diff --git a/esphome/components/remote_base/__init__.py b/esphome/components/remote_base/__init__.py
index 2c8b6be51c..05a3e7e1aa 100644
--- a/esphome/components/remote_base/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/remote_base/__init__.py
@@ -546,7 +546,9 @@ RC_SWITCH_TRANSMITTER = cv.Schema({
 })
 
 rc_switch_protocols = ns.rc_switch_protocols
+RCSwitchData = ns.struct('RCSwitchData')
 RCSwitchBase = ns.class_('RCSwitchBase')
+RCSwitchTrigger = ns.class_('RCSwitchTrigger', RemoteReceiverTrigger)
 RCSwitchDumper = ns.class_('RCSwitchDumper', RemoteTransmitterDumper)
 RCSwitchRawAction = ns.class_('RCSwitchRawAction', RemoteTransmitterActionBase)
 RCSwitchTypeAAction = ns.class_('RCSwitchTypeAAction', RemoteTransmitterActionBase)
@@ -642,6 +644,11 @@ def rc_switch_type_d_action(var, config, args):
     cg.add(var.set_state((yield cg.templatable(config[CONF_STATE], args, bool))))
 
 
+@register_trigger('rc_switch', RCSwitchTrigger, RCSwitchData)
+def rc_switch_trigger(var, config):
+    pass
+
+
 @register_dumper('rc_switch', RCSwitchDumper)
 def rc_switch_dumper(var, config):
     pass
diff --git a/esphome/components/remote_base/rc_switch_protocol.cpp b/esphome/components/remote_base/rc_switch_protocol.cpp
index b2ff22eb2a..91b22500e6 100644
--- a/esphome/components/remote_base/rc_switch_protocol.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/remote_base/rc_switch_protocol.cpp
@@ -127,6 +127,19 @@ bool RCSwitchBase::decode(RemoteReceiveData &src, uint64_t *out_data, uint8_t *o
   }
   return true;
 }
+optional<RCSwitchData> RCSwitchBase::decode(RemoteReceiveData &src) const {
+  RCSwitchData out;
+  uint8_t out_nbits;
+  for (uint8_t i = 1; i <= 8; i++) {
+    src.reset();
+    RCSwitchBase *protocol = &rc_switch_protocols[i];
+    if (protocol->decode(src, &out.code, &out_nbits) && out_nbits >= 3) {
+      out.protocol = i;
+      return out;
+    }
+  }
+  return {};
+}
 
 void RCSwitchBase::simple_code_to_tristate(uint16_t code, uint8_t nbits, uint64_t *out_code) {
   *out_code = 0;
diff --git a/esphome/components/remote_base/rc_switch_protocol.h b/esphome/components/remote_base/rc_switch_protocol.h
index 0983da27ea..8362899cec 100644
--- a/esphome/components/remote_base/rc_switch_protocol.h
+++ b/esphome/components/remote_base/rc_switch_protocol.h
@@ -6,6 +6,13 @@
 namespace esphome {
 namespace remote_base {
 
+struct RCSwitchData {
+  uint64_t code;
+  uint8_t protocol;
+
+  bool operator==(const RCSwitchData &rhs) const { return code == rhs.code && protocol == rhs.protocol; }
+};
+
 class RCSwitchBase {
  public:
   RCSwitchBase() = default;
@@ -28,6 +35,8 @@ class RCSwitchBase {
 
   bool decode(RemoteReceiveData &src, uint64_t *out_data, uint8_t *out_nbits) const;
 
+  optional<RCSwitchData> decode(RemoteReceiveData &src) const;
+
   static void simple_code_to_tristate(uint16_t code, uint8_t nbits, uint64_t *out_code);
 
   static void type_a_code(uint8_t switch_group, uint8_t switch_device, bool state, uint64_t *out_code,
@@ -204,5 +213,7 @@ class RCSwitchDumper : public RemoteReceiverDumperBase {
   bool dump(RemoteReceiveData src) override;
 };
 
+using RCSwitchTrigger = RemoteReceiverTrigger<RCSwitchBase, RCSwitchData>;
+
 }  // namespace remote_base
 }  // namespace esphome