How do you control your smart home?

Every smart appliance has an app that you can use for certain actions. For example, you can dim the smart lighting, increase the temperature of your thermostat, or watch the footage of your IP camera. Once the appliance or accompanying bridge is connected to the app, you can perform the actions on your phone. Are your smart products all compatible with the same platform (for example, Google Assistant)? In that case, you can control everything with a single app and don't need any separate apps.

Control units are physical buttons that you connect to your smart devices. For example, remotes, dimmers, or switches. Often, you connect a control unit to the same app as your smart products, so you can decide which action the button performs. Dimmer are generally only suitable for smart lights, but there are also control units with more options. With these, you can turn off all of your smart devices at the push of a single button before you go to sleep, for example.

When you connect sensors to your smart lighting, you make your home even more comfortable. If you have to go to the toilet at night, it's nice if the lights react to your movement. You won't have to search for the light switch. You can mount different motion sensors in your home and ensure that the lights turn on in every room when you enter.

A central platform with voice controls like Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa offers even more possibilities. If your smart devices are connected to the same platform, you can control all of them with your voice. All you need is a smart speaker or a smart home hub. Connect the products in the Google Home app and give voice commands to your Nest Hub or Sonos speaker. That way, you can control everything without needing your phone, a switch, or sensors.