How To Control Smart Lights with Alexa
How To Control Smart Lights with Alexa
Alexa is one among the most popular smart home platforms that is available today due to its wide range of compatible devices and its ease use. Alexa makes it very easy to control smart lights from dozens of differs brands through the app, through voice, and also through other methods.
How To Add Lights Through Alexa
1. First, open the Alexa app and tap the Devices tab. If you already have a compatible device that is ready for use in your home, Alexa will notify you at the top of your screen with a message like, “three devices discovered.” If this pops up, tap to view new devices.
2. Some devices, once they are set up, are automatically added to the Alexa. For instances like this, all you have to do is just to add the devices to a room or group. The good news is that even when devices are not automatically added, they are still easy to set up.
3. Tap the + symbol in the top-right and then tap the "Add a Device". Scroll through the given list until you see the device you want to add–in this case, tap Light. You can check through a list of compatible light brands. For example, let's make use of the Philips Hue.
4. Scroll until you see the "Philips Hue" in the list and tap the name. There are some instructions you need to follow before setting up the Hue lights. These instructions are displayed on screen. After you have done this, then tap Discover Devices.
5. Alexa will look for devices to connect, a process that can take close to 45 seconds. Alexa will now inform you when lights are discovered. At this stage, tap "Set Up Device". You will get a prompt to add the lights to a group. Now tap "Choose Group" and select which group you want to add the light to, and tap "Add To Group". After this, click the "Continue" button and "Done".
After you have done this, the lights will be set up and can be controlled through the Alexa.
How To Set Up Other Brands
1. Although every of the smart lights brand is set up slightly differently than others, the basic process is the same. First, open the Alexa app, and then you tap "Devices". Next, tap the "+" symbol. Click "Add Device" and the "Light" button.
2. Choose your light from the listed brands and then follow the on-screen instructions. Most times, it will ask you to download the app for the particular brand of lights for you to set it up. Once you do, return to the Alexa app and tap the "Discover Devices".
3. Right from this point forward, the setup is the same as the former. Tap Set Up Device, and choose the proper group for the light, and then add it to the group. Once you have done this, just click "Continue" and then "Done".
How To Control Smart Lights Via the App
1. Controlling your smart lights through the app is a very simple thing. First, open the Alexa app and tap Lights. You will see all the available light in your home. You can control those lights easily just by tapping the On. Although that isn’t the only option.
2. From the main Device of the screen, you can see every Group set up within the app. If a light is available in a given group, you can just tap the representative icon to turn the light off or on. You can also click the group name to open it and control all the lights or the single ones.
3. You can also tap the "More" button in the bottom-right and then tap Routines. Tap the + that is located at the upper-right to add a new routine. From this screen, enter the new routine name, the conditions when it triggers, and what happens. These routines make it possible to set the specific times when the lights will turn on and off, when you come home, and much more.
4. You can also control your regular lights that is connected into smart plugs this way. Open the Alexa app and tap Devices, then tap the "Plugs". You can see every smart plug you have set up and also you can control them individually this way. Just as with the smart lights, you can also control your smart plugs with groups, too.
