How to Interconnect Smart Home Tech

If you have a strong internet connection, your home can simultaneously contain dozens of interconnected smart home devices. You just need to install a mobile application and figure out the controls. Here’s how to interconnect smart home tech so you can get the most out of your devices.

Best Apps for Smart Home Devices

There’s a lot of smart technology out there — you can get a smart water bottle if you want to keep track of your water intake or create hydration goals. Using these devices can make many of the chores of running a house much easier, but interconnecting them is an even better premise.

When businesses first started rolling out this technology, customers needed a physical smart home hub to connect their devices. You can still use one of these hubs if you want, but the prevailing method in 2022 is a virtual hub — a smart home app.

The app for your smart home devices is your control hub. Once you link your devices to the app, you can operate them from anywhere in the world. As long as they are connected, you have control over many essential items:

• Lights
• TVs
• Speakers
• Doorbells
• Thermostats
• Humidifiers
• Air purifiers
• Bathroom and kitchen appliances
• Locks
• Cameras
• Motion sensors
• Garage doors

Linking your smart devices to one centralized control panel can make your home safer, more energy efficient and more comfortable. However, you need to choose the right app. Here are some of the best smart home apps for your devices.

1. Home Assistant

Home Assistant is the largest app on the list, as it can support 1,600 add-ons from various companies. After installation, the app will automatically begin scanning for smart devices in range.

Once each device gets connected, you’re free to make all kinds of changes. You can link the app to voice assistants like Siri or Alexa, upgrade the privacy settings and set custom settings for your alarms, sensors and other cyclical devices.

2. Apple Home

Apple Home is your best option if you’re a proud iPhone user and want the most closely compatible smart home app. It comes pre-installed with all iOS products and supports any add-on with the HomeKit logo. The brand variety isn’t as strong as Home Assistant, but the number of compatible add-ons is still growing.

One unique Apple Home feature is the Scene function — you can create settings for multiple settings and switch between them with the push of a button. For example, you might create a scene called “Bedtime” or “Going Out” which shuts off the lights and locks the doors. This feature can be handy for energy-saving and safety purposes.

iPhone users have another advantage with Apple Home — they can control their devices from any iOS device they want using their iPads, MacBooks, Apple TVs or HomePods.

3. Google Home

For all Android users, Google Home is your most fitting choice. It doesn’t come pre-installed on Android devices, but it does have better add-on capabilities than Apple Home. It also allows you to control your devices through Google Nest, Google Assistant and Google TV.

If Chrome is your browser of choice, you will be pretty familiar with Google Home’s user interface. Each page is easy to read and navigate. The Quick Action tab contains a row of buttons for each device and allows you to change the button’s function to your preference. You can also monitor activity on every device in your home with the Feed tab.

4. Alexa

Amazon Alexa is available for iPhone and Android users. Plus, you can skip buying the speaker by just installing the Alexa app. It has a different structure than the previous options, containing two unique features — Groups and Routines.

Groups lets you organize your devices into different categories based on their location, functionor whatever rules you want. Routines automates the controls on your smart devices, ensuring they operate according to the schedule you set for them. If you want to add another feature to the app, Alexa Skills has everything you’re looking for.

Smart Home Tech Has Never Been Simpler

If you’re looking for a long-winded tutorial about connecting your smart home devices, you won’t find it — smart home tech has never been simpler. Just install the app you want, connect your devices, throw a few add-ons into the mix and start customizing the features.