The Ultimate Guide to Creating Your Smart Home with Alexa+
Learn about the benefits of creating an Alexa+ smart home, and what devices to consider when getting started.
Table of Contents
What Is a Smart Home?
A smart home is a residence that runs internet-connected devices for task and device action automation. Smart home automation benefits its residences and users with convenience, security, and comfort. A well-functioning smart home often has its devices operating together to perform multiple actions efficiently and in sync.
Benefits of an Alexa+ Smart Home
An Alexa+ smart home offers many benefits for a user looking to add convenience and automation into their life:
- Unified ecosystem
- AI-powered voice assistant
- "Works with Alexa" certification
- Voice routine creation and customization
Basic Requirements for an Alexa+ Smart Home
- Amazon account
- Access to Alexa+
- Alexa app
- Internet connection
- Alexa-enabled device (such as an Echo device)
- Compatible smart home device
Selecting Your Home Automation Devices
Smart Speakers
Household smart speakers, such as Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Pop, are common Alexa+ virtual assistant devices. You can place these devices anywhere in your home to control your smart home devices, play music, and get updates on news and the weather.
Smart Home Hub
A smart home hub is the control center of a smart home. It acts as the central point for connecting and managing various smart home devices, and allows you to automate your devices from a single platform. Instead of sending commands to multiple devices, a hub provides one central place to send commands to all devices.
Smarts Lights and Plugs
Smart lighting devices, such as bulbs, plugs, and switches, are some of the most common smart home devices. Smart lighting solutions offer customization, convenience, and lower energy use to any home.
Smart Cameras & Home Security
A smart home security system is a device or set of interconnected devices that work to protect your home. Smart home security devices include:
- Smart cameras
- Motion sensors
- Smart locks
- Window sensors
Smart Climate Control
Smart thermostats allow you to set temperature schedules that are based on the weather, your schedule, and whether you're home. For example, program your thermostat to cool down the house an hour before bed and warm up the house one hour before you wake up.
Alexa+ and Ring Smart Camera Features
If you have a Ring home subscription and Alexa+, you can:
- Ask Alexa for a summary of events detected by your Ring cameras. For more information, go to Use Camera Event Summaries with Alexa+.
- If you have a Ring premium subscription and compatible Echo Show, ask Alexa to show you footage of events detected on your Ring camera. For more information, go to Use Ring Smart Video Search with Alexa+.
Connecting Your Smart Devices with Alexa+
To set up your smart home devices in the Alexa app directly, go to Connect Smart Home Devices to Alexa.
Setting Up and Using Voice Routines with Alexa+
Routines are short cuts for Alexa, saving you time by grouping together device actions so you don't have to ask for each one individually.
With Alexa+, you can create Routines by voice. To learn more about Routines by voice, go to About Routines by Voice with Alexa+.
