Hoang asked 5 years 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 years 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
Useless
Hoang answered 5 years 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
Has there been any update that would allow this to work better? Some sort of repeat or interval timer function?
I need the same but every 15 mins. Can’t do that in explicit format. This should be easy within routines. Even if they allowed you to call a routine, preferably itself, then that would work too.
SOLVED! Alexa Routine to repeat every* 30, 15 etc., I use two routines to keep things sane. FS09:10 Force shedules: https://t.co/2Nep4D46Lt FS20:55 Force shedules: https://t.co/WtKmBCqqD9 #Alexa #AlexaRoutine #AlexaRepeatEvery Tip from: https://t.co/MvGAKB4xII Original Tweet: https://twitter.com/__tbw/status/1487177083168206852 Sent via TweetDeck
[Updated] the other post using a Routine covering 24h was unwieldy, this new approach (using 1h routines) is much better.
SOLVED! Alexa Routine to repeat every* 30m. I use a one hour Routine copied as needed. Easier to test and copy. From: Menu top right inside the routine.
FS18:00 Share link: https://t.co/QEFDWZcJif
#Alexa #AlexaRoutine #AlexaRepeatEvery
Tip: https://t.co/MvGAKB4xII
Original Tweet: https://twitter.com/__tbw/status/1487497545928654854
not solved, bs routine, EXTREMELY cumbersome
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Joel Dearing answered 5 years 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
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I tried this, it works, don’t do it. I offer this suggestion with no professional qualifications or insight. I’m my experience, switched outlets available for smart home controllers are poorly built. Even so, they work fine for a few years but then you’ll need a new one. With daily tasks limited to once or twice, the switch can perform for a few years. If you attempt to make flimsy hardware perform repeated functions as described in this post, it will fail quickly. Don’t let your expensive and hard fought hydroponic garden or other personal project suffer or fail for the sake of incorporating smart-home control. I strongly recommend a well-made dedicated outlet timer with mechanical time and switch operations.