Have your lights set to the sunset

I use a lot of Smart Home features, but my favorite one right now is setting my smart lights to come on a sunset.

It’s a great way to gradually switch from day to night—and since it’s tied to sunset, I never have to update the routine trigger time even as the seasons change!

Here’s how to set it up:

1. Go to the Alexa app and tap More on the bottom right.
2. Scroll down and tap Routines.
3. Tap the plus sign in upper right to create a new one.
4. Tap Enter routine name and create your description. Mine is Sunset Lights.
5. Then select When this happens, and you can select from a variety of triggers, like Voice and Alarms.
6. Tap Schedule, and select Sunset and then use the slider to adjust how many minutes before or after sunset you want the action to occur. You can also choose how often to repeat—every day, or select days by tapping the initials of the week.
7. The next step is Add action. Scroll down to Smart Home and tap Lights, then select the lights you’d like to include in the routine. You can also adjust the brightness with scroll bar, and even set a color preference.
8. Then tap Save in the upper right and you’re done!

Pro Tip #1: I sent my lights to go on half an hour before sunset—that way, it never gets too dark inside my house, and it’s a gradual shift from day to evening.

Pro Tip #2: Like to go to sleep with lights on but wake up in the morning with the lights off? Set up a companion routine that turns your lights off just before sunrise.