Home Assistant Guide

Simple tutorials for powerful automations

Scenes in Home Assistant

Scenes let you set multiple devices to specific states with a single tap, voice command, or automation. Think of a scene as a snapshot of how you want your home to look and feel - lighting, temperature, music, and more - all set just the way you like.

Scenes vs Automations vs Scripts

A scene groups together the state of multiple devices so you can activate them all at once. For example, a "Movie Night" scene might dim the living room lights, close the blinds, and turn on your TV.

  • Scenes are not automations - they don't trigger themselves. You activate them manually, via automations, scripts, or by voice.
  • Scenes are not scripts - they only set device states. They don't include delays or actions beyond changing devices.

How to Use Scenes

  1. Create a scene:
    Go to Settings > Automations & Scenes > Scenes and click "Add Scene."
  2. Pick devices:
    Choose which devices you want to include and set their desired states (for example, "Living Room Lamp: 20% brightness").
  3. Save & activate:
    Give your scene a name and save. You can activate it from the dashboard, an automation, a script, or by asking your voice assistant.

Common Use Cases

  • Morning Routine: Turn on bedroom lights, start the coffee maker, set the thermostat, and play the news.
  • Leaving Home: Turn off all lights, lock doors, arm security, and adjust the thermostat for energy savings.
  • Movie Night: Dim the lights, close blinds, turn on the TV and sound system, and set the volume.
  • Bedtime: Turn off main lights, dim night lights, set the alarm, and lock doors.
  • Party Mode: Activate color lights, play your favorite playlist, and turn on outdoor lighting.

Best Practices & Tips

  • Use clear names: Name your scenes so they're easy to understand, like "Relax Evening" or "All Lights Off."
  • Don't overcomplicate: Only include the devices that matter. You can have multiple simple scenes for different moods or tasks.
  • Combine with automations: Scenes shine when used as part of an automation - for example, have an automation activate your "Morning" scene at 7am on weekdays.
  • Use areas when possible: You can apply a scene to all devices in an area (like "Living Room") for easier setup and future-proofing.
  • Edit safely: Editing a scene will not immediately affect your devices - changes take effect next time you activate the scene.
  • Test your scenes: Activate a scene after creating or editing it to make sure all devices respond as expected.

Tips & Tricks

  • Mix with scripts and automations: Scenes are best used for "set and forget" states - if you need things like waiting or notifications, use a script or automation to call your scene.
  • Voice assistants: Link your favorite scenes to your Google Assistant or Alexa for quick voice activation.
  • Dashboard shortcuts: Add your most-used scenes to the dashboard for one-tap access.
  • Restore state: Want things to go back to "normal" after an event? Create a "Default" or "Reset" scene.
  • Minimalist scenes: For reliability, don't include devices you don't care about in each scene. It makes troubleshooting easier!

Summary

Scenes are one of Home Assistant's simplest yet most powerful features. Once you start using them, you'll wonder how you ever managed without - whether you're automating your entire home or just want to set the mood for a cozy evening.