Deep dive into creating 'Door Left Open' notifications

While the Home app can trigger automations when a door opens, it lacks a native feature to notify you if a door or window remains open for an extended period. This can lead to energy waste or security risks. This guide shows you how to create a powerful 'Door Left Open' notification by combining a contact sensor, a third-party notification app, and the 'Convert to Shortcut' feature within your Home automations.

What's new

By converting a standard Home automation into a Shortcut, you unlock advanced scripting capabilities that allow for conditional logic. This new workflow enables you to:Incorporate a 'Wait' action to delay the automation.Check the status of a device after the delay.Trigger a custom push notification using a third-party service if the condition is still met.This method provides a robust way to monitor doors, windows, or even a mini-fridge, ensuring you're only alerted when it's necessary.

How to use this feature

1. Download and set up the Pushcut app. Create a new notification for your alert (e.g., 'Mini Fridge Open') and copy its unique URL.
2. In the Home app, start a new automation. Select A Sensor Detects Something as the trigger and choose your contact sensor (e.g., Mini Fridge sensor).
3. Set the trigger condition to Opens and tap Next.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the accessories list and select Convert To Shortcut.
5. Inside the Shortcut editor, add a Wait action and set the duration (e.g., 60 seconds). This determines how long the door must be open before you're notified.
6. Add a Get state of a Home accessory action and select the same contact sensor again to check its current status.
7. Add an If action. Set the condition to check if the Contact Sensor State Name is 'Open'.
8. Inside the If block, add a Get Contents of URL action and paste the URL you copied from Pushcut.
9. Tap Next, give your automation a name, and tap Done to save it.

Key capabilities

• Prevent Energy Waste: Get an alert if a refrigerator or freezer door is left open for too long.
• Enhance Security: Receive notifications if a garage door, back door, or window remains open when it shouldn't be.
• Reduce Nuisance Alerts: The wait timer ensures you are only notified after a set duration, not every time the door is opened and closed normally.
• Create Custom Alerts: Use Pushcut to create specific, actionable notification text that tells you exactly which door is open.

Tips for getting the most out of this feature

The 'Wait' action in Home automations is most reliable for durations under a few minutes. For this use case, a wait time between 60 and 120 seconds is ideal. Longer wait times may not execute as consistently, so test different durations to see what works best for your setup.

Summary

Creating 'Door Left Open' notifications is a perfect example of how to extend the power of Apple Home automations. By converting a simple trigger into a conditional Shortcut, you can build smarter, more context-aware alerts that provide real-world value for security and convenience. This workflow turns a simple contact sensor into an intelligent monitoring system for any door, window, or appliance in your home.