Presence detection: make your home know who is home
Reliable "someone is home" is the foundation of good automations.
What to do
- Phone GPS geofencing is easy but can lag; combine with Wi-Fi connection for faster arrival.
- PIR motion sensors detect movement, not stillness; mmWave sensors can detect people sitting still.
- Use "everyone left" for away mode, with a delay.
- Location data is sensitive; keep it in a local system where possible and tell everyone in the house.
Copy this prompt
Design presence detection for [household] using [available sensors/phones]. Combine at least two signals, add delays to prevent false "away", and list the privacy trade-offs of each.Check the bot's work
Get consent from everyone whose location is tracked.
Questions
Can I trust the bot on presence detection?
Use it to plan and explain, then verify. Get consent from everyone whose location is tracked.
Which bot works best?
Grok Bot, ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini all handle this prompt. Paste the same prompt into two and compare; disagreements show where to check a source.
Where these facts come from
- Connectivity Standards Alliance: Matter
- Home Assistant documentation: Automations
- U.S. DOE Energy Saver: Programmable thermostats
- ENERGY STAR: Smart thermostats
- CISA: Secure Our World (passwords, updates, MFA)
- FTC: How to secure your smart devices
- Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI)
- U.S. Fire Administration: Smoke alarms
- OSHA: Electrical safety
Mains (line-voltage) wiring, panels and new circuits: hire a licensed electrician and check permit rules. Never paste passwords or tokens into a chatbot. Checked Oct 30, 2026.
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