Zigbee Switch Hack: Automate Unrelated Lights with Home Assistant

Discover how to hack a Zigbee 3-gang switch like the Zemismart K6 to control unrelated lights using Home Assistant automations - no extra hardware needed!
Jun 06, 2025 — 4 mins read — Home Assistant

Zigbee Switch Hack: Automate Unrelated Lights with Home Assistant

Imagine controlling every light in your home from a single switch - even ones it was never wired to control. With a simple Zigbee smart switch like the Zemismart K6 and Home Assistant, this isn’t just possible, it’s surprisingly easy to set up.

Most smart switches are limited to controlling only the lights they’re physically connected to, but what if you could repurpose their buttons to automate any light in your home? You may want to turn on your bedroom lamp from a hallway switch, trigger outdoor lights with a single tap, or create custom lighting scenes, this Zigbee + Home Assistant hack removes the need for extra hardware or complicated rewiring.

In this guide, we’ll walk through how to transform an ordinary Zigbee 3-gang switch (like the sleek, touch-sensitive Zemismart K6) into a powerful smart home controller - no electrician required. By leveraging Home Assistant automations, you’ll unlock a new level of lighting flexibility while keeping everything local, responsive, and entirely under your control. Let’s dive in!


This video is sponsored by Altium 365. Get your free workspace today and start transforming your design process today!


Zemismart K6 Smart Switch

The Zemismart K6 Smart Switch combines sleek aesthetics with cutting-edge smart home functionality. Featuring a high-quality glass panel, this switch delivers a modern, minimalist look that blends effortlessly into any home decor. Beyond its stylish design, the K6 is built for durability, ensuring long-lasting performance while enhancing the visual appeal of your living space. The responsive touch control provides a smooth, intuitive experience-just a gentle tap is all it takes to operate your lights, making everyday use effortless and convenient.

Powered by Zigbee 3.0 technology, the K6 seamlessly integrates with popular smart home ecosystems, including Home Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and SmartThings. This allows for remote control via smartphone, voice commands, or automation routines, giving you complete flexibility over your lighting. Whether you’re looking to create schedules, group devices, or trigger scenes, the K6 enables advanced smart home customization. Plus, its easy installation means it fits into standard wall boxes without complicated wiring, making it a hassle-free upgrade for both DIYers and tech enthusiasts.

Energy efficiency is another standout feature of the Zemismart K6. By allowing precise control over your lighting, this smart switch helps reduce unnecessary power consumption, contributing to lower electricity bills and a smaller environmental footprint. Whether you’re upgrading a single room or automating your entire home, the K6 offers a perfect balance of style, functionality, and sustainability, making it a top choice for smart home enthusiasts


Setting up in Home Assistant

To pair the smart switch in Home Assistant, the process is very simple and straightforward. Once you enter the add new device screen, you need to put the smart switch into pairing mode.

To enter pairing mode, you either need to reset the power to the switch or hold any of the buttons for 10-15 seconds until you see the light flashing. After that, the switch is immediately recognized and added to Home Assistant.


Creating Automations

To create the required automations, you can either go to Settings > Automations & Scenes > Create Automation, or you can go to the device info screen and trigger to create an automation from the plus button in the Automations section.

Inside the "When" section, we need to select the added device that will be the trigger as well as the action we want to look for on it. This can be toggle, turning on, turning off or any additional actions that the device supports.

The simplest way to complete the automation is to add the action to be executed in the "Then do" section. Here we can select the device that we want to control, and also the action that we want to initiate on it.

Additionally, we can add conditions and delays to further customize the logic behind our setup.


Unlock Your Smart Home’s Full Potential

And there you have it, your Zigbee switch is no longer just a simple light controller, but a powerful automation hub that bends your smart home to your will. With Home Assistant, you’ve broken free from the limits of traditional wiring and unlocked a world where one switch can control anything, anywhere.

Now it’s your turn:

  • Experiment with multi-tap actions, time-based triggers, or even voice control.
  • Share your creations in the comments—what clever automations did you build?
  • Subscribe for more smart home hacks, and let us know what you’d like to see next!

Thanks for following along, and happy automating! 🚀


The links below are affiliate links. When you click on affiliate links in my articles or videos, it means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. These links are a way to support my work without costing you anything extra—the price you pay stays the same, whether you use the link or not. The commissions I earn help cover the costs of creating free content, so I can keep sharing knowledge and helping you with your DIY projects. It’s a win-win: you get the tools or products you need, and I get to keep creating helpful resources for everyone. Thank you for your support!



zigbee automation smart home
You might also enojy this

Controlling a light bulb from Google Sheet

When it comes to IoT devices, there are many ways that you can control them. There are fancy ways of controlling them like using Alexa or Go...