The growth of smart home devices has been on the rise for the past few years and it is easy to see why.
Today, all your devices can be linked to your phone wirelessly so that you are able to control and monitor your devices from anywhere in the world as long as there is an internet connection.
Smart plugs are the little devices that make this huge fete possible. They are a convenient and direct way to link your smartphone to your home devices such as the fridge, TV, lights and more.
A smart plug is the cheaper option compared to replacing all these devices with their smart models. This would be a huge waste of money as smart plugs are cheap and work just as good.
For communication between you and your home devices, the smart plug is powered by Alexa.
This way, you can give direct commands to your devices using your voice. The Amazon Smart Plug is only compatible with Alexa so do not buy it expecting Google Assistant or Siri compatibility.
How it works
The Amazon Smart Plug is quite straight forward with its workings and functionalities.
It is activated using voice command since it is powered by Alexa. All you need to do is plug it in to your devices, say, the lights and you’re good to go. You will be able to control your lights just by commanding them on or off.
The following are the best ways you can use the Amazon smart Plug in your home.
Turn regular lights to smart lights
We all have been in a situation when we’re comfortable and cozy and all that remains is to turn off the lights or reduce the brightness for ambience. You know how terrible it feels to get up and switch off the lights.
Well, with the Amazon Smart Plug, this would not be a worry at all. If you want to be able to control you lights with your voice, you can either replace your regular lights with smart lights or use a smart plug.
The smart plug is the cheaper and better option. It sells for $25 on amazon. On top of this, it is easy to setup.
Use the smart plug to connect to other home devices
Say you have a coffeemaker and would want to make coffee in the morning as you shower.
You would need to add this coffeemaker to you Alexa morning routine. If the coffeemaker is not a smart device, you will need a smart plug to add it to the morning routine.
Amazon Smart Plug works with all home devices including fans, refrigerator and more.
How do I use the Amazon Smart Plug?
The Amazon Smart Plug is pretty straightforward in its workings and functionalities. To know when if it’s on, check for a small blue light on the left side of the plug. There are three ways you can turn on this smart plug. They include:
Alexa voice command
Amazon Smart plug is only compatible with Alexa so don’t buy it expecting it to work with Siri or Google Assistant. To turn it on, use the Alexa voice command functionality. Say, “Alexa, turn on [plug name]”.
Once it’s on, the blue light will come on. If you’re using the smart plug for your lights, remember that you cannot tell Alexa to dim or reduce the brightness of the light. This is because the smart plug only works as an on and off switch.
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Using the Alexa app
On your smartphone, go to devices and on the bottom bar, go to plugs and toggle either on or off
Routine setup
When setting up a routine with Alexa, you are supposed to use the following method. Go to the Alexa app on your smartphone and go to the hamburger icon on the upper left. Go to the Routines on the upper right icon and tap on it. Set the schedule (time and day of the routine and set a Repeat if necessary).
Click on Done. When adding a new routine, add Action then go to Smart Home then Control Device.
Select your plug name (the one that controls the lights and add it to the routine. So every morning when you wake up, Alexa will activate all the morning routines. Save the routine on the upper right corner.
Setting up the smart plug
When you first buy the smart plug, you need to set it up first so that you can use it and link it with your smartphone.
To do this, follow the following steps closely.
- Take the Amazon Smart Plug out of the box
- Plug it into the wall
- Open the Alexa app on your smartphone and let it scan for a new connection
- Tap on Devices on the bottom navigation bar and select Plugs and your new smart plug will be linked and ready for use
This process happens automatically for most people. However, this method might fail. When this happens, follow these simple steps to set up the Amazon Smart Plug
- On the Alexa App on your phone, scroll down to the bottom navigation bar. Go to the upper right icon and Add Device. Add the Amazon Smart Plug
- The following page will request you for a 2D bar code. This bar code is used as an alternative way of connecting the Amazon Smart Plug to Alexa incase the automatic way fails. The code is found on the package of the smart plug. If you already threw it away, check for the code on the back of the plug
Conclusion
The Amazon Smart Plug is a great addition to your smart home set up. It is the better and affordable option if you want to link all your devices to your smartphone.
You should remember however that it is only compatible with Alexa and no other home assistant.
