I have a smart home setup with an iHost at the center and several devices connected, including two Mini 4R switches. One is connected to a button at the entrance, which turns on the corridor light, and another to a separate button that controls the living room light.
I would like to create a scenario where, if I long-press the entrance button (for more than 2 seconds, for example), both the corridor and living room lights turn on simultaneously. However, it seems that the iHost currently only supports the trigger “when the Mini 4R is turned on, then…”.
Is there a way to achieve this with the current setup? If not, is this a feature that could be implemented in a future firmware update?
No, it’s not possible. MINIR4 does not differentiate and does not recognise a long press or double press. Therefore, the scene creator does not offer the automation you would like. With this device you will not be able to get what you are trying to achieve.
The SONOFF R5 comes to the rescue. This scene controller is nice a MINIR4 companion as it provides a battery-powered switch that can be operated from anywhere (BLE). It has 6 buttons and each button supports three actions: single, double and long press. You can use the scenes to set up many different actions, which can be useful when you enter a house. The R5 can be glued to the wall. Alternatively, it can be attached to the box in which the MINIR4 sits. Then a mechanical switch will be unnecessary.
If you are using Zigbee, there are other possible solutions with remote controls similar to the R5 but, for example, white and with one or two buttons only. Unfortunately, the R5 is only offered in black and with six buttons, which can be difficult to handle for elderly people, for example. However, you need to make sure before purchasing that such a Zigbee remote will talk to eWeLink. If you have iHost, the situation is much easier, because iHost recognises a large group of Zigbee controllers.