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Setting Up Color Notifications • SmartThings
Setting Up Color Notifications • SmartThings

This article will teach you how to setup color notifications inside the SmartThings app as well as provide specific examples.

Eric Hines avatar
Written by Eric Hines
Updated over a month ago

IMPORTANT: This article is for the White Series (Matter) as it does not support Animated Notifications at this time. If you have a Red or Blue Series switch, you can use this tutorial, but also use the instructions to set up Animated Notifications.

Please use the article below to understand more about setting up Color Notifications in the SmartThings App. We will discuss first how to generically setup a notification and then follow up with specific examples that our community members have asked for.

At the bottom of each scenario, we will put links to the products used for reference.

Color Notification Overview

Color notifications are used when you want to have a visual cue on your LED bar notify you of a certain event. A few examples would be:

  • LED Bar changes to purple if your garage door is left open past 9pm

  • LED Bar changes to red if your front door is unlocked

  • LED Bar changes to orange if a door is opened at night time

These notifications are accomplished by using, "Routines" within the SmartThings App.


Setting Up Color Notifications in SmartThings

IMPORTANT: You must have the Inovelli Edge Driver installed in order for these instructions to work as it automatically creates a, "child" device that is used for notifications.

There are lots of use cases for using the LED Bar (Light Strip) as a notification tool inside your house. From notifying you if the garage door is left open past 10pm, to understanding the Armed status of your Home Monitoring system, color notifications are a great way to quickly see whatever you're monitoring.

Below we'll setup a basic notification that will notify you if your garage door was left open between 10pm and 8am.

  • In your SmartThings app, click on the, "Automations" tab at the bottom

  • Click on the "+" sign at the top and select, "Create routine"

  • First we'll setup what will trigger the routine (in our case, the garage door being open -- we'll worry about time next)

    • Under where it says, "If", click on, "Add what will trigger this routine"

    • Click on, "Device Status" and search for your Garage Door (in our case we are using a GoControl GD00Z-8-GC)

    • Click, "Door" followed by, "Open" and then, "Done"

  • Next, we'll focus on the time variable -- this still falls under the, "If" section because we're saying, "If the garage door is open during a certain time, then do x"

    • Under where it says, "If", click on, "Add condition" followed by, "Time"

    • Click on, "Period of Time"

    • Under, "Start Time", spin the numbers to 10:00 PM

    • Under, "End Time", spin the numbers to 8:00 AM

    • Leave all the days selected and select, "Done"

  • Now we'll set up the Color Notification on the Inovelli Device (this can be done on all Red & Blue Series switches) -- this will be done in the, "Then" section (in other words, "if the garage door is open between 10pm and 8am, then display a notification)

    • Under where it says, "Then", click on, "Add what this routine will do" and select, "Control Devices"

    • Next, click on your Inovelli White Series switch (the one with the light bulb icon) and click, "Next"

    • At the top, keep, "Turn on" selected

    • Next, click on, "Dimmer" and set the intensity level of the notification (1% = Low, 100% = High)

    • Next, click on, "Color" and select the color you'd like the notification to be

    • Click, "Done"

  • Then click, "Save" and name your routine if you'd like

Products Used:

To manually clear your notification, double-tap the favorites button.


Home Monitoring Notifications

Below we'll go into how to set up color notifications on your light bar (LED Bar) while using SmartThings Home Monitoring app.

Home Monitoring - Arm (Away)

To set up an LED Bar notification on your White Series switch while your system is armed and you're away from the house, please follow the instructions below:

  • In your SmartThings app, click on the, "Automations" tab at the bottom

  • Click on the "+" sign at the top and select, "Create routine"

  • First we'll set up what will trigger the routine (in our case the Home Monitoring status)

    • Under where it says, "If", click on, "Add what will trigger this routine"

    • Next, click on, "Security Mode" followed by, "Armed (Away)" and then, "Done"

  • Now we'll set the Notification

    • Under where it says, "Then", click on, "Add what this routine will do" and select, "Control Devices"

    • Next, click on your Inovelli White Series switch (the one with the light bulb icon) and click, "Next"

    • At the top, keep, "Turn on" selected

    • Next, click on, "Dimmer" and set the intensity level of the notification (1% = Low, 100% = High)

    • Next, click on, "Color" and select the color you'd like the notification to be

    • Click, "Done"

  • Then click, "Save" and name your routine if you'd like

Products Used:

Home Monitoring - Arm (Stay)

To setup a LED Bar notification on your Red Series or Blue Series switch while your system is armed and you're away from the house, please follow the instructions below:

  • In your SmartThings app, click on the, "Automations" tab at the bottom

  • Click on the "+" sign at the top and select, "Create routine"

  • First we'll setup what will trigger the routine (in our case the Home Monitoring status)

    • Under where it says, "If", click on, "Add what will trigger this routine"

    • Next, click on, "Security Mode" followed by, "Armed (Stay)" and then, "Done"

  • Now we'll set the Animation

    • Under where it says, "Then", click on, "Add what this routine will do" and select, "Control Devices"

    • Next, click on your Inovelli White Series switch (the one with the light bulb icon) and click, "Next"

    • At the top, keep, "Turn on" selected

    • Next, click on, "Dimmer" and set the intensity level of the notification (1% = Low, 100% = High)

    • Next, click on, "Color" and select the color you'd like the notification to be

    • Click, "Done"

  • Then click, "Save" and name your routine if you'd like

Products Used:

Home Monitoring - Disarmed

To setup a LED Bar notification on your Red Series or Blue Series switch while your system is armed and you're away from the house, please follow the instructions below:

  • In your SmartThings app, click on the, "Automations" tab at the bottom

  • Click on the "+" sign at the top and select, "Create routine"

  • First we'll setup what will trigger the routine (in our case the Home Monitoring status)

    • Under where it says, "If", click on, "Add what will trigger this routine"

    • Next, click on, "Security Mode" followed by, "Disarmed" and then, "Done"

  • Now we'll set the Animation

    • Under where it says, "Then", click on, "Add what this routine will do" and select, "Control Devices"

    • Next, click on your Inovelli White Series switch (the one with the light bulb icon) and click, "Next"

    • At the top, keep, "Turn on" selected

    • Next, click on, "Dimmer" and set the intensity level of the notification (1% = Low, 100% = High)

    • Next, click on, "Color" and select the color you'd like the notification to be

    • Click, "Done"

  • Then click, "Save" and name your routine if you'd like

Products Used:

To manually clear your notification, double-tap the favorites button.


Door Left Open At Bed Time

In this example, we'll setup a simple notification that alerts you if a door is opened between the hours of 9pm and 7am.

  1. Open your SmartThings App and click on the, "Routines" icon at the bottom

  2. Click on the, "+" button at the top of the screen

  3. Under the, "If" section, click on the, "+ Add what will trigger this routine" button

    SmartThings - Setting up Notifications - Step 3

  4. Click on, "Device status" and find your contact sensor to click on

  5. This part may vary depending on your contact sensor, but the important thing is to select, "Contact sensor" and then, "Open" -- then click, "Done"

    SmartThings - Setting up Notifications - Step 5

  6. Now, we'll add another condition to set a time value (ie: we only want this notification to run between the hours of 9pm and 7am) -- Click on, "+ Add Condition"

    SmartThings - Setting up Notifications - Step 6

  7. Click on, "Time"

  8. Select, "Period of time" and then adjust where it says, "Start time" and "End time" and set those values to 9pm and 7am (then select the days you want this to be applicable and select, "Done")

    SmartThings - Setting up Notifications - Step 8

  9. Under the, "Then" section, click on the, "+ Add what this routine will do" button

    SmartThings - Setting up Notifications - Step 9

  10. Click on, "Control devices"

    SmartThings - Setting up Notifications - Step 10

  11. Find your Inovelli White Series Switch and click on it (make sure it is the light bulb icon, not your actual switch), then select, "Next"

  12. Click on, "Turn on", then toggle on the, "Dimmer" function and set it to the value you'd like the LED Bar intensity (1% = Low, 100% = High). Finally, select the color you want the notification to be and click, "Done".

  13. Back on the, "If/Then" page, click, "Done" and test your routine

To manually clear your notification, double-tap the favorites button.

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