Ring Alarm - Turn on GE toggle switch when Alarm triggers?

Excuse my ignorance, but is there a way to group and schedule events with ring?

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Absolutely none…would seem to be a capability that would be universally needed/accepted.

I have gone down the road of integrating smartthings with ring, see https://github.com/asishrs/smartthings-ringalarm. However, this also requires webcore in order to control other devices based upon alarm status. It’s still a work in progress…

NB - don’t think about using two-factor authentication if you try to integrate with smarthings…

It looks like Simple Commands will do this.

I added a routing to say “When the Ring Alarm goes off / alerts, turn on all the lights”.

I haven’t triggered it yet but it should work.

It only took 5 minutes to setup with Simple Commands app on my iphone.

I’m just trying to add a strobe light and a real alarm that can be heard more than 10 feet from my house…I have an alarm system that is embarrassing… No one can hear it unless your inside my home… Yeah that is impressive

Would be interested if this has actually worked when triggered.

Based on Ring architecture, seems unlikely, unless something has changed.

I have this working with SimpleCommands integration…

SimpleCommands can sing when ring alarm is in “alarm” state, then it just turns on my lights.

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Downloaded simple commands … They want my ring log in info!!! I switched over to the two password log in … I’m not comfortable giving a third party full access to my alarm …

Agreed… That’s why I created a 2ng Ring account, added it to my house Ring Alarm, and reduced a whole bunch of access.

That 2nd account is what SimpleCommands uses to do things with Ring Alarm (yet that 2nd account has no access to cameras, etc…)

@AMM112 wrote:
Downloaded simple commands … They want my ring log in info!!! I switched over to the two password log in … I’m not comfortable giving a third party full access to my alarm …

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I recently added the Ring Indoor Cam, and bought a GE Smart Switch since I amazingly don’t yet have the Modes update pushed to my account.

Functionality is basic within the Ring app–you can pretty much only turn the switch on and off.

HOWEVER, if you install the Amazon Alexa app on your cell (I have no other Alexa devices… no Dot, no Echo… you don’t need one to do this): Link your Amazon account to Ring by adding the Ring Alexa Skill. Then, I’ve created 3 Alexa Routines for that GE Smart Outlet which I named “Indoor Cam Power.” I have it setup so if I arm my Ring alarm to Away mode, Alexa also powers on that GE plug, therefore applying power to the Indoor cam. Likewise, when I disarm the alarm, Alexa then powers off that switch. Works PERFECTLY.

–hope this helps

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Thanks 5150Joel for the input and using Alexa along with your ring system…I did try using Alexa myself and even had their tech support give it a go but so far no one has been able to get my GE switch to come on when the alarm is tripped…I need this switch to do that because ring siren is terrible… No one outside the house can hear it…I need to add a real siren and hopefully a stone light so that people driving by can hear and see my house is compromised. I’m embarrassed to tell anyone that I have a ring alarm that can not be heard when tripped… It’s a joke… My barking dog is louder than their siren… And the add on one… That one is even more of a joke

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@AMM112 wrote:
Thanks 5150Joel for the input and using Alexa along with your ring system…I did try using Alexa myself and even had their tech support give it a go but so far no one has been able to get my GE switch to come on when the alarm is tripped…I need this switch to do that because ring siren is terrible… No one outside the house can hear it…I need to add a real siren and hopefully a stone light so that people driving by can hear and see my house is compromised. I’m embarrassed to tell anyone that I have a ring alarm that can not be heard when tripped… It’s a joke… My barking dog is louder than their siren… And the add on one… That one is even more of a joke

Sorry about that… I obviously misread or misunderstood your post of what you wanted to try and achieve. I’m not sure what you’re after is possible at this time.

Hi Brian,

Finally got back to this. Using simple commands would be a lot easier than the smarthings/webcore approach. Unfortunately, Simple Commands is NOT seeing the state change for Ring when the alarm is triggered. It can see and issue commands to change the Ring state to armed home/armed away/siren on/siren off etc, but when the alarm is triggered, there is no change in state so the routine I wrote to turn on lights and set off a utilitech siren does not execute.

Did you turn off two-factor authentication to get this to work?

I have seen a thread, https://simplecommands.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/360034851934-Ring-Alarm-Triggers that seems to confirm that ring triggers are not working in simple commands.

What am I missing?

Gary

Update. Seems to be working now.

I had set up a simple routine to turn on a smarththings lamp when a ring motion sensor triggered. Suddenly, about 4-6 hours after creating the routine, the light went on when I entered the room.

So today I turned off PM again and tested my Ring alarm routine. Worked like a charm, turning on two lights and setting off a Utilitech siren.

Will continue to test periodically, but Simple Commands seems to be the simplest solution!

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When I connected Simple Commands I created a 2nd account inside ring, DISABLED access to that 2nd account for all video (so just alarm / contact access) and then used that 2nd account for Simple Commands access.

Try that. Then if you need to turn off two factor, it’s not AS big a deal (but still not a great answer).

Hello,

I am new to the Ring community. When you say “Add a second account” do you mean adding a new “User” in my existing account, or creating a completely new ring account?

Thanks!

Best to direct your question to BGorgas

I do not use Ring camera’s just Ring Alarm. I only needed to use two-factor authentication once when SimpleCommands was first set up. I am guessing that SC is communicating directly with the Ring hub and NOT the Ring server, since I can now log into SC without 2-factor (though to reply to your question, I needed to log into Ring Community with 2-factor :slight_smile: )

Please let me know is they figure this out I ll be the first one to buy the systems if when trigger connect to and outlet for lights etc
Please share any info thanks

No sadly they will not step up and let any z wave add on work with their alarm system for a real loud alarm or siren let alone the ability to turn on what lights you want to turn on. You have to buy their junk add on lights and alarms. The alarm and their add on Dome siren is only as loud as a small smoke detector which can not be heard outside your house.
… It’s an total failure by Ring … They call themselves an alarm system … With an alarm that will only scare you cat… Dumb

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It’s interesting that your focus is the alarm noise. I’ve had 3 different security systems and neither ADT or Simplisafe were any louder? I have 2 floodlights that have the speakers with a “siren” and find it quite silly that you can’t have those linked to your alarm… seems like a glaringly easy integration to miss. I also wish the chime had more integration and better support, it’s clearly a very poor afterthought. (I have my chime linked to camera motion outside, snoozing it when I leave for work every morning is a blast…)

I am baffled that we can’t link our smart lights to turn on.

For clarification, are you saying that turning off two-factor is the only way to get simple commands to work?

Please see my post on 03-23-2020 11:03 AM.

You DO NOT have to turn off two-factor authentication.

Some with Ring cameras may choose to…