This Changed Everything! Smart Home Automation Button

[@SteveDOES]

**I just found out the the hub connects to WiFi. So you don't need to keep it plugged into ethernet.** YES, i could take an extra 5 minutes to turn on my TV and sound system then turn off my lights at the switch and close all the blinds in the room BUT, it's a lot more fun to automate all that into 1 click of a button. For me, automation isn't about being lazy, it's about solving a puzzle and getting my devices to work together. If you're into home automation let me know in the comments. :)

[@jmr]

I like what you said about it being a puzzle. I feel the same way. I use my automations and would miss many of them but that's only half the fun.

[@dominichill4300]

Bought these a few weeks ago. I love them! I didn't get the hub tho. I have them hooked up to my fire tablet, that i use as a smart home command center, via Bluetooth.

[@SteveDOES]

Oh that's pretty clever. I should look into doing the same. I have a Fire tablet that i hardly use now.

[@PogueSquadron]

This is exactly what I was looking for. We don’t have a light switch for our living room, and it’s so annoying when we’re bumbling around and trying to get the lights on. I’m hoping to get some bulbs in some wall sconces or something so that my wife can just use a regular light switch. This has been so common in our last couple of apartments. There’s just never an easy way to turn the lights on anymore.

[@SteveDOES]

oh yes, this would be perfect for your scenario.

[@kickartist1]

So relatable with the kids! I didn't even know about this technology, thank you for the video!

[@SteveDOES]

Glad you liked it. :)

[@TheBradLloyd]

Awesome video Steve! Love the intro and can totally relate!

[@SteveDOES]

Haha, thanks Brad!

[@dnoland77]

Great video, looks like you've taken a page from Reed and included the family As for family remembering device names, Craig Poulson recommends just letting them name the devices. As far as Flic goes, they are pricey, and hard to get. Amazon has been OOS for quite awhile. Since they really do the work of 3 echo buttons I'll probably cave and pick some up but in the meantime I always pick up a pair of echo buttons on the rare occasion that they come back in stock. Having a button really solves some automation problems. In my master suite I was trying to coordinate everything with routiness. 4 sets of lights in bedroom, closet and bathroom along with 2 motion sensors and an exhaust fan. Gave up and just wrote 1 routine with the button as a trigger when I leave the room. Use a button to wake up the house in the morning. Who wants to speak to anything when they first get up. And of course super cool to shut down and put the whole house to sleep with 1 button push. One last note, I hope you keep it to echo and google. Reed has recently gone down a path I refuse to walk. Just say no to home assistant! Please keep it simple.

[@SteveDOES]

Thanks David. Reed and Craig both create some great content. I agree, speaking to a voice assistant is the last thing to want to do in the morning. As for Home Assistant, i love that you can pretty much do any automation with it. I spent about a day researching it and found that it was just too in-depth for me. I’m not not ready to take that dive any time soon. :)

[@straightshootinsim]

@@SteveDOES I am already in those Home Assistant deep waters, so who is this REED you speak of? :) Great Video by the way, love the humor and the family references. Hits dead on the nose here as well.

[@pksura7104]

The last one smile just stole my heart🥰🥰

[@adrianscarlett]

So you replaced you light switch with a button that you can lose down the sofa cushions?

[@SteveDOES]

It does have double-sided tape on the back that you can stick to something but, to answer your question... Yes, easily losable. :) Thankfully the kids have been pretty responsible with it.

[@Adi031978]

Great video. You highlighted a challenge of all these smart solutions in a funny way 👍🏻

[@SteveDOES]

Thanks! 😃 Glad you liked it.

[@dustindavis7331]

Great video! I enjoy the fact that you had you kids participate in the video as I can relate to that. Somehow over the last couple of years watching smart home videos I have not seen you channel. I cannot wait to see more and just when I thought I was getting close to watching every video every made on YT, I was wrong. Haha

[@SteveDOES]

Haha, thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it and welcome to the channel. :)

[@ocdtechtalk]

I agree. It is ridiculously crazy how long it took for "someone" to simplify the commands. Did the designers really think that we wanted to talk to our smart house is the dumbest way!

[@SteveDOES]

As fun as it was to talk to my Echo dot when i first got it, i'm over that now. I'd rather push a strategically placed button then yell across the room and hope Alexa hears me the first time. :)

[@rwags6848]

Is there an app for finding your buttons that that the kids ran off with?

[@SteveDOES]

OHH, great question. Not that i know of but that would be a great addition to future buttons.

[@teba7492]

Can you buy just the hub? I have flick 2 buttons (they were a gift) but don't need to buy more buttons

[@SteveDOES]

I asked about that and they said with the current shortage of microchips out there that they are only selling the kits right now. So i would think as the shortage goes away that they would eventually just sell the hubs.

[@BBalasa]

Super Elevator Pitch start , this is exactly the problem in my house as well.

[@dnoland77]

Steve, if I buy just the button and pair it to a fire tablet that stays on 24/7 would I still be able to use it as an alexa routine trigger?

[@utrutr6013]

What would you recommend for a MULTI BUTTON remote that will connect to Hubitat?

[@risco1974]

My wife went to bed mad 😡 tonight because she couldn’t turn the outdoor lights off. So I guess I’ll be buying this so I can keep the peace at my house.

[@SteveDOES]

Happy wife, happy life! :)

[@98rollins]

Do these work with Govee led lights?

[@emmanuelranieri3568]

hi does it works with Google nest too?

[@jmr]

Are you sure the delay has to do with distance? RF moves at the speed of light. I suspect something else is going on.

[@SteveDOES]

Might have to do with all the other wireless interference i have bouncing around my home.

[@jmr]

@@SteveDOES That's possible but it still seems unlikely to me if the delay is a consistent issue. Either the receiving device picked up the signal or it didn't. Assuming the communication is bidirectional there is a possibility the hub sends back a retry request when it doesn't receive the message correctly. I still don't think that explains a consistent delay though.

[@JoshuaNiland]

Adorable intro!!

[@pepiau_]

The other down side to the flic is they use Bluetooth and the range is terrible. There are cheaper Zigbee buttons and the signal is extended by other zigbee devices. Good video though

[@SteveDOES]

Thank you. I was a little hesitant when I saw that it used Bluetooth but, i was happy with the results.

[@sylvainlaviolette7852]

Such a great intro!!

[@Dave-px8xn]

Flic2 is flicken expensive for a button. For that price should work locally with no internet. How hard is it to replace battery? I've had other buttons where I tried to replace battery and broke it trying to open the cover

[@SteveDOES]

You need to stick it to a surface first but once you do that you just need to twist and it pops the back plate off.

[@SpaceLifeMo]

Great video Steve 👌🏼

[@SteveDOES]

Thanks Mo!

[@YukonHawk1]

Your girls are adorable 😁😁😁

[@davidrajchman7162]

just buy the Xiaomi buttons, they also use ZigBee and have much more options and they cost just 10-15 USD

[@jp4105]

Could you review the 360 bulb camera? Is it a good buy?

[@kubectlgetpo]

Hmm, so first replace normal fully intuitive buttons with "smart" home voice etc. Then it's too difficult, so let's out buttons back? 🤔😁 PS: i did the same and realized the tad bit dumbness in it

[@dnoland77]

Ya, it's a little ironic except that I can't shut off a group of devices with a single old switch/button. Plus with a custom command I can add a delay for the exhaust fan in the bathroom.

[@SteveDOES]

Well when you put it that way... lol

[@artyomdubrovsky]

Adorable kids

[@SteveDOES]

Thanks.

[@rigobertomuniz4332]

Need a hub for used i have smart things.

[@kimcwilkins5534]

Adorable

[@SteveDOES]

They are, thank you. :)

[@rigobertomuniz4332]

If a have Lifx bulb need a hub.

[@argomedoreds]

Those buttons are so expensive. Why not buy cheaper ones, also with zigbee protocol.

[@SteveDOES]

What button would you recommend?

[@robertoperez5742]

Best intro ever! Hahahaha

[@SteveDOES]

haha thank you Roberto!

[@Shunopoli]

I like the idea, but lost me at the price and the need for a hub.

[@SteveDOES]

Yea, these guys are pretty pricey.

[@ivanortiz9697]

just get a smart switch for the lights.

[@SteveDOES]

I have plenty of those too. What smart switch do you recommend?

[@ivanortiz9697]

@@SteveDOES been pretty happy with the GE Wave ones.

[@ch0lito]

Lutron Aurora, they are not cheap but you don't have to deal with the electricity!!.

[@AdamStranberg]

I like the video but you're paying over $30 a button you can get from Ali for dirt.

[@SteveDOES]

Yes, definitely not cheap. I think a lot of the cost comes from the platform they've built around this button. My video just scratched the surface of what flic is capable of.

[@AdamStranberg]

@@SteveDOES yeah if you don't want to go through the trouble of setting up a proper home automation software then I get that this is valuable. But I'd highly recommend someone who wants to do these kinds of things look into something like home assistant and have more flexibility integrating different platforms than any proprietary company can do.

[@Skiwhack]

Just name the device something simple like "family room lights", or can Amazon enabled devices not do that?

[@SteveDOES]

haha you can. That little skit with the kids was over complicated and a throw back to how automation used to be when i first started.

[@myutube6422]

FYI, After having a major medical event in my home at 2AM, lucky that my SO was here and was able to dial 911, turn off the alarm and open the electric gate, unlock the front door. I realized that if she hadn't been here I would have died. She isn't always here. So I ordered up a Z-wave Yale lock for the front door, which unarming the alarm will unlock, an emergency key fob, disarming the alarm, and a medical response for my alarm system, but that didn't open the gate. I realized that a Yolink 4 button or a Flic button would open the gate. I'm assuming that by wearing the fob and having the flic button close, hopefully, I'll be able to at least push the buttons. Don't get old, it's a bitch.

[@SteveDOES]

Damn, sorry to hear that Bill. I’m happy to hear that you’re able to automate devices to let emergency crews in if needed.

[@myutube6422]

@@SteveDOES Life is a bit different when you live alone, and then you have a lot of automation/etc. And of course, you still think that you are bulletproof. A reminder to have a will in place. :o)

[@raaah]

To much for 3 buttons I can get a button for $20 works with smartphones Google Alexa etc

[@SteveDOES]

What button do you recommend?

[@TheBigb1973]

Just use the light switch 🤷‍♂️

[@SteveDOES]

I know right? But a standard light switch can't turn on my TV and sound system, while lowering the shades to darken the room. :)

[@kennethboss2549]

I’m not doing this anymore.

[@WillliamCumming]

It is an echo, not an "eco" device. What are you, a hoser from America Jr.?

[@deadstar962]

Way too expensive

[@DeminicusSCA]

hub lol do you even home assistant bro ?

[@mingwu5454]

why I need to have the button if everything is smart?

[@Mr_Battlefield]

This video is pointless. Just create a Routine in Google Assistant and add the key phrases your children want to say to get what ever smart device's (light's) to turn on and also create another Routine for turning the light's off. But only add the light's that are more important to your kid's area's (play room/bedroom) problem solved.

[@SteveDOES]

All great suggestions. And thank you for watching this pointless video.