Rachio Smart Lighting

Smart Lighting Controller: Feature Overview

Last Update: Apr 21 2026 10:09am • Est. Read Time: 5 MIN

Automations, Scenes, Areas, & Dimming

The Rachio Smart Lighting Controller (SLC) gives you powerful control over your outdoor lighting—from automated schedules to custom lighting moods and dimming options. This article will walk you through the four primary features of your controller: Scenes, Areas, Automations, and Dimming, so you can make the most of your smart outdoor lighting setup.

Contents

• Scenes
• Areas
• Automations
• Dimming Calibration & Compatibility

Scenes

A Scene is a custom lighting configuration that lets you control multiple zones from multiple controllers, and set specific brightness levels and on/off states for each — all with a single tap. Create mood lighting for different situations, like "Dinner Party," "Evening Relax," or "Holiday Glow." You can even trigger your Scene on a schedule using Automations.

How It Works

• Choose which zones to turn on or off
• Set different brightness levels for each zone (with dimmable bulbs)
• Save the configuration as a Scene
• Toggle the Scene on/off from the app or include it in an Automation

Creating a Scene

1. Open the Rachio app and tap your SLC from the devices screen
2. Tap the Home tab at the bottom
3. Go to the Scenes section
4. Tap "+ Scene"
5. Name your Scene (e.g., “Patio Night”)
6. Select zones and set brightness levels
7. Tap "Done" to save and use it anytime

Note

When configuring your lights and brightness levels while making a Scene, your zones will respond in real-time. This allows you to view your actual brightness levels before saving the Scene to lock them in.

Use Case Example

Scene: “Evening Ambience”

• Set Zone 1 (path lights) at 40%
• Set Zone 2 (accent lights) off
• Set Zone 3 (garden lights) at 70%

Areas

Areas let you group multiple zones from one or more Smart Lighting Controllers so you can control them all together.

This is perfect if you have clearly defined lighting areas using multiple zones, or have several controllers installed in different parts of your yard, but want to control certain zones as one unit.

How It Works

• Create an Area to group zones together
• Turn them all on/off or dim them together (with dimmable bulbs)
• Automate Areas just like individual zones or Scenes

Creating an Area

1. Open the Rachio app and tap your SLC from the devices screen
2. Tap the Home tab at the bottom
3. Go to the Areas section
4. Tap "+ Area"
5. Name your Area (e.g., “Front Yard”)
6. Select zones to include from one or more controllers
7. Tap "Done" to save and use it anytime

Use Case Example

Area: “Front Yard”

• Includes: Zone 2 from Controller A, Zone 1 from Controller B
• Control all front yard lights together with one tap, or a scheduled Automation

Automations

Automations help you schedule when your outdoor lights turn on and off. Instead of adjusting lights manually each day, you can set up automations in the Rachio app so your system runs on its own.

You can create an Automation for a single zone, multiple zones, an Area, multiple areas, a Scene, or multiple scenes. Each automation can be set to run at a specific time, or tied to your local sunrise or sunset.

When you use the sunrise/sunset option, your lighting events will automatically adjust throughout the year based on your location. You can also shift the timing by up to two hours earlier or later than the actual sunrise or sunset to better fit your routine.

Automation Options

When creating an Automation, you can choose from three types of lighting control:

• Zones: Add one or more zones to an Automation, which can include zones from more than one controller.
• Areas: Add one or more Areas to an Automation, which can include zones from more than one controller.
• Scenes: Add one or more Scenes to an Automation, which can contain different on/off states and brightness levels.

Creating an Automation

1. Open the Rachio app and tap your SLC from the devices screen
2. Tap the Automations tab at the bottom
3. Tap "+ Automation"
4. Create an Automation for Zones, Areas, or Scenes by tapping on the corresponding icon (types cannot be combined)
5. Name your Automation (e.g., “Evening Schedule”)
6. Select the Zones, Areas, or Scenes you want to include in the Automation
7. Select the days of the week you'd like the Automation to run
8. Tap + Add "On" Time, + Add "Off" Time, or both. Then tap "Time of day" to select when you'd like the event to occur
9. Tap "Finish" to save your Automation

Note

Each Automation can only use one of these options at a time. If you want to trigger zones to turn on at brightness levels other than their default brightness, create a Scene first and then add it to an Automation for the most flexibility.

Dimming Calibration & Compatibility

Dimming gives you finer control over how your outdoor lights look and feel. Whether you're lighting a pathway, highlighting a garden, or winding down at the end of the day, dimming lets you adjust brightness to match the moment—rather than just turning lights fully on or off.

Warning!

The dimming feature is turned off by default and must be enabled in the app for each zone where you want to use it. To use dimming, all bulbs in the zone must be rated as dimmable and operate between 12 to 15 volts. If you try to dim non-dimmable bulbs, it can shorten their lifespan or even damage them.

Important Dimming Compatibility Notes

• Dimming only works with dimmable bulbs (LED or incandescent rated for 12V–15V)
• All bulbs in a zone must be dimmable
• Using non-dimmable bulbs may damage them and shorten their lifespan
• Use the same make/model of bulb in each zone for best results

Enabling Dimming

1. Open the Rachio app and tap your SLC from the devices screen
2. Tap the Home tab at the bottom
3. Tap on the desired Zone
4. Tap + Add dimming
5. Read the note about dimmable bulbs and tap "Yes, Continue" to enable dimming
6. Proceed through the flow to complete dimming calibration and set maximum and minimum brightness levels

Dimming Calibration

Completing the dimming calibration process after enabling dimming will ensure your lights are always functioning properly regardless of the brightness level you set them to in the app. When calibrating your dimming settings, the app will show the current brightness level, and your lights will respond in real-time as you move the slider. This allows you to see your max and min brightness levels before locking them in.

• Set a maximum brightness (safest upper limit)
• Set a minimum brightness (lowest setting that keeps lights visibly on)
• Watch the lights during calibration to avoid flickering or full shutoff

Use Case Ideas

• Dim patio lights to 30% after 10 PM for a soft evening glow
• Set holiday lights to full brightness from 6–9 PM, then 50% overnight
• Use dimming in Scenes for dynamic lighting (e.g., Zone 1 at 100%, Zone 2 at 50%)

Set Default Brightness

Default brightness can be configured so that a dimming-enabled zone will always turn on at a specific brightness level (unless triggered by a Scene with a custom brightness level). Default brightness can be configured individually for each zone once dimming has been enabled and calibrated. To set a default brightness for a zone:

1. Open the Rachio app
2. Tap on the desired Zone
3. Tap “Default brightness”
4. Move the slider to adjust default brightness. The app will show the current brightness level, and your lights will respond in real-time as you move the slider.
5. When satisfied with the brightness level, tap "Save".