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The.316

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 14, 2010
1,403
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25100 GR
So I have some smart bulbs in my home. They don’t need a hub to work, just connect it to my network, and they function through the app on my iPhone, and through Alexa. I don’t always want those those options though, I want to physically be able to turn them on and off, with the wall switch. Is there a switch that I can buy, that would still give power to the bulb, when the switch is turned off? I live in Greece btw, so not all options will. Rmavsilable.
 
I have Belkin’s Wemo Light Switches and Kasa’s version as well throughout my home that allow me to use their app, my Echos, or by tapping the physical light switch itself in order to control dumb bulbs. Perhaps one of those would work?
 
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I put 4 Lifx bulbs in a ceiling fixture controlled by a wall switch. I control them in HomeKit using a HomePod and Siri. I too would love to control them using a smart switch that doesn’t kill the power to the fixture. Also my house doesn’t have a neutral wire. Is there such a switch? I’ve been reading reviews, manufacturer’s specs, YouTube videos. I can’t ever seem to get complete answers about them. Do they need a neutral wire? Will it work in HomeKit? Does it need a hub? Will it kill the power to the fixture? Can I be the only one that needs a solution? What a mess the smart home industry is.
 
This has been the bane of smart bulb users since they were released. My previous house used to be all Philips Hue in every fixture but moved a year ago and now I use smart switches (Lutron Caseta) instead. If I need color or accent lighting, I have light strips for that.

The solution to this is either covering the wall switch and leaving the power on or bypass the in wall switch and using a wireless remote switch or dimmer compatible with your smart home platform. The Hue dimmer, for example, let’s you program the buttons for scenes and such to your requirements. Otherwise it’s smart switches or smart bulbs.
 
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