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Schedule your smart device without a subscription
Muse came up with a way to run an Eight Sleep on a nightly schedule without paying $20 a month, according to one person on X, though the solution appears only in an image. What the workaround actually is never gets said, so check any smart device fix against your own setup.
What you can get
What it is
Scheduling workaround and setup steps
A way to run your smart device on a basic daily on/off schedule without paying for the manufacturer's subscription, if one exists for your device.
It came back right when
- The device's own free scheduling options were checked first.
- Any smart plug or hub workaround was explained, including what it does and does not control.
- No hardware was purchased or device setting changed without your approval.
- The schedule was tested and held for the days you want it active.
The checks are editorial, not from the source.
- Define the scheduleStops for your approval
Exact on/off times and the subscription feature to avoid.
- Check free options
Whether the manufacturer offers non-subscription scheduling.
- Consider a workaroundStops for your approval
Smart plug or hub automation if nothing built-in works.
- Test the resultStops for your approval
Run the schedule for several days before relying on it.
Editorial, not from the source
Works when
- You want a simple fixed daily schedule, not the subscription's other features.
- You are open to a smart plug or hub-based workaround if the device itself cannot do it for free.
- You can test the result for a few days before relying on it.
Does not work when
- The device needs continuous power for safety or firmware reasons that a plug-based cutoff would interrupt.
- You need the subscription's other features anyway, making the workaround pointless.
- You are not willing to buy or set up additional hardware if no free option exists.
Schedule a smart device without a subscription: review template
| Item | What it is based on | Status |
|---|---|---|
| [Desired schedule] | [Your stated on/off times] | [Confirmed] |
| [Free scheduling option] | [Manufacturer app or settings check] | [Found or not found] |
| [Workaround, if used] | [Smart plug or hub automation] | [Tested for several days] |
The source case
On X, @Tay_Murph reports not wanting to pay $20 a month for an Eight Sleep device just to have it turn on and off at fixed times each night, with no interest in the sleep-tracking features the subscription bundles in. By their account, they asked Muse for a solution and got one, shown in an attached image. The post does not say what the workaround actually is, whether it is a smart plug, a device setting, a third-party integration, or something else, and gives no detail on whether it kept working afterward. This is one attributed report, checked on 2026-10-09, describing an individual outcome without the method behind it.
A public report by someone outside this library. Not independently reproduced here.
From the source
Source excerpt
Love our Eight Sleep but out of principle I’ve refused to pay $20/mo just to have it turn on at a scheduled time each night. We don’t need or want all the fancy bells and whistles, don’t really care about sleep data, just want the thing to turn on every night at 9:00 PM and off at 9:00 AM. Asked @muse for a solution and voila
Quoted from the original posts. Not written by this guide, and not a result produced here.
Suggested prompt
Bring Device make and model, The specific schedule you want (on/off times), The subscription feature you want to avoid. Acts Researches scheduling options for your specific device and subscription tier. May suggest a smart plug or third-party integration as an alternative. Does not purchase hardware or change device settings without your approval. Source community report, checked 2026-10-09.
Written by this guide as a starting point, not quoted from the source. Your edits stay in this browser.
Other ways to ask
Editorial rewrites of the brief above, for a different emphasis. Copy them separately.
What you need
Editorial, not from the source
You supply
- Device make and model
- The specific schedule you want (on/off times)
- The subscription feature you want to avoid
Connected
- Access to the device's app or account, if checking settings directly
- A smart plug or hub, if that becomes the chosen workaround
Approved by you
- Your approval before buying any hardware
- Your approval before changing device settings that might affect other features
How to try it
Editorial, not from the source
- Describe exactly what you want the device to do (on and off times) and name the subscription feature you are trying to avoid paying for.
- Ask it to check whether the manufacturer offers any free, non-subscription scheduling option first, since this varies by device and firmware version.
- If nothing built-in works, ask it to look at smart plug or hub-based scheduling as an alternative, including whether that interferes with the device's other functions.
- Test the schedule for a few days and confirm it keeps the behavior you want without quietly re-enabling the paid tier.
Separate the schedule you want from the features you do not
The report behind this page is specific about what was not wanted: a monthly fee just to have a device turn on and off at fixed times, with no interest in the sleep-tracking or other bundled features that fee also pays for. Starting from that same separation is useful, because it turns a vague complaint about cost into a narrow request: a basic daily on/off schedule, nothing more. Name the exact times you want, and name the subscription feature you are specifically trying to avoid, since a search framed this way can look for the narrowest possible fix rather than defaulting to whatever the manufacturer's full paid tier happens to offer as a bundle.
The source does not say what the fix was, so test before you trust it
This is the one place where this page has to be honest about a real limitation: the post confirms a solution was found and shown in an image, but never describes what it actually was. It could be a setting buried in the device's free tier, a smart plug cutting power on a timer, a hub automation, or something else entirely, and nothing here should be read as endorsing a specific method as proven. Whatever option is suggested to you, treat it as a hypothesis to test rather than a known-working fix, and run it for several days before assuming the schedule will hold on its own without further attention.
Treat a workaround as temporary, not permanent
A fix that avoids a subscription today can stop working tomorrow if the manufacturer changes what is gated behind the paid tier, pushes a firmware update, or alters how the device behaves without power. This is a known pattern with connected devices generally, not something specific to this report, and it is worth planning around rather than being surprised by later. If the workaround involves cutting power to the device, like a smart plug on a timer, check what that does to anything else the device handles, such as firmware updates or safety shutoffs, since a power cut aimed at saving money could have a cost somewhere else. Revisit the setup every so often rather than assuming it will keep working unattended forever.
Open Muse to try it. That is the product's own site; this guide is not part of it.
Limits and confirmation points
Limits to confirm
- One attributed report. It confirms a solution was found but not what it was, so nothing here describes a specific method known to work.
- A workaround like a smart plug may cut power to the device entirely rather than using its own scheduling, which can affect connected features, firmware updates, or safety shutoffs differently than the manufacturer's own schedule.
- Manufacturers can change what features require a subscription; a workaround that works today may stop working after a firmware or policy update.
Stop and check
Editorial, not from the source
- Before it starts: confirm the exact schedule you want and which subscription feature you are avoiding.
- Before any hardware purchase: approve the cost and confirm the workaround will not disrupt other features.
- After setup: test the schedule for several days before trusting it long-term.
If it goes wrong
Editorial, not from the source
- No free scheduling option exists on the device itself
- Move to a smart plug or hub-based schedule, but confirm first whether cutting power affects anything besides the feature you are trying to schedule.
- The workaround stops working after an update
- Check whether a firmware or app update changed what is gated behind the subscription; a working method today is not guaranteed to keep working.
- A smart plug schedule conflicts with the device's own behavior on power-up
- Check the device's manual for what happens on power loss and recovery; some devices reset settings or re-run startup routines each time power returns.
Common questions
What is the actual workaround for scheduling a smart device without a subscription?
The source behind this page does not say. It confirms a solution was found and shown in an image, but not what it was, so this page cannot name a specific method as proven.
Is a smart plug a reliable way to schedule a device?
It can work, but it cuts power entirely rather than using the device's own scheduling, which may affect firmware updates or other features. Check the device's manual before relying on it.
Will my manufacturer always have a free scheduling option?
Not necessarily, and that is exactly why the paid subscription exists. Check what is currently offered for free on your specific device and firmware version.
Can a workaround stop working later?
Yes. A manufacturer can change what is gated behind a subscription with a firmware or policy update, so treat any working method as something to re-check periodically.
Is this worth doing if I also want the subscription's other features?
Probably not. If you want the data tracking or other bundled features anyway, a scheduling-only workaround does not save you from needing the subscription.
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