Is there a way to set a schedule for a group of products (in my case four smart bulbs)?

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Is there a way to set a schedule for a group of products (in my case four smart bulbs)?

This thread has been locked for further replies. You can start a new thread to share your ideas or ask questions.
37 Reply
Re:Is there a way to set a schedule for a group of products (in my case four smart bulbs)?
2021-09-07 21:59:03

@Carl I'll put my hand up for this feature as well.  I'm doing a very large installation (it will be 90 Kasa devices throughout the house and front/back yard) and it's a replacement for a Wemo deployment that has gone from bad to worse over the years.  So far, Kasa wins hands down in absolutely every category but this lack of group scheduling is a major inhibitor right now and something (shockingly) that Wemo does very well.  Here is my use case:

 

- Schedule my 7 grouped outdoor plugs to turn on the landscaping transformers every night at dusk and off at 11pm (*** it would be AWESOME to have an offset ability as well, like "45 minutes before dusk")

- Turn off every light at 11pm (90 of them)

- Turn off all grouped closet and bathroom lights at 9am (20 of them... because my family just seems to love leaving them on)

- Turn off all grouped closet lights after they have been on for 10 minutes (11 of them)

 

One requirement would be that a device can be part of multiple groups, and inheret multiple scheduling settings.  This admittedly does get tricky and some contention logic needs to be developed, but all I can say is that if the folks at Wemo, who can't even seem to keep a simple switch on WiFi for more than a few weeks after 7 years of deevlopment can figure it out, I'm sure your Engineers can do better. :-)

 

Inconvenient not to have this for sure given the number of switches I have goign in and certainly I can drive it with IFTTT but I'd love to do it all in the app, which is really impressive otherwise!

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#22
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Re:Is there a way to set a schedule for a group of products (in my case four smart bulbs)?
2021-09-08 16:47:44

@NoMoreWemo 

 

I'll add it back to the suggestion list.  Right now its not possible as you know.  Also so you know IFTTT is likely not going to be an option since our devices, last time I checked, are not able to be trigger devices, only action devices.  I also am not sure how much longer IFTTT will be compatible.  Its quite expensive to be compatible with IFTTT, which is one of the reasons its limited to just action devices.  What you might want to look at is Samsung SmartThings.  We are fully compatible with there application and while I haven't used it before I have heard that this is a possible feature in that app.  Could be a good work around until we have added it. 

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#23
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Re:Is there a way to set a schedule for a group of products (in my case four smart bulbs)?
2021-10-06 07:51:06

My workaround was to do it all within Apple Shortcuts.  I know that isn't much help for Androind users.

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#24
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Re:Is there a way to set a schedule for a group of products (in my case four smart bulbs)?
2021-11-24 23:17:11

@Carl Wonderful solution.  This should be posted everywhere because you are scheduling a group just with the name of scene.  Consider a scene to be a different type of group where you have to have a scene to turn on and a scene to turn off.  No big deal.  Thanks for the workaround!!

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#25
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Re:Is there a way to set a schedule for a group of products (in my case four smart bulbs)?
2021-12-01 01:19:49

@Carl in 2019, TP-Link said the feature was coming.  Two years later, NOTHING.

 

TP-Link can't even fix their servers to provide timely camera motion detection notifications even though they've been aware of the issue for years.  How do you think the KD100 Doorbell device will do when the notifications are 10 minutes after the event?😕

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#26
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Re:Is there a way to set a schedule for a group of products (in my case four smart bulbs)?
2021-12-01 01:59:26

@CameraShy 

 

 

Actually what i said is we would add it as a request for a future update.  Not that it would be coming.  Support has no control over what features are introduced, what request are fulfilled or when they are brought to market.  All we can do is submit the request to the teams.  But it is up to those teams to decide what features can or will be introduced and what the priority is.  We will add it again to our request form but cannot make any gaurantees. 

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#27
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Re:Is there a way to set a schedule for a group of products (in my case four smart bulbs)?
2021-12-06 16:02:29

 

I too find this a bit of a shock that something so simple as grouping multiple devices under one schedule is not standard for smart lights or plugs.

 

This function is only required when customers purchase multiple devices, so they have usually invested $$$$ into those devices and expect a feature that should be "common sense".

 

I have four switches controlling outside lights around the house, and its a P.I.T.A to have to separately program a schedule for each one. Perhaps customers need a direct link to those who decide "features", but I'd say tp-link is "out of touch" with customers in this case.

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#28
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Re:Is there a way to set a schedule for a group of products (in my case four smart bulbs)?
2021-12-06 18:16:14

@Medtech1 

 

Those features are tied to the product itself.  This is why you don't see a schedule option on the main page where all of your products are listed.  You will only see these options when tapping on a specific product. Also some feautres are not available products.  For instance switches have away mode but Bulbs do not.  Groups do not have a product page so there is no way to access these features.  Also since you can group multiple product types together if they don't have the same feature set, that would create a bigger programming concern.  Not saying it cannot be done.  But there is a lot more to think about and it is more complicated than one might think.  The request has been submitted though. 

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#29
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Re:Is there a way to set a schedule for a group of products (in my case four smart bulbs)?
2021-12-07 02:25:01

@maggsmaggs I have to agree. To schedule events for groups would be a huge benefit. It's a feature most smart systems have as a standard. I am in the same boat as many here. I purchased multiple switches, dimmers and plugs expecting to be able to simply have them function together for holiday items. I have scheduled each individually as a work around. Not ideal. Please see if this can be included in the next software revision for the app. It seems that the devices are "smart" enough to support this. 

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#30
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Re:Is there a way to set a schedule for a group of products (in my case four smart bulbs)?
2021-12-10 21:14:30

@Carl 

 

Just purchased KP200 plugs and disappointed there's no group schedule or ability to disable schedules once setup. Is there any attempt to add this type of functionality? Wemo does it just fine. Seems people have complained about this for over 2 years.

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#31
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