Alexa home automation: smart home automation made easy
What is Alexa Home automation?
With dozens of smart home devices on the market, it can be difficult to choose a set of devices for your home. But if you’re reading this, chances are pretty good that you’re considering an Amazon Alexa smart home device and want to learn more about Alexa home automation. You’re in the right place!
Here on VoiceBrew I’ve written about countless uses for Alexa, from Alexa smart home devices (including Amazon Alexa for kids!) to Alexa Skills and Alexa alarm commands.
How does Alexa home automation work?
Alexa home automation devices work by utilizing your home wi-fi and Bluetooth to let you control smart devices with Alexa voice commands and Alexa routines.
In order to control any compatible Alexa smart home device with Alexa voice commands, you’ll first need an Amazon Alexa smart speaker or smart display. The Alexa speaker or smart display will utilize its built-in microphones to allow you to use your voice to control any connected devices.
Once you’ve installed your Alexa speaker, you can start adding other smart home devices, such as Amazon Alexa light switches or Philips Hue Alexa-connected Smart Lights.
Alexa home automation is easier to set up than you might think
Setting up a smart home device these days is actually surprisingly easy.
Take Alexa Hue Lights, for example. The new Philips Hue Bluetooth smart light bulbs connect directly to Alexa, no longer requiring a homeowner to purchase the Hue Bridge hub (which was used on older models). Tap/click here to learn how to easily set up your new Hue Lights, then continue reading below to learn more about how to take your Alexa home automation to the next level.
Learn how to set up a basic Alexa home automation
Alexa home automation is based off what Amazon refers to as “routines.” What is an Alexa routine? Put simply, Alexa routines let you automate specific tasks (like turning off your newly installed Hue Lights) during specific times of day (at bedtime, for example), by using Amazon Alexa commands, when you leave or arrive at a place, or when an alarm goes off.
Our VoiceBrew Guide to Alexa Routines goes into more detail about how to set up Alexa home automation on your smart home devices, but for now, here’s how to set up a basic routine in under two minutes:
- Open your Alexa app
- Tap the hamburger icon in the upper left corner
- Tap “Routines”
- Tap the + icon in the upper right corner to open up a New Routine tab
- Tap “When this happens” to choose the trigger
- Tap “Add action” to set the actions you want to happen in response to the trigger (e.g. turning lights on)
- Tap “Save” in the upper right corner to save your routine
Now that you know how to set up a routine, the sky is the limit!
What types of smart home devices are compatible with Alexa home automation?
More and more smart home devices enter the market each month, and determining which devices are compatible for use with Alexa home automation can sometimes be confusing.
Before buying a few compatible devices, make sure that they work with Alexa. If you’re buying the device on Amazon, if it works with Alexa, the Amazon page will clearly indicate “Works with Alexa” alongside the Alexa icon toward the top of the page.
You’ve already learned about smart home lights, which is a popular integration, but what about other tasks? Here are a few VoiceBrew favorites:
- Echo Speaker with Alexa built in (a must-have to get things in working order, and check out VoiceBrew’s guide to the best Alexa speaker for you)
- Smart plugs
- Smart vacuum (learn how to connect Roomba to Alexa here)
- Smart thermostat
- Smart video doorbell
- Smart camera and security system
- Smart window shades
- Fire TV
- Smart TV
Interested in learning more about these devices and how to use them? Check out the VoiceBrew Guide to the 10 Best Alexa Smart Home Devices Right Now.
VoiceBrew: Get more out of your Alexa Device with tips delivered straight to your inbox
VoiceBrew was created to help people get more out of their Amazon Alexa devices. Whether you’re just setting up your first Alexa device, or are a seasoned pro looking for advanced tips, VoiceBrew can help.
I love Alexa but realized that most people weren’t familiar with all of the capabilities available in every device! With VoiceBrew, you’ll have access to comprehensive how-to guides that cover basic set-up all the way to more advanced routines.
Wondering what devices work with Alexa? I cover that, too in VoiceBrew Alexa smart home guides. Ready to get started? Sign up for the VoiceBrew newsletter today.