Miniguide: Using the Sonoff SwitchMan R5 to Control Google Home Scenes
After a couple of months of owning the Sonoff SwitchMan R5, I struggled to find a way to integrate it into my smart home setup effectively. Since I primarily use Google Home for routines and light scenes, I decided to write this guide to help anyone else facing similar challenges.
Step 1: Link the Matter Hub to Nest Hub
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Open the Google Home app and use the “Add Matter Device” option to link your Matter hub.
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In the iHost interface, complete the pairing process.
When done, it should look something like this:
Step 2: Create a Virtual Switch in Node-RED
To enable scene control, create a virtual switch device in Node-RED and add the necessary code to control the newly registered virtual device. Here’s how:
- Set Up the Flow:
The entire flow should resemble this:
- Register the Virtual Device:
• Use a UUID generator (e.g., Online UUID Generator Tool) to create a unique identifier.
• Fill in fields like IP, name, and firmware with random values. For simplicity, I copied the node details from a Tapo light bulb.
Example:
- Flow Logic:
The magic happens in the last part of the flow. It monitors the state of the R5 switch and updates the virtual device state when a specific button is pressed.
Here’s how it looks in practice:
- Optional Delay:
I added a delay in the second row of the flow to turn off the virtual switch after 5 seconds. This is because I use the virtual device solely to trigger a light scene in Google Home.
Step 3: Add the Virtual Device to Google Home
Once the flow is configured, the virtual device (e.g., vd-sw-MaxLight) will appear in the Google Home app.
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Go to the Automations tab in Google Home.
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Add this virtual device as a starter for your desired scene.
Here’s how it looks:
The scene activation delay is around 1–2 seconds, which I found perfectly manageable.
Final Thoughts
This solution has made the R5 much more useful in my Google Home setup. I hope this guide helps others facing the same issue. If you have any questions or improvements, feel free to share them below! 
