Create SmartThings Routines and Automations
Automate your smart home with SmartThings routines that trigger lights, thermostats, and security on a schedule, sensor, or voice command.
A pile of smart gadgets is not a smart home. The thing that turns a drawer of bulbs, plugs, and sensors into something that actually saves you taps is the routine, and SmartThings makes them genuinely easy to build once you understand the If/Then model. This guide walks you from your first single-action routine to scenes worth keeping.
Quick answer
In SmartThings, a routine is an "If (this condition) then (these actions)" automation you build in the app. Tap the plus (+) icon, choose Create routine, set an If trigger (a time, a sensor, your location arriving or leaving, or a manual or voice start), add one or more Then actions, name it, and save. It then runs automatically whenever the condition is met. Start with one trigger and one action, confirm it works, then layer on more.
Key takeaways
- A routine is an If (condition) then (action) automation in the SmartThings app.
- Triggers can be a time, a device event, your location, or a manual or voice start, and you can combine several.
- Add all your devices to SmartThings first so they are available to use in actions.
- Combine multiple actions in one routine for a true scene like "Good morning" or "Leaving home."
- Routines run automatically once their conditions are met, and most run on the hub or cloud even when your phone is off.
Add your devices first
Before building anything, make sure every device you want to control already appears in SmartThings and responds when you tap it. A routine can only act on devices the app already knows about, so this is the foundation. Open the app, check your lights, plugs, sensors, thermostat, and locks, and fix anything that shows as offline now rather than mid-build.
A few things that smooth this out: keep a SmartThings Hub (or a compatible Samsung TV or appliance acting as a hub) if you use Zigbee, Z-Wave, or Thread devices, since those need a hub to talk to. Wi-Fi and Matter devices can often join directly. Group devices into Rooms as you add them, because actions like "turn off all lights in the Living Room" are far cleaner when your rooms are set up.
Understand the trigger types
The "If" side is where most of the power lives. SmartThings supports several trigger categories, and picking the right one is half the battle.
| Trigger type | Fires when | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time | A set clock time or sunrise/sunset offset | Wake-up, bedtime, scheduled lights | Daylight saving and time zone settings |
| Device event | A sensor or device changes state (motion, door open) | Motion lighting, leak alerts | Sensor battery and placement |
| Location (geofence) | Your phone enters or leaves home | Arriving and leaving routines | Needs location permission set to "Always" |
| Member presence | Anyone or everyone arrives/leaves | Household-aware automations | All members must have presence set up |
| Manual or voice | You tap the routine or ask Bixby/Alexa/Google | Scenes, "movie night" | Not automatic by definition |
Geofence triggers are the most common source of "why didn't my routine run?" frustration, almost always because location permission is set to "While using the app" instead of "Always." Fix that in your phone's system settings, not inside SmartThings.
Build your first routine
- Open the SmartThings app and tap the plus (+) icon, then Create routine.
- Under If, tap + and set a condition, such as a time or a motion sensor detecting movement. Leave this blank for a manual scene.
- Under Then, tap + and add one or more actions, like turning on a light, adjusting the thermostat, or running another routine.
- Optionally set conditions like "only between sunset and sunrise" so the routine does not fire at the wrong time of day.
- Give the routine a clear name and tap Save. It now runs automatically whenever the condition is met.
Tip
Start simple with a single trigger and a single action, confirm it works, then layer on more actions. A routine that does five things is just five tested actions stacked together. Test by tapping the routine to run it manually before trusting the automatic trigger.
Three routines worth building
These three cover the bulk of what people actually want from a smart home.
| Routine | Trigger | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Good morning | Wake-up time or voice command | Bedroom lights to 30 percent, thermostat to comfort, smart-plug coffee maker on |
| Leaving home | Your phone leaves the home geofence | All lights off, thermostat to eco mode, security sensors armed |
| Good night | A set bedtime or a button press | Lights off, doors locked, thermostat lowered, "do not disturb" set |
Good morning greets you with a warm room and gentle light instead of a cold, dark scramble. Trigger it on your alarm time or a Bixby phrase, then stack the actions so the whole scene happens at once.
Leaving home is the routine that pays for itself in energy and peace of mind. Trigger on your phone leaving the home location, then kill the lights, drop the thermostat to an energy-saving mode, and arm your sensors so the house secures itself without a thought.
Good night ties the house down for the night. A bedtime trigger or a single physical button press locks doors, dims and kills lights, and lowers the heat.
Troubleshoot a routine that won't fire
If a routine does not run, work through these likely causes in order before assuming the app is broken.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Geofence routine never triggers | Location permission not set to "Always" | Change in phone system settings, not SmartThings |
| Routine fires but a device ignores it | Device offline or unreachable | Check the device tile; power-cycle or re-pair it |
| Two routines fight each other | Conflicting actions on the same device | Add time conditions or merge them into one |
| Time routine fires at the wrong hour | Hub time zone or DST mismatch | Confirm hub location and phone time settings |
| Routine works manually but not on trigger | The condition is not actually being met | Test the trigger in isolation (e.g. trip the sensor) |
The reliable diagnostic move is to split testing in two: run the routine manually to confirm the actions work, then verify the trigger separately. If both pass but the routine still does not fire automatically, you almost certainly have a permissions or conflict problem rather than a device fault.
If a specific device keeps dropping off, our guide to a smart plug that won't connect to Wi-Fi covers the most common cause, and a solid mesh network helps every device stay reachable, see setting up a mesh Wi-Fi network the right way. If you are expanding into Thread and Matter devices, our Matter and Thread border router setup explains how the newer standards fit in.
Frequently asked questions
What can trigger a SmartThings routine?
A specific time (including sunrise and sunset offsets), a device event like a motion sensor or door contact, your location arriving or leaving, household member presence, or a manual or voice start. You can combine conditions for more precise automations.
Why isn't my routine running automatically?
Usually the trigger condition is not being met or a device is offline. Location triggers need location permission set to "Always" on your phone, and time triggers need the hub time zone set correctly. Run the routine manually to confirm the actions work, then test the trigger on its own.
Can one routine control multiple devices?
Yes. Add as many actions as you like under Then, so a single "Good morning" routine can light rooms, adjust the thermostat, and start appliances together. Stacking actions is the whole point of a scene.
Do routines work when my phone is off?
Time and device-event triggers run on the SmartThings hub or cloud and do not need your phone. Location-based triggers depend on your phone reporting its position, so those need the phone on and location permitted.
Do I need a SmartThings Hub?
Only for Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Thread devices, which need a hub to communicate. Many newer Samsung TVs and appliances include hub functionality. Wi-Fi and Matter-over-Wi-Fi devices can often connect directly without a separate hub.
