BLUCONNECT / USER GUIDE

Automations

Last updated: 7 October 2026

An automation is a routine that runs without you tapping anything: it is made of a trigger (IF), optional conditions (AND) and actions done in order (THEN). Automations are a Plus feature.

Create a new automation

Open the Routines tab and tap the + (Create routine) button at the top right. The New automation screen opens.
Type a name in the Automation name field and pick an icon.
In the IF · When any of these happens card, tap the preset 08:00 trigger to change the time, or remove it and choose another trigger with Add trigger.
If you like, add a condition with Add condition in the AND · Conditions (optional) card.
Add at least one action with Add action in the THEN · Do these in order card.
Tap Save at the top right.

You can also start from the Suggested section at the bottom of the Routines tab: suggestions such as Lights on at sunset, Everything off at midnight, Weekday wake-up, AC on when the room gets hot and Tell me when the laundry is done come pre-filled with your devices; tap Set up, check it and save.

Triggers: when should it run?

Tapping Add trigger opens the When should it run? options. You can add more than one trigger; the automation runs when any of them happens.

At a set time: tap the trigger and choose the Time; use the Mo–Su day buttons below it to pick days. With all days selected it runs every day.
Sunrise / Sunset: tap the trigger and use Offset to run up to 120 minutes before or after the event (in 5-minute steps). The time is recalculated every day from your home's location; for this the app asks for location permission.
When a device changes: Choose a device › feature › state. On/off features offer Turns on / Turns off; numeric values offer Rises above / Drops below with a Threshold (or On every change); features with options let you pick an option; every feature offers When changed. Appliances with programs and robot vacuums also offer When finished.
Arriving or leaving home: First person arrives home, Last person leaves home, or a specific member arriving or leaving. See the Location page for details.
Manually only: removes the other triggers; the routine becomes a scene.

Conditions: under what circumstances?

Conditions are optional. If you add any, the automation runs when triggered only if all of them are met; if even one isn't, it skips that time. Add condition › Under what condition? offers:

During a time range: pick a Start and End time. The range may cross midnight (for example 22:00–06:00).
When a device is in a state: Choose a device › feature › Is on / Is off, an option, or Rises above / Drops below with a Threshold.
Who's home: Someone is home, Nobody is home, or a specific member being home or away (Plus, needs location sharing).

If a device's value isn't known at that moment (for example the device is offline), that device condition counts as not met.

Actions and "Notify when it runs"

Control a device: turn it on or off, set a value, pick a color, start or stop a program.
Wait: a pause of 5 seconds to 1 hour before the next step.
Send a notification: a notification with your own text to the phones in your home (for example "Your coffee is ready").
Notify when it runs: while this switch below the actions is on, every time the automation runs you get a "Ran automatically" notification titled with the automation's name. It's on for new automations; turn it off if you don't want it.

Before saving you can tap Test now to run the actions right away; the triggers and conditions are ignored for this test.

Turn on, turn off, edit

In the Routines › Automations list, use the switch on the right of each automation to turn it off and on without deleting it. A turned-off automation looks faded and shows Off underneath.
The list shows the trigger, the devices involved and a status line: the next run for timed ones (such as Next: Today 08:00), Daily, based on sunset for daylight ones, and Waiting for trigger for the rest.
Tap an automation to open the Edit routine screen; make your changes and tap Save. Use Delete at the bottom to remove it.

Where does an automation run when your phone is off?

At the top of the automation editor, a note tells you where the automation will run. It updates instantly, before you save, based on the triggers and devices you pick:

Runs on your Home Hub — even when your phone is off. If your home has a Home Hub, it runs your automations.
Runs on the BluConnect server — even when your phone is off. Without a Hub, if every device in the automation is connected through a cloud account, the BluConnect server runs it.
Runs only while the app is open (yellow warning). The automation can run neither on a Hub nor on the server; below the warning you'll see the reason and which device causes it (see below).

Automations with this warning are also marked in the Automations list with a yellow "Runs only while the app is open" line, and a card above the list tells you how many there are.

Why you see "Runs only while the app is open"

The device can only be controlled from this phone: devices added through Apple Home, Google Home or the phone's IR blaster can only be reached by your phone; a Home Hub doesn't change this.
The device is controlled over your home network: the server can't reach devices such as TVs or lights and plugs added on your local network over the internet. Fix: add an optional Home Hub.
The trigger can't be watched by the server: some brands don't send live updates or have low daily request limits, so that device's changes can't be followed on the server. Fix: choose a time-based trigger or add a Home Hub.
Your plan doesn't include automations: automations are a Plus feature; with Plus they also run while your phone is off. Use See Plus in the warning to view the plans.

Your phone runs these automations while the app is open (time, daylight and device triggers); they don't run while the app is closed, your phone is off or you're away from home. Time triggers missed while the app was in the background are not run later.

About automations that run on the server

Timed and sunrise/sunset automations follow your home's time zone; the app takes the time zone and location from your phone and saves them to your account.
Changes on cloud devices are checked on the server about every 5 minutes, so device-triggered automations may run a few minutes late.
Long Wait steps are also honored on the server (up to 1 hour); the remaining steps continue within a minute after the wait ends.
If your Home Hub stays silent for more than 10 minutes (switched off or without internet), the server takes over your timed automations.

FAQ

Do I need a Home Hub for automations?
No. Automations built with devices connected through cloud accounts are run by the BluConnect server without a Hub. A Hub is an optional fix for devices controlled over your home network and for triggers the server can't watch.

Can I create automations on the free plan?
No, automations are a Plus feature. On the free plan you can use scenes without limits. A home's plan is the highest plan among its owners; if an owner has Plus, members benefit too.

If I add several triggers, must all of them happen?
No. The automation runs when any one of the triggers happens. Add things that must all be true at the same time as Conditions.

Can I pause an automation without deleting it?
Yes. Turn off its switch in the Routines › Automations list; it won't run until you turn it back on.

BluConnect is coming soon to the App Store and Google Play. Start free; upgrade to Plus when you need it. See plans ↗