Smart home

5 smart light ideas for connected, automated home lighting

By The IFTTT Team

January 04, 2023

  • Smart lights are arguably the most popular product in the growing smart home and IoT categories. They’re relatively low cost, easy to use, extremely energy efficient, and infinitely customizable. With millions of potential color 🌈 and brightness 🌟 combinations, smart lighting is both highly functional and immensely fun!

    You can connect your led lights to the other apps and devices you use most to unlock new and powerful experiences that we’re previously impossible. From automatically adjusting to the perfect lighting for movie night to providing visual notifications, to signaling changes in the weather, there’s only one word to describe what your smart lights are capable of — magic 🎩🐰⭐️

    IFTTT can connect your smart lights to 750 other services on the internet and in your home. It's free and easy to connect everything! Join IFTTT today.

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    Table of Contents

    Smart light automation ideas

    1. Set your living room lights to a warm glow when the sun sets
    2. Automatically turn your lights on at sunset
    3. Turn on/off your lights with one tap on your phone
    4. Turn your lights on automatically as you arrive home
    5. If your security system detects movement, turn on lights

    Best smart lighting devices

    Our favorite smart lighting automations

    Lights can offer a range of advantages for home security, energy consumption, and convenience. Smart light technology works by connecting bulbs to a central hub that can be managed remotely by an app on your smartphone or other device. Smart outdoor lights are incredibly useful when it comes to home security — they can be programmed to turn on and off automatically when you’re away, letting would-be burglars know that there is someone home. Smart outdoor lights can also save energy by allowing homeowners to set schedules and turn their lights on or off remotely. Smart lighting can also add convenience to your life — with the right setup, you can easily control a variety of devices from one central app and connect everything with IFTTT. Below are a few smart light ideas that are sure to light your world!

    1. Set your living room lights to a warm glow when the sun sets

    Studies show that allowing the lighting in your home to reflect the natural lighting outside helps your body transition to sleep easier.

    Set your living room lights to a warm glow when the sun sets

    2. Automatically turn your lights on at sunset

    This smart lighting idea is great for any exterior or interior lighting. No one needs their lights on during the day, so automatically turn them on when the sun goes down!

    Automatically turn your lights on at sunset

    3. Turn on/off your lights with one tap on your phone

    This automation will save you from having to get up, walk all the way to the switch and turn it on.

    Turn on/off your lights with one tap on your phone

    4. Turn your lights on automatically as you arrive home

    This automation is great if you commute to work. Keep your energy costs low, by turning off your lights during the day and automatically turning them on when you arrive home!

    Turn your lights on automatically as you arrive home

    5. If your security system detects movement, turn on lights

    This one works with Arlo & Hue, but it could work with any security system & smart lighting connection on IFTTT.

    If your security system detects movement, turn on the outdoor lights

    The 4 best smart light devices

    Smart lighting is the base of every good smart home. The four options below are the best smart lights on the market and are completely compatible wit IFTTT.

    1. Philips Hue

    (from $30 - $200)

    Phillips is one of the world leaders in smart lighting. They’ve integrated their products with all of the top consumer electronic platforms. That means IFTTT users can leverage amazing connections to link their Hue smart lighting system with products and services from Google, Amazon, Ring, Uber, and more. Get ready to tell Alexa to set the right lighting vibe for your party or automating a lighting change at a specific time of day. 🌅

  • 2. LIFX

    (from $16 - $190)

    LIFX specializes in smart light bulbs that, unlike the competition, don’t require an additional hub. So save some cash 💰💰💰 and rest easy knowing that LIFX devices work with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Microsoft Cortana. Set your lights to turn off when you leave home or - for IFTTT’ers who are hearing impaired - set your LIFX lights to blink when you’re tagged on social media!

  • 3. TP-Link Kasa

    (from $15 - $55)

    Don’t let the name fool you, the smart bulb from TP-Link Kasa are super affordable and very scalable. They work with your favorite voice assistants, and they do not require an additional hub to function — just use your existing WiFi router. Save money AND still have all of that power and flexibility? Yes, please! 👌

  • 4. Yeelight

    (from $20 - $130)

    Featuring integration with Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, and smart bulbs from Yeelight are affordable and easy to use. No special bridge or hub is necessary, so IFTTT users can still get tons of features found in higher-priced brands but without the extra gear. That means it's time to light it up! 💡

  • Join IFTTT to optimize your smart lighting ideas

    Join IFTTT and take your connected home to the next level. Use the smart light ideas above for automated and connected home lighting. Use IFTTT to easily connect your lights with all of the top smart home platforms. With IFTTT, you can set up automation and control everything from one centralized location! 🙌🏽 Get ready for the future of Smart Home living - today! 🤩

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    Connecting Smart Light Bulbs with IFTTT Applets

    IFTTT has a wide variety of applets available that allow users to connect their smart lighting devices and light switches with over 700 services. Set up automation quickly and easily so you never forget to turn off the lights when you leave or adjust them as needed throughout the day. Some of the most popular Smart Light applets include:

    - Change Smart Lights Color for Different Weather Conditions

    Create Your Own Custom Smart Lighting Experiences with IFTTT

    These are just a few of the possibilities available when you connect your smart lights to IFTTT. With creativity and imagination, users can customize their experience even further and do things like turn on specific lights at sunrise or send a notification if it gets too hot in the house. Start building your own Smart Light experiences with IFTTT today! 🤖

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    Smart lighting ideas for connected and automated home lighting have never been easier. With smart lights, voice control, and IFTTT applets, users can create custom Smart Home experiences quickly and easily. Join the Smart Home revolution today and unlock the potential of your Smart Lighting with IFTTT!