# Merging insights after re-adding a device

**URL:** <https://community.homey.app/t/merging-insights-after-re-adding-a-device/84840>\
**Category:** Questions & Help\
**Tags:** zigbee, insights\
**Created:** [July 18, 2023, 8:31pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/merging-insights-after-re-adding-a-device/84840 "2023-07-18T20:31:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Krzysiek](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/krzysiek/32/34025_2.png) [@Krzysiek](https://community.homey.app/u/Krzysiek)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2023, 8:31pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/merging-insights-after-re-adding-a-device/84840/1 "2023-07-18T20:31:33Z")

</div>

Hi!

My Xiomi Light Sensor’s battery died. After re-inserting the battery, the device did not become active (I probably did not wait long enough to give it a chance to start reporting). I thought that maybe re-adding it to Homey, without removing it first, will help but in the process I think that I reset the device. In the end, I removed the device from Homey and re-added it. That of course caused the insights data to be removed. Is there any way to make Homey see the re-added sensor as the old sensor? It is the same device but it was removed and re-added. Would restoring Homey from a backup help for example? Or is there maybe some other way?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![robertklep](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/robertklep/32/160628_2.png) [@robertklep](https://community.homey.app/u/robertklep)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2023, 4:59am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/merging-insights-after-re-adding-a-device/84840/2 "2023-07-19T04:59:48Z")

</div>

Internally, Homey works with device objects that represent a hardware device. The device objects have a unique id that gets assigned when creating the new device (for instance during pairing).

If you remove a device object (aka removing a device from Homey), any Insights data related to it will also be removed. If you create a new device object by pairing the same _hardware_ device again, the device object will get a new unique id and therefore its own Insights.

When you re-add a device without first removing it, Insights will be reused because the same device object will be used.

Restoring a backup _should_ bring your device back, although if may depend on whether or not you also reset the hardware device.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Krzysiek](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/krzysiek/32/34025_2.png) [@Krzysiek](https://community.homey.app/u/Krzysiek)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2023, 9:17pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/merging-insights-after-re-adding-a-device/84840/3 "2023-07-27T21:17:51Z")

</div>

That makes sense, thank you. I believe I reset the device. It is ok, it is just a light sensor from Aqara but it is good to know in case I have a similar issue.  
The strange thing now is that the light sensor stopped reporting lux values all together. I tried resetting it again and re-adding it but it did not help so far.