# Help with Flows **URL:** \ **Category:** Questions & Help\ **Created:** [February 10, 2025, 7:38pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-flows/130247 "2025-02-10T19:38:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carl](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/carl/32/124386_2.png) [@Carl](https://community.homey.app/u/Carl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 7:38pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-flows/130247/1 "2025-02-10T19:38:50Z")
Evening all, Just took the plunge to get a homey pro and to say I am irritated is an understatement as it is the least intuitive thing to use, ever! Eg I want to set an automation/flow that works between the hours of 1830-2230 daily AND when the light level is below 10lux, when motion is detected it turns on a light and then after 10mins of no motion it turns the light off. Now I have that currently setup in Apple HomeKit which took me all of 20 secs to do. I’ve searched and watched videos on YouTube and I can not see a way of how to make a simple flow like that. No doubt this is my lack of knowledge but when I can spend 30 mins total and have my house automations all setup in the Home app on my iPhone, and I have spent the best part of 3hrs trying to setup my homey pro then something is amiss. So any help would be greatly appreciated as at the moment I am ready to turn this thing into a £400 football and boot it over the fence!! I’ve attached a screenshot of what I have done so far. ![Screenshot 2025-02-10 at 19.41.43](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/a/7/a7aec3c57b0c2f5abc7d6a3de9e66dc41308d747.png) ---
**Author:** ![SunBeech](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/sunbeech/32/111391_2.png) [@SunBeech](https://community.homey.app/u/SunBeech)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 7:55pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-flows/130247/2 "2025-02-10T19:55:53Z")
The left flow: - Start with WHEN motion is detected (that is your main trigger); - Followed by an AND card that checks whether the brightness is less than 10 lx. Most likely the brightness value is provided as a tag that you can check via a Homey logic card; - Next add an AND card that checks whether it currently is between the two times you indicated. You can use the standard Date & Time card for that; - Finally, add the THEN card that turns on the light. Connect all these cards in the above order via the TRUE output connector, so the blue line. An example (in Dutch): ![IMG_1691](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/f/a/fa36972454da5b0bb64c4e310e0608244ee7accc.jpeg) Bewegingsmelder = Motion sensor Helderheid = Luminance Zet aan = Switch on ---
**Author:** ![Carl](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/carl/32/124386_2.png) [@Carl](https://community.homey.app/u/Carl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 8:06pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-flows/130247/3 "2025-02-10T20:06:17Z")
Thank you that has been a big help. I am currently stuck with it not turning the light off after a defined period. Eg I set a timer for 10sec then had it do turn off. But it returned an undefined error ---
**Author:** ![SunBeech](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/sunbeech/32/111391_2.png) [@SunBeech](https://community.homey.app/u/SunBeech)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 8:11pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-flows/130247/4 "2025-02-10T20:11:52Z")
Are you referring the the second flow on the right hand side of your screenshot, or a different one (and can you share it)? The one in the screenshot looks okay. ---
**Author:** ![Carl](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/carl/32/124386_2.png) [@Carl](https://community.homey.app/u/Carl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 8:12pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-flows/130247/5 "2025-02-10T20:12:52Z")
![Screenshot 2025-02-10 at 20.12.16](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/7/8/781052a0cd286dad80e22a31777dcedfe03cacfd.png) The lights don’t switch off. ---
**Author:** ![SunBeech](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/sunbeech/32/111391_2.png) [@SunBeech](https://community.homey.app/u/SunBeech)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 8:19pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-flows/130247/6 "2025-02-10T20:19:44Z")
Several things could cause that. First, can you check that the device type of your light (Light & Extractor - En Suite) is actually set to Light? You can do this by opening the light’s device tile and go to its settings (cog wheel). There should be a setting Plugged In that should be set to Light. ![IMG_1692](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/8/4/84f898d645e514042bb302c154908ad1af8bb4d9.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Carl](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/carl/32/124386_2.png) [@Carl](https://community.homey.app/u/Carl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 8:22pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-flows/130247/7 "2025-02-10T20:22:29Z")
This seemed to work by changing the Zone Becomes Active to The motion alarm turned on for the sensor. No idea why Zone becomes active doesn’t work. ![Screenshot 2025-02-10 at 20.21.10](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/0/1/01f9732e3a025d3362a7b9375e8170874c81b6c3.png) ---
**Author:** ![SunBeech](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/sunbeech/32/111391_2.png) [@SunBeech](https://community.homey.app/u/SunBeech)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 8:25pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-flows/130247/8 "2025-02-10T20:25:00Z")
Good to see that you tried that. I was about to suggest that as next step 😀. The zone card should also work, but it only works if the light you are trying to switch off is actually classified as a light. Hence my prior question. ---
**Author:** ![Carl](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/carl/32/124386_2.png) [@Carl](https://community.homey.app/u/Carl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 8:28pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-flows/130247/9 "2025-02-10T20:28:53Z")
It’s not as I had to use Alexa to link it (it’s a sonoff device and it shows up as a plug for some reason) ---
**Author:** ![SunBeech](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/sunbeech/32/111391_2.png) [@SunBeech](https://community.homey.app/u/SunBeech)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 8:33pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-flows/130247/10 "2025-02-10T20:33:30Z")
Then that is the reason the zone card did not work. Note that the change that made your flow work, was the one in your second flow: in stead of switching of all lights in a flow, you are now using the switch on/off card of the light itself. You also changed the zone card in your first flow. I don’t think that is necessary, as you motion sensor triggers zone activity, which triggers your flow. However, using the card of the motion sensor itself also works. So multiple ways to achieve the same. ---
**Author:** ![SunBeech](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/sunbeech/32/111391_2.png) [@SunBeech](https://community.homey.app/u/SunBeech)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 8:41pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-flows/130247/11 "2025-02-10T20:41:44Z")
Which SONOFF device do you have? ---
**Author:** ![Carl](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/carl/32/124386_2.png) [@Carl](https://community.homey.app/u/Carl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 8:45pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-flows/130247/12 "2025-02-10T20:45:49Z")
Mini Extreme which does have Matter, but it’s within the light fitting so would need to take it down to put it in pairing mode and I can’t be fussed with doing that now 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![Carl](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/carl/32/124386_2.png) [@Carl](https://community.homey.app/u/Carl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 9:52pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-flows/130247/13 "2025-02-10T21:52:43Z")
One question I have is how do I make the automation work based on someone being at home. Eg I am setting this one up but I can’t find an option for “when someone is present” ![Screenshot 2025-02-10 at 21.47.59](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/5/a/5a49c39805c9045bc77f59d6995213994d102fd7.png) ---
**Author:** ![Carl](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/carl/32/124386_2.png) [@Carl](https://community.homey.app/u/Carl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 9:53pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-flows/130247/14 "2025-02-10T21:53:13Z")
If I select presence on When then these are the options I get ![Screenshot 2025-02-10 at 21.49.05](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/d/9/d95860f657bac842047802f9cfc94239b96b9e7f.png) ---
**Author:** ![Carl](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/carl/32/124386_2.png) [@Carl](https://community.homey.app/u/Carl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 9:54pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-flows/130247/15 "2025-02-10T21:54:00Z")
If I select And these are the options I get ![Screenshot 2025-02-10 at 21.49.26](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/d/4/d4dec4aa24cf1e3855a27f8e7d8666607ab4d3ca.png) But I want it to work only when someone is present. But not reliant on one particular person, but equally don’t want the dog setting the flow off. ---
**Author:** ![Wim\_Post](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/wim_post/32/56793_2.png) [@Wim\_Post](https://community.homey.app/u/Wim_Post)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 10:00pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-flows/130247/16 "2025-02-10T22:00:37Z")
If you select the AND-card ‘nobody is at home’ and right-click on it you can reverse the card: then it will read ‘somebody is at home’ ---
**Author:** ![Carl](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/carl/32/124386_2.png) [@Carl](https://community.homey.app/u/Carl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 10:06pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-flows/130247/17 "2025-02-10T22:06:18Z")
Thank you ---
**Author:** ![tlink](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/tlink/32/120666_2.png) [@tlink](https://community.homey.app/u/tlink)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 10:24am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-flows/130247/18 "2025-03-05T10:24:56Z")
In general, I’d recommend using timeline messages to debug those situations. I’m pleased with zone activity triggers that allowed me to replace the overengineered advanced flow. ![CleanShot 2025-03-05 at 11.21.40@2x](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/1/e/1e4b8a24a49b0670681865c9c06169e01473b535.jpeg)