Feature Request - iOS 8 Notification Center Widget

[1activegeek]

Feature Enhancement Request

It would be great if we could add in a widget capability to the Notification Center screen. This would allow users to do things like place common switches into notification center, or dimmer sliders, etc. Some basic functionality would just allow quick access to commonly accessed buttons/switches that are used in the App.

Ex: Lock Up switch linked to a script to turn off the lights, set the alarm status, drop thermostat temps, etc.

[belovictor]

We lack design here. If somebody could make graphical design of how it should look in Notification Centre there will be no problem to implement it!

[1activegeek]

I think a graphical overhaul might be overthinking it. A simple option to put a single item or a couple items directly from the app into the NC would be perfect. We don't want a command center in notification center (necessarily) just an ability to quickly pull an item or two in. I would imagine simply taking the item as it would be displayed in the app (take a simple on/off switch for example) and place it right into notification center just as it appears in the app (title/description, some space, button options, and feedback).

[kylebjordahl]

Belovictor, have you looked at any options for this? The Philips Hue app has a nice implementation, basically a row of 4 buttons that you select to put in the Notification shade.

Perhaps the iOS app could just offer the option so select a second sitemap to populate in the widget, so users could make it to their liking?

[trs3]

Hi all,

I would be very happy if a Notification Center widget would exist :)

Right now I use a workaround with "Launcher"-app.
There I define a button that calls a custom url which triggers an openhab event.
The only drawback is that Launcher opens Safari to send that url.

It would be nice if one could put elements like a button or text (e.g. temperature) in that widget.

Thanks for your great work!
Stefan

[snoerenberg]

Philips Hue app for iOS uses a nice approach. You can define up to 5 different color schemes within the app which are displayed as a widget in the today screen.

[made2k]

I think the hard part may be different kinds of events. I started thinking about this lately after discovering openhab. I've spent the last week getting my stuff all set up and I agree that it would be very nice to be able to pull down from the notification center to toggle items. I've worked around with some different approaches that are already available:

• Hue has great toggle. Tap to turn on, then tap the same switch to turn off.
• IFTTT DO. Sending a toggle event through IFTTT acts as a switch, they're very limited in that they only allow 3 buttons.
• Launch Center Pro. They allow a lot of widgets, but unfortunately clicking one opens the app before it sends an event to IFTTT. I personally don't like this.

I think this app could potentially have the best of all worlds using multiple Today Widgets. Maybe one for switches, one for dimmers and so on.

The only design ideas I have are for switches. Using a collection view in the widget, we could fill up selected switches (from settings within the app) and have a primary tap area that acts as a toggle. Then secondary buttons on each collection view cell that could as as a specific on/off. I haven't looked at the iOS code yet, but I built out a proof of concept that communicated with IFTTT to send commands and I think that getting the elegance of the hue app with the dynamic state of openhab could be do-able.

[Rtaxerxes]

I too would love to have this feature. A really quick way to change the house mode for instance, a bedtime button, dinner button, TV button.

[syoma755]

In my mind the best way to realize quick and easy HA control from notification center is to have a generic MQTT client with widget capability. E.g. user should be able to create his own button widgets in Notification Center which just publish appropriate messages to MQTT broker, when pushed. This would work not with just Openhab, but with any home automation software. Also all authentication and other stuff would be solved by MQTT protocol.
Also such client can easy get status updates and it should not be always connected to broker for this. When you open the center, client should connect, subscribe and broker will automatically send retained messages of necessary items. This is so lightweight, that should be executed in just a moment.
The problem is that I suggest to use MQTT instead of REST API.

[nbrownus]

This would be super helpful to have. My initial use case is just setting the house modes (Bed Time, Away, Movie Night, etc). Any chance we get to see any notification center support anytime soon?