Can a Driving Tracker Help Automate My Home Based on My Driving Patterns?

I’ve been trying to find a smarter way to automate my home, especially for when I leave and return. My current system works with time-based triggers, but it doesn’t account for changes in my unpredictable schedule. For example, when I leave for work or run errands, I manually adjust the thermostat, lights, and security system. Using location-based triggers on my phone has been unreliable at times, especially when the GPS accuracy is off or when my phone’s battery is low.

Recently, I started thinking—what if my driving patterns could be used to trigger these automations? I’m talking about a system where, based on my car’s movement, the home automation adjusts accordingly. For example, when I drive away, it could automatically turn off lights or lower the temperature. When I’m heading back, it could adjust the home to be ready for my arrival.

I came across a driving tracker that logs trip details like speed, distance, and start and stop locations. It’s essentially a web tool for measuring total miles driven, which tracks trips and helps users understand driving behavior. I wonder if this kind of tool could be integrated with my home automation system to recognize when I leave or return and adjust settings accordingly.

How can I use driving data, especially when it comes to my car leaving and arriving, to trigger home automation? What tools or systems can help make this work reliably without false positives?

Hi @IzanEmanuel,

When it comes to “home” awareness, the operating systems (iOS or Android) might have quite good built-in capabilities. Here’s Android: https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/10000312?hl=en

On Apple, you can create an automation in the home app based on presence of people (and use the automation to set a boolean variable in Apilio).
Another option is to use CarPlay or Android Auto to trigger an automation. I tried it with CarPlay and it detected reliably when I connected or disconnected the car.

On Android, I think you can also trigger actions based on connected WiFi networks.