The whole point of getting smart lights is so they can activate on their own without you needing to step in. Every smart light comes with its own native application that includes basic automations, like setting a schedule, or turning them off when you leave the house. We’re going to run through some of the ways you can activate these automations with the most popular smart light platforms available.

Philips Hue is one of the most popular smart lights available, and it has an entire menu within its app for automations. The easiest way to get started with them is to use one of the prebuilt automations (aka recipes). These include recipes for common use cases like waking up with light, going to sleep, and coming home. Here’s how to build an entirely customized schedule.

The Philips Labs has a wide selection of fancier automations that are worth digging into if you want to do something more complicated.

LIFX has a similar menu within its app. Here’s how to use it:

You can review the entire schedule by tapping the calendar icon in the top-right corner of the app. LIFX and most other smart bulbs plug into If This Then That (IFTTT), which can connect otherwise independent smart home systems. Be sure to dig into what’s possible with IFTTT to set up more advanced triggers and actions.

Wyze is a little trickier to set up since its app also houses functions for a wide range of products.

This larger ecosystem can interact seamlessly with one another, so, for example, a light can turn on when the security camera senses motion. Wyze also has a clever “Vacation” mode which turns on random lights while you’re away to give the impression that someone’s home. If you’re looking for more light recipe ideas, these are some of our favorites.

Setting your home lights to a schedule is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what you can do. Here are a few other ways in which you can automate your lights in surprising ways.