This article is for people who want their air conditioner to turn on automatically before they get home, or who want to link SwitchBot with external services. By combining IFTTT with SwitchBot, you can trigger your AC with things that the SwitchBot app alone can't handle — GPS location, weather conditions, time of day, and more.
3 approaches compared
There are three ways to accomplish the same thing. This article covers the IFTTT × SwitchBot integration approach.
| (1) Raspberry Pi + cron |
(2) SwitchBot Automation |
(3) IFTTT Integration (this article) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Extra hardware | Raspberry Pi required | None | None |
| Setup | Python code + cron config | App only (easiest) | IFTTT account + applet config |
| Triggers | Unlimited (Python handles anything) | Temperature, time, presence detection, etc. | Strength in GPS, weather, other services |
| Cost | Pi electricity only (~1–2 W) | Free | Free plan limited to 2 applets |
| Logic complexity | Hysteresis, logging, extensions — fully free | AND/OR basics | Simple IF→THEN rules only |
| Cloud dependency | SwitchBot API only | SwitchBot cloud only | IFTTT + SwitchBot cloud |
If you just want to use the app, check the SwitchBot Automation article. If you want to write complex logic, see the Raspberry Pi article (series list at the bottom).
What you can do with this
- Link IFTTT with SwitchBot to control your AC
- Set up GPS triggers like "turn AC on when I'm within 500m of home"
- Use triggers outside the SwitchBot app — weather, time, and other services
What you need
- SwitchBot Hub 2 (check on Amazon) — Hub series is required for IFTTT integration
- IFTTT account (free plan works, but see the limitations below)
- Smartphone (iOS or Android)
Note: the IFTTT free plan lets you have only 2 active applets. Using 3 or more requires a paid plan (Pro, starting at around ¥600/month).
Prerequisite: register your air conditioner in the SwitchBot app
To control the AC via Hub 2, you first need to teach the app your AC's IR codes.
- SwitchBot app → tap "+" in the top right of the home screen → "Add Infrared Remote"
- Select "Air Conditioner" → choose your brand (use a preset if available)
- If your brand isn't listed, use "Learning Remote" to capture the signal from your physical remote
- Verify you can turn the AC on and off from the app
This registers the AC as a "virtual IR remote" in the SwitchBot cloud. This step is required no matter which of the three approaches you use.
Setting up IFTTT + SwitchBot integration
1. Create an IFTTT account
Sign up at the IFTTT website. Signing up with a Google account is the easiest path.
2. Connect the SwitchBot service
Search for "SwitchBot" in IFTTT → click "Connect" → log in with your SwitchBot account and authorize the connection.
3. Create an applet (example: turn AC on before arriving home)
"Create" → "If This" → "Location" → "You enter an area" — draw a circle around your home (500m radius or larger recommended). Then "Then That" → "SwitchBot" → "Control your device" — set the AC to turn ON.
4. Create an applet to turn the AC OFF
Create a separate rule for the OFF case: "You exit an area" or "when temperature drops," depending on your situation. This fills both slots of the IFTTT free plan's 2-applet limit.
GPS trigger accuracy
IFTTT's location trigger uses your smartphone's GPS, so accuracy is roughly 100–500m. Setting the radius to 500m or more reduces false triggers. There can also be a 1–5 minute response delay. If you're aiming for "AC on 15 minutes before I arrive," a 2–3km radius is more realistic.
Limitations of IFTTT integration
- Free plan is limited to 2 applets (ON and OFF use both slots)
- Only simple IF→THEN rules (AND/OR conditions require the Pro plan)
- SwitchBot's IFTTT integration only works with the Hub series (Hub Mini and Hub 2 are supported; standalone sensors are not)
- If IFTTT has an outage, nothing works — you're depending on two cloud services
Note: The steps in this article were verified as of April 2026, but library or hardware version changes may cause them to stop working as written. If something doesn't work, please let me know in the comments.
Wrap-up
IFTTT × SwitchBot makes it easy to automatically turn on your AC before you get home using GPS as a trigger. This is the approach to choose when you need external service integration that the SwitchBot app alone can't handle. Just be aware of the 2-applet limit on the free plan and the response latency going in.
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App by the author of this blog
I made an iOS reading management app called My Bookstore. Simple bookshelf management — give it a try.
References
Series articles
- (1) SwitchBot API × Raspberry Pi 5: Automated Room AC Control [2026 Edition]
- (2) SwitchBot Automation: Set Up Temperature-Triggered AC Control with Just the App [No-Code Edition]
- (3) SwitchBot × IFTTT: Automatically Turn On Your AC Before You Get Home [GPS Trigger Edition] (this article)
Note: This article is part of an automated blog update experiment using Claude Code.
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