# Does this type of smart light switch exist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 31, 2022, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-type-of-smart-light-switch-exist/962054 "2022-03-31T16:35:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-type-of-smart-light-switch-exist/962054/1 "2022-03-31T16:35:49Z")
I’ve starting making the switch (no pun intended) to installing smart LED bulbs in and around my house. One issue is that when the light switch is turned off, the light is completely off and will no longer respond to voice commands. Is there any kind of switch available that would turn off the light but still provide power to the wifi portion of the bulb so that it could still be turned on by voice? How such a switch would actually operate is beyond me but most engineers are far more intelligent than I am so maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-type-of-smart-light-switch-exist/962054/2 "2022-03-31T16:53:02Z")
Sounds like we’re talking about normal light switches that cut mains power to the light bulb. There are a couple of options. One would be voice activation that would operate a solenoid or something that would mechanically reactivate the switch (sounds complicated and dangerous). The other would be to not have a normal light switch at all but a special switch (that even looks and feels like a regular light switch perhaps) that doesn’t cut the power but instead does the equivalent of sending a command to the smart light to switch states. In other words, send a command to turn on if it’s off or turn off if it’s on. I haven’t looked to see if either option is commercially available. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-type-of-smart-light-switch-exist/962054/3 "2022-03-31T16:58:52Z")
Something like this? > **[TP-Link Kasa Wi-Fi Smart Light Switch (HS200) White HS200 - Best Buy](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/tp-link-kasa-wi-fi-smart-light-switch-hs200-white/5687933.p?skuId=5687933&ref=NS&loc=101)** > > Shop TP-Link Kasa Wi-Fi Smart Light Switch (HS200) White at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up. Price Match Guarantee. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-type-of-smart-light-switch-exist/962054/4 "2022-03-31T16:59:16Z")
Can’t you just … not turn it off at the switch ? or am i missing something ? ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-type-of-smart-light-switch-exist/962054/5 "2022-03-31T17:02:21Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Something like this? Seems like it would work, but then you could use a ‘dumb’ LED bulb since all your smarts are in your switch. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-type-of-smart-light-switch-exist/962054/6 "2022-03-31T17:07:28Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > Can’t you just … not turn it off at the switch ? > or am i missing something ? - Yes. And that’s the plan, for the most part. But sometimes it would be nice to have the instant “turn on, turn off” functionality of a light switch but still be able to use it “smartly.” ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-type-of-smart-light-switch-exist/962054/7 "2022-03-31T17:12:06Z")
You’d want what @hajario posted, or something similar from a brand and ecosystem of your preference. But then you probably want to replace the smart bulbs with dumb bulbs because you’ll otherwise land in a situation where you have to turn _both_ on if you’re using an app or Alexa or something. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-type-of-smart-light-switch-exist/962054/8 "2022-03-31T17:13:27Z")
Thanks. I’ll take a look at its features. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-type-of-smart-light-switch-exist/962054/9 "2022-03-31T17:16:57Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > You’d want what @hajario posted, or something similar from a brand and ecosystem of your preference. But then you probably want to replace the smart bulbs with dumb bulbs because you’ll otherwise land in a situation where you have to turn _both_ on if you’re using an app or Alexa or something.- We’ll than that won’t work. I bought color changing bulbs so I have to be able to control them smartly. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-type-of-smart-light-switch-exist/962054/10 "2022-03-31T17:22:35Z")
I’m not saying you can’t do it that way, with both a smart switch and bulb, I’m just saying that you’ll have to be careful how to organize the smart devices within whatever app and ecosystem you use. Get stuff from the same brand if possible. Then look for ways to organize your devices into groups and scenes such that a single command turns on the switch _and_ sets up your bulbs the way you want. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-type-of-smart-light-switch-exist/962054/11 "2022-03-31T17:34:16Z")
If you turn the smart bulb’s power off and on again, does it come back on or stay off until ordered on? Or vice versa? Same as when it was powered off? Say, set the default option for the bulb to be “Off” and needs an explicit computer command for on? Or the default on boot to be the opposite of what it was before? Then a Momentary interruption switch would work. I assume what OP is getting at is not losing the ability to use the switch to turn the bulb off or on? Or at least off? ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-type-of-smart-light-switch-exist/962054/12 "2022-03-31T17:53:45Z")
Smart bulbs only have one electrical connection, so I think what you’d want is a switch that was not switching the electrical supply at all, simply sending a “toggle bulb state” message when switched on and off. The downside of such a setup is that there’s no longer a way to actually powercycle the bulb without removing it from the socket. You could potentially get around that if the smart switch had a big toggle that did the smart message and a tiny toggle to actually toggle power (that you’d mostly not use). It looks like that’s what hajario’s link is, since there’s two tiny little buttons below the main toggle. Those are probably the actual electrical switch, while the big button is just controlling software. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-type-of-smart-light-switch-exist/962054/13 "2022-03-31T18:41:15Z")
I _think_ they return to their last state. I’ve only had them for a couple of days and so I’m still learning. My use case is this. In my living room, there are 4 light switches right next to the door to my bedroom. The switches control the ceiling fan, the ceiling fan lights, a bank of 3 lights above my dining room table and a bank of 2 lights above the fireplace. When leaving the living room to go to the bedroom, it would be nice to just flip 2 switches to turn off all of the table and fireplace lights instead of stopping and saying, “Hey Google. Turn off fire and table lights.” (My wife came up with the names. It was not a hill I was willing to die on.) In the morning, I’d like to do the reverse. I’d come out of my bedroom and hit the 2 switches and all the lights would come on. So, why do you want smart lights at all, you might ask. The biggest reason is that I’m lazy. I like to dim lights from the comfort of my sofa. I also like to change the mood lighting. And yes, this is a very firsty first world problem. I get that. I was _almost_ too embarrassed to ask. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-type-of-smart-light-switch-exist/962054/14 "2022-03-31T19:13:00Z")
I’m more or less wrestling with the same issue. I just installed some Wyze bulbs in the den and like the Alexa integration. But yeah, the switch gets turned off manually all the time and then I sit in the dark with my fancy apps failing all around me. When I mentioned that a smart switch from the same brand might have some advantages, I was thinking about this blurb on the Wyze site… > Wyze Switch was made with Wyze Bulbs in mind. Normal light switches completely remove power to the bulb and that can mess up your automations. Enable Smart Control and Wyze Switch turns on or off your Wyze Bulb but leaves your power and automations intact. This is probably the direction I will take, although my issue is complicated by the fact that the lights in question are controlled by a three way switch. I haven’t thought through that **at all**. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-type-of-smart-light-switch-exist/962054/15 "2022-03-31T19:28:34Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > This is probably the direction I will take, although my issue is complicated by the fact that the lights in question are controlled by a three way switch. I haven’t thought through that **at all**. - I feel your pain. I have one set of outside lights that are controlled by 3 different switches. There’s no way I’m touching it. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-type-of-smart-light-switch-exist/962054/16 "2022-03-31T19:53:16Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > This is probably the direction I will take, although my issue is complicated by the fact that the lights in question are controlled by a three way switch. I believe there are battery operated remotes that look like light switches and mount on the wall that you would use in place of your three way switches, but would operate the same way. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-type-of-smart-light-switch-exist/962054/17 "2022-03-31T21:31:25Z")
I recommend the Lutron Caseta system of switches. Good, cheap, versatile. And you can add a wireless switch anywhere (and of course they work with all the apps). ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2022, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-type-of-smart-light-switch-exist/962054/18 "2022-04-06T03:00:50Z")
You might be able to do this by creating scenes. Group certain lights together and tell Google to turn that group on or off, instead of having to name the separate lights. Or tell it “set living room to romantic,” or some such. Then stop using the wall switches at all. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2022, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-type-of-smart-light-switch-exist/962054/19 "2022-04-06T06:03:35Z")
Or… is there a switch which does nothing but signal Google home or whatever? “When I tap this button the system knows it’s been tapped and reacts accordingly.” React could mean toggle the bulb’s state off to on or vice versa. Has no effect on power to the bulb, just signals the computer to do what you want.