Method for operating a home automation system having a central control device and peripheral devices comprising a signal generator arrangement and an actuator arrangement, which peripheral devices can be connected to the central control device by communication technology and can be controlled by the central control device, wherein the central control device is configured to activate the actuator arrangement in a switched-on operating state if one or more trigger signals from the signal generator arrangement satisfy a trigger condition and is configured to control the peripheral devices, if appropriate according to direct operator control inputs, characterized in that the central control device activates the actuator arrangement on the basis of a logic AND combination of the trigger condition with a release condition of an external signal, which external signal was generated outside the home automation system, and in that the external signal does not result in the central control device leaving the switched-on operating state, that is to say the central control device retains the switched-on operating state in response to the external signal, and in that the external signal is neither a switch-off signal nor an emergency stop signal nor a direct operator control input, that is to say the external signal differs from the direct operator control inputs, in that the external signal is based on a logic combination of a plurality of input signals, in that an operator control device provides a graphical input/output interface for the user definition of the logic combination of input signals and/or for the user selection from the plurality of input signals, and in that the graphical input/output interface provides user guidance for prioritizing the input signals, in that the operator control device generates the logic combination of the input signals on the basis of this prioritization, and in that the operator control device is a smartphone which can establish a connection to the central control device via a mobile radio connection, in particular a GSM network, or the Internet, and in that the external signal is based on a mobile signal generated by a mobile device, wherein the mobile signal is an input signal and the mobile device is the operator control device. in that the central control device activates the actuator arrangement on the basis of a logic AND combination of the trigger condition with a release condition of an external signal, which external signal was generated outside the home automation system, and in that the external signal does not result in the central control device leaving the switched-on operating state, that is to say the central control device retains the switched-on operating state in response to the external signal, and in that the external signal is neither a switch-off signal nor an emergency stop signal nor a direct operator control input, that is to say the external signal differs from the direct operator control inputs, in that the external signal is based on a logic combination of a plurality of input signals, in that an operator control device provides a graphical input/output interface for the user definition of the logic combination of input signals and/or for the user selection from the plurality of input signals, and in that the graphical input/output interface provides user guidance for prioritizing the input signals, in that the operator control device generates the logic combination of the input signals on the basis of this prioritization, and in that the operator control device is a smartphone which can establish a connection to the central control device via a mobile radio connection, in particular a GSM network, or the Internet, and in that the external signal is based on a mobile signal generated by a mobile device, wherein the mobile signal is an input signal and the mobile device is the operator control device.