Vacation Mode is for longer trips. It does everything Away Mode does and adds a lighting pattern that makes the home look occupied while you are gone. The settings below are the default recommendation, but you can change or remove any of the actions.
How it starts and stops
Vacation Mode can start when:
- No one has been home for 18 hours (geolocation), or
- A schedule you set (days and times), or
- You turn it on manually from the app or a Control.
It ends when someone returns home, on your schedule, or when you turn it off.
- When you start it manually, there is a 60-second delay before actions run, so you can leave.
- Turning it off from a Control requires your Brilliant PIN.
- Everyone in the home gets a notification when Vacation Mode starts and ends.
- If both Vacation Mode and Away Mode could run, Vacation Mode takes priority.
What it does
When Vacation Mode starts:
- All lights off
- All locks locked
- All shades closed
- All garage doors closed
- Thermostats set to off
- All music off
- Plugs set to off
- Light randomization between sunset and 11pm to make the home look lived in (see below)
- Arms your security system, or turns on Presence Alerts
When Vacation Mode ends:
- All lights on
- Doors unlocked
- Garage doors open
- Thermostats set to Heat/Cool 68 to 72
Light randomization
While Vacation Mode is active, Brilliant randomly selects a portion of lights in your home and turns them on and off between sunset and 11pm so the home looks occupied. Each day a different set of lights follows the pattern: the lights come on at sunset and turn off at 11pm. Outdoor lights are included. Keep in mind that a light that was not included in Vacation Mode and left on can still be included in the light randomization and will be turned off at 11pm..
Security: panel or Presence Alerts
Like Away Mode, Vacation Mode can protect your home two ways. You choose one when you set it up.
- Arm a connected security panel. If you have a connected security panel (such as Resideo or Ring), Brilliant's recommended setup includes your panels and sets them to Arm Away when the Mode starts. You can remove any panel you do not want included. Within a Mode, panels are set to Arm Away only (Disarm and Arm Home are not options here). Brilliant arms the panel but does not disarm it when the Mode ends, so you disarm it yourself with your alarm PIN.
- Presence Alerts. If you do not arm a panel, you can turn on Presence Alerts, which uses your Brilliant Controls, switches, and Shelly sensors to alert you to activity while you are away. See "Presence Alerts."
Editing Vacation Mode
Set up and edit Vacation Mode in the Brilliant app. Brilliant recommends actions based on your devices and rooms, and everything is editable. If an action needs a device you do not have, it is turned off with a note on what to add.
Away Mode or Vacation Mode?
Use Away Mode for everyday comings and goings (it starts after about an hour away). Use Vacation Mode for trips: it waits longer before starting (about 18 hours on geolocation) and adds the occupancy-simulation lighting so the home looks lived in.