How Do I Use the Hubitat Simple Lighting App?
- Wrong trigger selected (motion versus switch versus time)
- No off condition or delay set
- A mode restriction limiting when it runs
Problem Description
You want to use the Hubitat Simple Automation Rules (Simple Lighting) app to turn lights on and off based on motion, time, or a switch, without building full Rule Machine rules. It is the quick way to do common lighting automations, and snags are choosing the right trigger, setting the off condition or delay, and mode restrictions.
Why This Happens in Real Homes
The Simple Automation Rules app handles common lighting without Rule Machine, so most issues are the trigger choice, a missing off condition, or a mode restriction quietly limiting when it runs. In real homes a motion light that never turns off just lacks an off delay.
Pick the right trigger, set the off condition, and check mode restrictions before reaching for Rule Machine.
Symptoms
- Lights do not turn on with motion
- Lights do not turn off
- Automation only works part of the day
- Cannot set the off delay
- Rule ignores mode restrictions
- Works for one light but not others
- Time-based lighting fires wrong
- Conflicts with another automation
Recognize these? Here's what usually causes it.
Common Causes
- Wrong trigger selected (motion versus switch versus time)
- No off condition or delay set
- A mode restriction limiting when it runs
- Devices not selected correctly
- Motion sensor not reporting
- Overlapping lighting automations
- Hub time or timezone off
- Sunset/sunrise offset misconfigured
Most fixes happen in the first 3 steps.
Do not factory reset your hub unless absolutely necessary as this removes all paired devices, automations, and settings. You will need to re-pair every single device from scratch which can take hours for a large setup. Always try a simple restart first.
Tools & Requirements
These tools will help you complete this fix.
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Step-by-Step Solution
Install and open Simple Lighting
In the Hubitat web interface, go to Apps > Add Built-In App > Simple Lighting (or Room Lighting for newer firmware). Simple Lighting is a lightweight alternative to Rule Machine for basic lighting automations. It uses fewer hub resources than Rule Machine and is easier to configure for simple scenarios like motion-activated lights or scheduled on/off.
Set up a motion-activated light
Create a new Simple Lighting instance. Set Turn on these lights to your light device. Set When this trigger occurs to Motion. Select your motion sensor. Under Additional options, set Turn off after motion stops with a delay (e.g., 5 minutes). This creates a complete motion lighting automation — light turns on when motion is detected, stays on while motion continues, and turns off 5 minutes after the last motion event. No Rule Machine needed for this common pattern.
Create a scheduled lighting rule
To turn lights on at sunset and off at a specific time: set the trigger to Certain Time. Choose Sunset (with optional offset like +15 minutes for dusk). Set the action to Turn On. Create a second Simple Lighting rule for the off time — trigger at a specific time (e.g., 11:00 PM) or Sunrise, action Turn Off. Two simple rules replace what would be a more complex Rule Machine rule.
Add restrictions to limit when the rule runs
In the Simple Lighting configuration, scroll to the Restrictions section. You can restrict by Mode (only run in Night mode), by day of week (only weekdays), or by a switch (only run when a specific virtual switch is on). Example: motion-activated kitchen light restricted to Night and Evening modes only — during Day mode, you control the light manually. Restrictions prevent the automation from running outside the intended context.
Switch to Room Lighting for advanced control
If Simple Lighting does not support what you need (color temperature changes, scene activation, multiple trigger conditions), use the Room Lighting app instead. Room Lighting is a newer, more capable version that handles per-room lighting scenes with dimmer levels, color temperatures, and activation modes. Go to Apps > Add Built-In App > Room Lighting. It is more complex to configure than Simple Lighting but less resource-intensive than Rule Machine for lighting automations.
Quick Solutions
Still having issues? This is usually the deeper cause below.
If flickering only happens on dimming, the issue is almost always the dimmer's minimum-load setting, not the bulb — it's drawing less current than the dimmer expects.
Place your hub in a central location in your home, elevated off the floor and away from your WiFi router by at least 3 feet. This provides the best Zigbee and Z-Wave signal coverage to all corners of your house.
Hub disconnections that cycle repeatedly are almost always IP conflicts — two devices fighting over the same DHCP lease after a router restart.
- Wrong trigger selected (motion versus switch versus time)
- No off condition or delay set
- A mode restriction limiting when it runs
- Devices not selected correctly
- Motion sensor not reporting
Before you go — try one of these (they fix most cases).
Most popular upgrades chosen by Hubitat Elevation owners.
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Official Manufacturer Manual
Hubitat provides official product documentation through their online manual rather than downloadable PDF. Access setup guides, troubleshooting steps, and product specifications for your Hubitat Elevation.
Source: hubitat.com
Need More Help? Hubitat Support
Note: The contact information below connects you directly to Hubitat's official customer support team, not Trunetto. They can help with warranty claims, device replacements, and advanced technical issues.
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