Hoang asked 5 months ago
Can I create a routine that does this to control smart plugs/switches?
- power on a device
- Wait for x hours/minutes
- Power off device
- Wait for x hours/minutes
- Repeat step 1
If there isn’t a way to do it, are there apps that can handle it instead?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Daniel Hill Staff answered 5 months ago
Yes, it is possible! Here’s how to do it.
Here are the steps.
- Open the Alexa app, select “More” at the bottom, then “Routines”
- Make a new routine by pushing the “+” button in the top right corner
- Enter a routine name, then select a trigger under “When this happens”, for instance, you might select “Schedule”, then “At Time”, and set it to 9AM.
- Then go back to the routine you’re creating and add an action. In your case, you could select “Smart Home”, then “Lights”, then pick your light. Select Power to be “On”.
- Then, add another action. In your case, it might be “Wait”, and select the time period you want the light to be on.
- Then, add another action. In your case, select “Smart Home”, then “Lights”, then pick your light, and set Power to be “Off”.
- You can add “Wait” steps and “Smart Home” steps as many times as you would like.
Hopefully that gets you to your end goal!
-Daniel
Hoang answered 5 months ago
The solution provided works just fine if you have only a few steps. However, I need to accomplish this:
- power on device
- wait 1 hour
- power off device
- wait 1 hour
- repeat step 1
The number of steps is large for a 24 hour period and adding the steps on a phone (the only app that supports routine, Alexa app on PC or web do not have routine) is tedious and error prone especially the steps added are not in the order created.
Your help is much appreciated.
Hi Hoang,
I agree, it certainly is tedious!
However, if you make a mistake, it’s easy to re-arrange the steps, or edit the routine after you’ve created it in case the steps aren’t in the order you want. Just press on the 3 horizontal lines on the right side of each step, and hold down your finger then drag to the appropriate part of the routine.
-Daniel
Joel Dearing answered 5 months ago
create the routine like Daniel outlined
I see the steps as
light on
wait one hour
light off
wait one hour or maybe 0h 59m 28s
Save the routine
then select the routine like you are going to edit it
touch the thee dots in the upper right corner
select “copy actions to a new routine”
enter a routine name, maybe call it On-Off 2a or 1600 for 4p
you will have to adjust the time, so select “when this happens” / Schedule / At time / Repeat / Everyday and the hour you want to start the routine. If this starts at mid night every day, since this is a 2 hour action you will create 12 routines, and just edit the name and start times.
So it is pick your poison. Either create a very long routine, or 12 short ones