Text entry for dashboard

Hello, I would like to make a dashboard where I can input text and pass that text as a variable to a device as a parameter. However, I do not see any way to add a textbox or otherwise enable user input.

Suggestions?

Thanks

If you create a Text Variable and add that to your dashboard, it will show an input prompt whenever you tap on it.

https://imgur.com/Uh1mvtm

You can then setup a rule with the variable’s value changing as a trigger and use that to pass it to a device as a parameter.


For example, some people have used this to create a tile that allows them to search for music to play on Echo Speaks or Sonos devices. Here’s some high level notes on the steps to create the associated rule:

@Justin_Newbury from Simply Smart put together a good video showing the process end-to-end which you can find here:

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Thanks for this. Meant to reply earlier. My effort on this was to pass text to be spoken by specific (rooms) sonos speakers. I was diagnosed with throat cancer and knew the treatment would knock my voice out for a while. With the info you provided i was able to create a dashboard that allowed me to communicate with my wife if we were in the same room or other ends of the house.

Treatment was successful, have my voice back, and am on the mend.

Thanks again.

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Thanks for the update - glad to hear this helped and especially happy to hear you’re on the mend!

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