]

Awesome vid Reed! I really want one now !

[@RyanLeach]

Great ideas, although I wouldn't be surprised if you end up wanting an XL. It's great being able to see as much as possible on one screen!

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Thanks! Yes you're right, after realizing how much I can display I am wanting the XL version.

[@beepboopbeepboop190]

I haven't bought one because I'm torn between the XL and the newer "+" model. I want a XL with knobs and a touch screen. Being able to turn lights and temp up/down with the knobs would be great. So then I look at the Loupedeck Live and I'm even more unsure which one I want.

[@PhillipHilton]

I'm a big fan of the Stream deck XL. It's great for managing everything from my desk climate, audio, admin panels without menu diving or using a voice assistant.

[@gabrielvasquez8833]

This is cool, I need this in my life! Thanks for sharing.

[@brentkleinman6926]

Hey I didn't know you were making a video about this! Amazing work Reed!

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Thanks Brent!

[@summerbee80]

Damn it Reed! Bought another gadget now...man... Gonna install this stream deck in the dry wall and have it hooked up to my thin portable pc and monitor. Will be some sort of hybrid touch /clicky clicky all in one thingy a bob!

[@Neverkilltime]

Great video! I need to setup my Stream Deck like this :)

[@NextTimeTech]

I have my Stream Deck play a simple Sound Board effect of a Text-To-Speech Bot saying commands so my Alexa hears it. I came up with this myself but I like the home assistant idea better lol

[@RoxzinGaming]

awesome ideas, will definitely try some of these out!

[@tonybrandt3740]

This looks awesome. Thanks for the review 👍

[@DRacer90]

Thank you for making this video. Been waiting for something like this (Dunno if it's been done before since I haven't searched for it yet) LOL

[@naizondj]

Would be nice to make this avaible to download as template!🔥🔥🔥❤️❤️

[@jaggermanning5477]

Amazing video! i try and use for videos to create automations in my house thank you and keep up the great work Reed!

[@GroupNuzil]

Great Video Reed!! Can you share the speaker model? They look great!

[@vr360experiencetheordinary]

How did you get the smart shades to work? And could I use curtains instead of blinds?

[@dominikakratochvil860]

For what smart home is it posible to use? Google? Alexa? HomeKit? All of them?

[@Ititchiwhatititchi]

The Spotify buttons aren't working for me. Could the plug in have issues with Apple M2?

[@turdferguson7686]

i bought a smart deck so that i could control my sound device and control my winamp/music player independently of whatever the active program was without needing an ugly keyboard with media keys. basically i wanted to change songs while playing counterstrike because switching back and forth from it makes it run like crap. and windowed mode runs like crap. i eventually started getting more smart home devices and added some of those routines to it too. fantastic little devices. might get the newer one with knobs on next. though i have the turnup for volume knobs already.... streamdeck just has so many more plugins though. i got the el gato pedals too, which are another very useful addition.

[@НикитаФайнберг]

so cool, I love this smart home setup, that's super dope

[@LifeOfCole]

Hello! I've noticed the Ring camera system is nothing short of awful at real time monitoring. Is there a camera system/setup that you recommend?

[@Chris-ux2bs]

Great ideas! Do you have a link to the LED cube STL?

[@marn200]

5:28 whats that icon between macs fan control and the battery?

[@TROOVY]

alt tab application

[@UnhungSign]

Tip for you @Smart Home Solver, put both your speakers into a Multi-Action button so you have 1 button that turns both of them on and off.

[@niravniel561]

can this be connectetd to Smartthings ?

[@SmartHomeSolver]

I didn't see any integrations for SmartThings unfortunately.

[@BrillianceAutoSpa]

What power outlet strip is that? I could use one. Thanks!

[@inspirecodeteam]

What is that cube light at 6:38?

[@run1fast141]

With the red light in the hall, didn't you have that synced with your calendar so you didn't even have to remember to hit a button? Just curious as how this is better? Just another option in case of an impromptu call?

[@gerryf7015]

Nice. How difficult or time-consuming to set up?

[@CannabisTechLife]

asking the real questions

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Very easy to set up. The only thing that took some time was getting stuck on some random little thing. I added notes to the description that should help you avoid that though. It's one of those things you could go from zero to a page full of stuff on the Stream Deck in 15 minutes. From there you could slowly add stuff.

[@EternalSaber]

I would love to see a video where you give us a tutorial on how to set up your smart lights on your stream deck.

[@kevinhtl]

Great video. Which icon set is that clean white on black icons?

[@sunnydays1238]

Can you do a video on how you do these smart automations with the streamdeck please

[@tatts4life838]

I wonder if there is a way to use the stream deck as a universal remote. I have one but it only allows me to connect a certain number of devices

[@MitchellGreen]

Great ideas!! Nice job and Many thanks!!

[@JeffFromMichigan]

USB over ethernet, plug that one in next to the bed or in the kitchen. Get yourself a StreamDeck XL for your desk!

[@oneallwyn]

Utility would be good for something else like some kind of studio else if something can simply be done by soft buttons on phone, tab or may be nest screen as well.

[@redwind3475]

Gotta mention the free/cheaper even with pro version software alternative to this called Touch Portal. Allows you do make macro buttons the same way, and I have it on an old tablet and my smartwatch.

[@TheFearlessStudios]

Just curious what cameras you use for outside your house

[@Luca57893]

Great video and heaps of good ideas. I am getting started using my Stream Deck and wondering how you are doing the Tesla solar readout on your stream deck? I can't seem to figure out how to show data on a stream deck icon. That would be useful cause I got heaps of things that would be useful to monitor using the stream deck. Thanks for the awesome video!

[@donseibert4847]

Is there a way to integrate this with SmartThings. What cameras are using that comes up in your screen that fast? Thx Reed.

[@Lotel78]

Which plugin did you use to show the battery level on the iPhone?

[@laurencewilcox2960]

Have you figured out a way to use it to switch the input mode on a monitor? Is that even possible? So having a mac running on a USB C and a PS5 on HDMI through the same monitor. Can you add a button to somehow switch devices?

[@Shazam613]

Stream Deck had a recent update to its IOS software for IPADs. There is one time $50 cost but you can have up to 64 buttons on your IPAD, and if you use the virtual devices option it allows up to 128 buttons. Just food for thought

[@stlwestcountyboy]

How did you get your phone battery to show up, what plugin did you use?

[@gretarmarsigursson7408]

How are you using IKEA products with the Stream Deck? Is there a special software that you're combining it with?