Top reasons to consider a smart home device
In an era where there’s a mobile phone app for nearly everything, people are even managing features of their home like lights, music, and temperature control from their phones and or voice controls. The popularity of what are called smart home devices means that more and more homeowners are using their phones instead of getting up to turn on the lights. There’s no doubt that there can be conveniences that come from adding a smart home device, and it can even add to the value of your home.
Smart home device basics
If you’ve heard of Alexa, then you probably already have an idea of how a smart home device works. These devices connect to the internet over Wifi and/or Bluetooth and have voice controls or controls from your mobile phone or both to make tasks happen around your home. That’s right, playing music, turning off the lights, and turning up the thermostat can all happen from a smart home device. Voice assistants including Google Home, Apple Home Pod, and Amazon Echo are all popular ones. In a smart home, the smart speaker often serves as the hub for all connected devices. That means if you don’t want to use your phone you can speak to the speaker and it will get the job done for you.
Features that can be added
While the basics include lights, a thermostat, and playing music, there are innumerable ways to add on to smart home devices. Security cameras can be added to your smart home arsenal. These types of cameras might have sensors for infrared motion along with cameras and microphones, possibly with a monthly monitoring subscription fee. Door locks and garage door openers mean that these doors can be opened without a key and instead use a keypad or smart command to open, which can be a benefit if you have guests come and stay with you, or if you have a realtor sell your home. Refrigerators that are smart can monitor when certain foods that you buy frequently (like eggs) are running low, play music, and look up recipes. By keeping everything connected, you can manage everything in your home from one place.
Issues to be aware of
While there is no doubt that adding a smart home device in one of its many forms, has its advantages, there are also some issues to be aware of before deciding to control everything in your home in a smart way. Be aware that data mining means that the information gathered by a smart home device could be used by companies, and you’ll want to understand the rules about how your data can be used. Smart home devices can also be susceptible to hackers. If everything is set up in your smart home with voice control, it may also make it more difficult for visitors to turn on the lights, for example.
There are compelling reasons to consider adding a smart home device like making tasks in your home more convenient and adding to your home security. However, there are also some clear risks to keep in mind. Before making any changes in your home, consider your options and weigh if going smart is really right for you.
