Scene Issue - We encountered an issue with the following scene devices

If you are seeing an error message like the one above after attempting to control a scene, it means that the hub did not see an acknowledgement from the listed device(s). This could occur due to a few reasons:

1. The scene member is out of range of the hub.

2. The scene member failed to hear the command.

3. The scene member took longer than expected to respond.

4. The hub missed the acknowledgement from the scene member.

5. The scene member has experienced a hardware failure.

If you are seeing frequent errors for the same scene members and you don’t believe it is outside of range or has a hardware failure, reach out to support@insteon.com. Be sure to include the email associated with your hub account, the scene name, and screenshots of the error messages.

Cannot Find or Install the Insteon for Hub App

If you have purchased a new phone or tablet and are unable to find or install the Insteon for Hub app, we will help shed some light on why and provide some options to regain access to your Insteon devices from your new phone or tablet.

Quick Summary

Insteon for Hub (IFH) app has been replaced with Insteon Director. IFH was discontinued many years ago and has since fallen out of compliance. Therefore, it has become unavailable for some newer devices through Google Play Store.

If you are using the Hub 2 (2245-xxx), you can use the newer Insteon Director app. You can learn more about the app as well as view a list of supported devices here: https://www.insteon.com/director-details.

If you run the Hub 1 (2242-xxx), we can migrate your supported devices to a Hub 2 and you can use Insteon Director app.

Alternatively, if you need a quick solution, you can try sideloading via this Insteon for Hub APK file. Instructions can be found below.

Sideloading APK file instructions

Here are the steps to sideload an Android APK file onto your Android mobile device:

1. Prepare Your Android Device:

·Unlock your Android device and ensure that it allows installations from unknown sources. (Some mobile devices refer to this as installing unknown apps.) This setting is usually found in "Settings" > "Security" or "Privacy." Enable the option that allows installations from unknown sources. The following instructions are for downloading and installing using the Chrome browser, so the permission to install unknown apps needs to be granted to Chrome.

2. Download the APK File:

· On your mobile device, download this Insteon for Hub APK file. Note: the URL is case-sensitive: https://cache.insteon.com/downloads/InsteonForHub_1.9.8.apk

3. Install the APK File:

· Once the download completes, tap “Open” and then “Install” to start the installation process.

4. Complete the Installation:

· Wait for the installation to be completed. Once finished, you should see the app icon in your app drawer or on your home screen, depending on your device's settings.

5. Adjust Security Settings (Optional):

· After sideloading the APK, you may want to go back to your device settings and disable the option to install apps from unknown sources for security reasons. This helps prevent accidental installations of potentially harmful apps.

Keep in mind that Insteon for Hub app may not be compatible with recent Android versions and might not install or function properly; there are unknown numbers of issues that may negatively impact both performance and device management. If you need further assistance with upgrading, please contact support@insteon.com. Be sure to include details about which Hub you own, and the email associated with it.

Geeky Details

The Insteon for Hub (IFH) app was discontinued in 2017 by Smartlabs, the previous owners of Insteon, and then shortly after launched its successor, Insteon for Lighting. However, at the time of its release, it did not support all the same devices that IFH supported. Smartlabs had decided to support only the most popular products, which at the time were wall switches and keypads, as well as plug controllers. In 2022, a new group of avid Insteon users took over the company. Shortly after, they began to work on adding support for more than just those select lighting products. The app was renamed Insteon Director and since then, Insteon Director supports a wide range of device types and has had hundreds of new features and improvements. Learn more about the Insteon Director app.

Creating, Controlling, and Editing Scenes in Director

First of all, what is a scene? 

Controlling devices directly through Director is a fast and easy way to turn lights on, off or set the lights to a dim level. But what happens if you want to control more than one device at a time? And what if you want each device to do different things (Living room light 50%, Ceiling light 25%, Dining room off, etc.)? 

Creating Scenes in Director offers a way to group more than one device together and control them using a single command. They also provide a super-fast and instantaneous response across all devices, regardless if it's a scene made up of 2 or 200 devices. And because you can set each scene member to a unique level, you can create incredible lighting effects. 

After creating a scene, you can create a schedule for it so it triggers automatically based on time of day or at sunrise or sunset. 

Topics covered in this article:

Creating a Scene

Review and Save

Control and Edit Scenes

Creating a Scene

When creating a scene, you’ll be asked to pick how the scene will be controlled. We call scene controllers “Directors”. These directors can be any device, whether a button on a keypad, a wall switch, or sensor. You can also choose to only have the app be the scene director. 

When choosing devices with multiple buttons, such as a keypad or mini remote, tapping on the name will expand to display the available buttons. Note: for keypads you may need to wait a bit longer after tapping the name while the app reads the button configuration. 

Buttons that have already been associated with a scene will have the scene name displayed in the button and will be grayed out indicating they are not available to add to another scene as a director. 

Tapping on any available button will turn it green, indicating you’ve selected it. Tap the Done button if you are finished selecting your scene director or click the back arrow to select more scene directors.

After tapping Done, you will be shown a list of your devices referred to as “Actors” that can be selected to respond to the scene. Note: devices that were selected as directors will show preselected. In the case of a multi-button device such as a keypad, you can tap on the name and select another available button on the keypad if you wish. 

Tap Next when you’re finished making your selection. 

After you’ve selected your scene actors and tap Next, you’ll see a list of your selected devices. Tapping the name will expand to show you what actions you can define. 

Dimmable devices have options for setting a percentage for dimming and Fade Speed, which determines how much time it will take to get to the dimming percentage.

For scenes with a large number of actors, you can save time by using the Shortcut Reactions at the top of the page. When you tap “On” or “Off”, all scene member settings will be set to that option. If you have dimmable devices, tapping “Dim to…” will allow you to set a specific dim level (e.g., 50%). Note: Fade Speed is not available as a shortcut here. You will need to adjust each dimmable device separately if wanting it to be customized.

When finished making scene adjustments, tap Next.

Review and Save

The final step in building a scene is the Review and Save page where you get a glance of scene directors and actors. Tap the edit button next to Scene Directors or Scene Actors to make any final edits. When ready, tap Save Scene. 

Note: 

• If you have any battery-powered devices included, the app will prompt you to wake them up for programming. 

• The time to program the scene may be a few seconds but if you have a lot of devices or keypad buttons to program, it may take a few minutes.

Control and Edit Scenes

1. Tap to activate the scene (Group On).

2. Tap to deactivate the scene (Group Off).

3. Tap anywhere else to edit/review the scene.

1. Tap Name or Room to edit.

2. To make changes to scene directors, tap edit.

3. To make changes to scene actors, tap edit.

4. The button will display “Re-Write Scene” if no changes have been made to scene members. Tapping “Re-Write Scene” is helpful if a device wasn’t saved correctly or errors occurred when previously saving the scene. If you have made a change to the scene members, the button will say “Update Scene”.

Monitor Your Home with Email and Push Notification Alerts

Monitor Your Home with Email and Push Notification Alerts

You can configure Insteon devices to send you email and/or app notifications (i.e. push notifications) when they are activated locally. Mostly this is used with sensors to let you know when motion is detected, a leak is detected, or a door/window has been opened. But you can also enable this to get an alert when a light switch has been turned on or off. 

Note: this only works for local control and will not generate alerts when something else turns switches on/off (e.g., when controlled from an app, scene, voice assistant, etc.).

1. Tap the device tile to go into the full detail view. 

2. Tap the gear icon to go to device settings.

Tap on the Notifications row.

Most devices will have a notification alert option for two different states. In this example, a leak sensor that has a notification for when it detects water and when it is clear (stops detecting water).

When you enable a Push Notification alert, a default message is displayed. Tap anywhere inside the Subject or Body field to edit the message.

Note: currently push notifications do not support bypassing a mobile devices Do Not Disturb/Sleep/Focus Mode. If you require that any Insteon Director push notifications are critical to receive at all time, please follow your mobile devices operating system instructions for allowing notifications from Insteon Director when those modes are enabled.

Email Notification shares the same Subject and Body message that Push Notification uses, but adds an Email field. Enter the recipient’s email address. Separate multiple email addresses with a comma.

When finished, tap Save.

If you’ve enabled email notifications and entered email addresses other than your the one associated with your account, you’ll be prompted to have the recipient check their inbox for an email asking to approve alerts. 

Control and Status of Devices

Insteon offers a wide variety of device types. To learn how to control and monitor the status of your device using the Insteon Director app, pick from the following list that best matches your device.

On/Off Devices

Dimmer Devices

Keypads

Mini Remotes

Ceiling Fan Controller

IO Modules

Sensors

On/Off Devices

1. Tap the circle icon to control it. Green means it’s On. Gray means it’s Off.

2. The state will also display below the name.

For more control and to access device details, tap anywhere else on the tile.

When the device is On the white switch will be at the top. Swipe it down or tap the bottom to turn it off. 

When the device is Off the white switch will be at the bottom. Swipe it down or tap the bottom to turn it off.

Tap the heart to place the device in Favorites. Tap the gear to view device details.

Dimmable Devices

Dimmable devices are available in wall switches, plug-in modules, and more.

1. Tap the circle icon to control it. Green means it’s On. Gray means it’s Off.

2. The state will also display below the name.

For more control and to access device details, tap anywhere else on the tile.

The brightness level is shown when on. Slide the bar to adjust the level. 

To turn Off, tap the Off button or slide the bar all the way to the bottom.

Tap the heart to place the device in Favorites. Tap the gear to view device details.

Shop for Insteon Keypads. 

Controlling the load that the keypad is wired to is currently the same as On/Off Devices (for On/Off Keypads or i3 Keypad in On/Off Mode) and Dimmable Devices (for Dimmer Keypads or i3 Keypad in Dimmer Mode).

If the buttons have scenes associated with them, use the scene controls under the Scene tab.

Mini Remotes

Insteon Mini Remotes are an extremely helpful wireless controller that can be configured to  control single devices or scenes. They are available in a 1 scene, 4 scene, and 8 scene configurations.

1 Scene

4 Scene

8 Scene

Device tiles for Mini Remotes will simply display the name you’ve given it.

Tapping anywhere on the tile will take you to the full view.

If you don’t have any scenes assigned to the buttons, you’ll see a message prompting you to do so.

Note: If your assigned scene contains dimmable devices, Director controls don’t currently support press & holding for dimming or brightening as is possible with your Mini Remote.

1 Scene Full View Example

1. Tap top of paddle to turn On (activate) the associated scene.

2. The name of the associated scene.

3. Tap the heart to place the device in Favorites. Tap the gear to view device details.

4. Tap bottom of paddle to turn Off (deactivate) the associated scene.

Note: If your assigned scene contains dimmable devices, Director controls don’t currently support press & holding for dimming or brightening as is possible with your Mini Remote.

4 Scene Full View Example

1. The name of the associated scene.

2. Tap left side of button to turn Off (deactivate) the associated scene.

3. Tap the heart to place the device in Favorites. Tap the gear to view device details.

4. Tap right side of button to turn On (activate) the associated scene.

5. If a button on the Mini Remote is not controlling a scene, it will display “unassigned”.

8 Scene Full View Example

1. The name of the associated scene.

2. Tap left side of button to turn Off (deactivate) the associated scene.

3. Tap the heart to place the device in Favorites. Tap the gear to view device details.

4. Tap right side of button to turn On (activate) the associated scene.

5. If buttons on the Mini Remote are not controlling a scene, it will display “unassigned”.

Note: If your assigned scene contains dimmable devices, Director controls don’t currently support press & holding for dimming or brightening as is possible with your Mini Remote.

Ceiling Fan Controller

Control the fan speed and lighting kit wirelessly from any Insteon controller, be it a handheld remote, wall keypad or from Director app. Learn more.

From the room tile, you can control and monitor both the fan speed and the light (if one is connected).

1. Tap the fan icon to progresses through the following: Low, Med, High, and Off.

2. The state of the fan is displayed below the name in the lower left. 

3. Tap the bulb icon to turn the light on and off.

4. For more control and to access device details, tap anywhere else on the tile.

5. The state of the light is displayed below the name in the lower right. 

1. Fan speed control.

2. Tap the heart to place the device in Favorites. Tap the gear to view device details.

3. Fan light brightness control.

4. Fan light control.

IO Modules

I/O Module's flexible output relay can control many different types of low voltage devices, from pool valves to electric door strikes to garage doors due to its different relay modes. When controlling devices like pool valves, you will want the ability to leave it on for an extended period of time, giving it plenty of time to fill the pool. As it approaches the desired water level, then you can remotely turn it off. For devices like electric door strikes, set I/O Module's output relay to momentary, allowing you open the front gate using a Mini Remote*, Keypad button or any other Insteon controller. Learn more.

1. Tap the circle icon to control the relay. Gray means the relay is Open. Clear means the relay is Closed. The state will also display below the name on the left. 

2. This will refer to the state of a wired sensor*. Green means it’s Open. Red means it’s Closed.

3. The state will also display below the name on the right.

4. For more control and to access device details, tap anywhere else on the tile.

   *If you do not have a sensor wired to the IO Module, ignore the icon here. 

IO Module Full View

1. State of relay. Red is Open, Green is Closed.

2. Tap the heart to place the device in Favorites. Tap the gear to view device details.

3. State of sensor. Green is Closed, Red is Open.

4. Tap top of paddle to send On / Close Relay.

5. Tap bottom of paddle to send Off / Open Relay.

Monitoring Sensors

The Insteon Director app can configure sensors to control devices by creating a scene. You can also set up push notifications or email notifications when a sensor is activated. 

Insteon wireless sensors include Open/Close Sensor, Hidden Door Sensor, Motion Sensor, and Leak Sensor. 

1. State of sensor is shown here. Depending upon the sensor type, Red=Open, Motion Detected, Water. Gray=Closed, No Motion, Dry.

2. For more information and to access device details, tap anywhere on the tile.

In-app notifications appear at the top of the screen while using Director.

1. Sensors report daily. If your sensor has missed any check-ins, we’ll let you know here. Note: some sensors don’t report. If that’s the case, we will let you know here.

2. Tap the heart to place the device in Favorites. Tap the gear to view device details and to configure alert notifications. Learn how to enable alerts.

To learn more about how Director monitors battery-powered devices, visit the following page: https://www.insteon.com/support-knowledgebase/director-app-sensor-monitoring 

Sensor Response Issues

If a sensor has lost connection with the hub, either by dead battery or communication issue, the app will display a “No response” and the tile will change color indicating an issue. If you tap on the tile, you will see steps you can take to fix the issue. 

To learn more about sensors reporting this message, visit the following page:

https://www.insteon.com/support-knowledgebase/director-app-sensor-no-response

How to find the email address that is associated with your Insteon Hub

If you are unsure which email address is associated with your Insteon Hub, please follow these simple steps.

If you are unable to log into the app, contact us at support@insteon.com and include a photo of the bottom of your Hub. We will then provide you with the email associated with that Hub.

Using Insteon Director app

Step 1

Tap Settings.

Step 2

Under Account is the email associated with your Insteon Hub.

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Something Went Wrong While Configuring Your Insteon Hub

 If you are attempting to add an Insteon Hub and receive an error stating “Something Went Wrong” or “Something’s Wrong” it is most likely because the Hub already registered with an Insteon Account. This could happen for a couple of reasons:

• Your Hub is not connected to your router with an Ethernet cable or not powered on.

• You purchased the Hub from somewhere other than Smarthome.com or received it as a second-hand device from a friend or family member

• You have previously configured the Hub with an Insteon account and don’t have a record of your login information

Note: before continuing with the steps below, if you purchased the Hub to replace one that is no longer working AND you have Insteon devices already set up in your home, you may be entitled to a free warranty replacement. Learn more.

Confirm Account Already Associated with Insteon Hub

• Make sure the Hub is connected directly to your router with an Ethernet cable and also plugged into power.

• Confirm that the LED indicator located in the front of the Hub is on

• Open up a web browser on a device that is connected to your network and visit the following page: https://connect.insteon.com/getinfo.asp

• You should see an image on the page that looks similar to this:

• If the Insteon Hub that you are trying to configure already has an account on it, it will show up with the “Configured Connect Account” as TRUE. If there is no account on the Hub it will display as FALSE.

• In order to clear the account from the Hub, please send an email to support@insteon.com and include the following information

• Your name

• Your phone number

• A request to delete the account associated with the Hub

• Attach a photo of the bottom label of your Hub so that the Insteon ID is clearly visible

After we receive the email a member of our support team will be in touch within two business days to assist. Thank you for your patience.

Control Insteon Devices from your Google Home

With Insteon Hub (2245-222) and Google Home, you can control Insteon-connected lights and appliances with your voice. The following article covers pairing your Insteon Hub account with the Google Home app.

For Android users with a Home device go to the Google Home support page. If you do not have a Google Home device installed make sure the install the Google Assistant app so that you get access the Google Assistant Home Control settings.

Step 1

Launch the Google Home App and tap the Settings gear icon

Step 2

Scroll all the way to the bottom and tap “Works with Google”

Step 3

Search for Insteon and select Insteon from under the Add new section

Step 4

Enter your username (email) and password associated with your Insteon Hub account then tap “Sign In”

Step 5

Select the home for your Insteon devices and then tap Next

Step 6

You will see a list of your devices*. Google Home will ask that you place each of the devices into rooms one at a time. To bypass these steps, tap the X (upper right).

*Scenes created in the Insteon mobile apps do not get shown with your devices list. You can still use your voice to activate any scenes you’ve created but to control it from the app, you will need to set up a routine within the Google Home app.