Start a new topic
Discussions Smart Home Feature Request

Using Sonoff 4 button remotes to trigger scenes?

Hi I have the sonoff RF Bridge and 4 of your 4 button remotes. At present if I want the remotes to trigger a scene in eWelink to control Wi-Fi sonoff switches then I have to configure each remote as an alarm in the RF Bridge. This means I can only have 4 buttons in total controlling scenes. Could remote control buttons be made to control scenes rather than just alarms controlling scenes? That way I would be able to have 16 scenes that I controlled from RF remotes. I am doing this because I have a switch that I want to control both on and off by any one of four remotes for different family members. The reason is it is an outside light we wish to control as we drive towards it and using the phone to do it is illegal in the UK.
4 people like this idea
12 CommentsSorted by Oldest First
I have the same problem, i add 4 button remote, but when i try to create a scene, tgeres no option to use the buttons, only if you add them to the bridge via 'alarm' This has to be a fault that needs sorting
I think you mean operating the phone manually is illegal in U.K.? I am too. Depending on the devices you have can you connect them to IFTTT? As a trigger you can use the phone’s GPS as an automatic trigger. IFTTT limits you to only one connection per ‘applet’ but you can setup multiple ‘applets’ for the same trigger. That limits you to only 1 scene per 1 phone, but it should work without you thinking or doing anything.

hi, same problem here, it recognizes only the alarm as trigger that reduces the trigger options to 4 not 16... is it a bug? im using iOS.

I too have the same problem, only alarms can trigger scenes, not 4 button remote. This needs to be fixed as it’s massively restrictive - come in itead sort this out for your customers, please!
EWeLink website says this, “For example, if you have paired an RF Remote (button A) with Sonoff RF Switch, by adding the RF Remote to RF Bridge via App. After learning buttonA of RF Remote with Button0 on the App. You can directly click Button0 on the App to turn on/off Sonoff RF Switch from anywhere at any time”. This doesn’t make any sense and it doesn’t work. Please can somebody explain how to pair 4 button remote with a switch!
That is talking about using the bridge to control other RF devices like garage door openers or RF lightswitches. The bridge both listens to RF remotes to trigger scenes on networked Sonoff switches and learns some existing remotes to replace them ( simulate a local remote by sending an instruction to the bridge over the internet via the app). There are further instructions on using the Sonoff remote to trigger network actions. The problem is that though the bridge can simulate up to 16 remote buttons when transmitting , it can only respond to a total of 4 remote buttons when listening- which I think is a bug and so I started this thread...
Thanks for the explanation. It should have been made clearer on the itead website. I have to say I love the hardware but the software and website instructions are terrible. Yes I definitely think the issue you reported is a bug, or just a terrible design feature?

This problem still seems to exist, after all the recent updates.

I want my RF Bridge to do two things. The first one is quite basic:

1. When I press button in RF remote, turn ON all the outdoor lights. When I press the button again (or another button, if it's really necessary) in RF remote, turn OFF all the outdoor lights.


This can now be achieved via ALARMs and scenes. This is inconvenient, since that takes two buttons from my remote to control to control one ligth switch (one should be enough) and it also reserves two out of four RF remotes that can be paired to the bridge. So it basically reserves half of all the resources to do such a simple task.


My second need is more complex:

I have two RF PIR sensors. I want the motion detection to turn ON outdoor lights, if it's dark, and I also want the ligths to turn OFF after some time. Now I could use the other two alarm positions in the bridge and connect my PIR sensors to those, and set up scheme to turn on lights when PIR senses movement. But I believe that I cannot make the lights turn off after a period of time, can I ? And again, this reserves half of my RF bridge, which is a waste.


My suggestions:

1. Make it possible to use 4-button remote individual buttons as conditions in schemes, not just alarms.

2. Make it possible to use "flip-flop" schemes (first press turns on, second press turns off etc.)

3. Make it possible to start a countdown timer by a scheme condition

4. Make it possible to combine conditions (AND/OR) so that for example lights turn on when both conditions are met:  button pressed and light sensor shows that it's dark.


At the moment, the so-called "smart scene" is not very smart, is it? only "IF"... without AND, OR, NOT, ELSE...


1 person likes this
Exactly. I agree. In the end I used IFTTT and a 'dummy' sonoff. Still can't believe that 4buttons count as 4remotes. I had hoped to have a remote each that ran the outside lights, oh well.

I also solved the "sunset" problem for now using IFTTT (not the part regarding motion detection,just turn on lights on sunset via IFTTT, turn off at fixed time by eWeLink), But it does not solve all my problems. Actually, I was surprised to see how stupid IFTTT is, it also lacks all the logic operators. I still think that we actually need an open API or built-in script language to really utilize the devices potential.

Sometimes I wonder, if any of the staff read these conversations? I haven't seen them comment on these issues.

it is fairly evident that they dont - time to move to another a manufacturer. there are so many out there. Pity i just bought so many devices from them. I literally have to buy 5 more bridges and repeat all the scenes for all the removes...NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

Login or Signup to post a comment
More topics in Feature Request
See all 466 topics