Technology plays a huge role in most people’s function and comfort in the home. For example, you more than likely cannot imagine a life without a refrigerator, freezer, oven, AC, or even your TV.
Yet, new technologies and appliances have hit the market that can transform our daily lives in ways many people might never have imagined. After all, you could adjust a thermostat from your phone, turn a property’s lights on or off from overseas, or change the oven temperature in another room.
Make the most of the innovative technology and check out these five smart home tips and tricks that could optimize your life.
- Choose a Reliable Internet Connection
A poor-quality internet connection will impact a smart device’s performance. The number of smart home devices you use will place pressure on your router, which may affect your connectivity. For this reason, you might need to swap an old router for a more powerful alternative. How much internet do you need for your smart devices? You may need more than one network or router for smart home devices, streaming, and internet browsing, which will prevent connectivity disruptions, range issues, and frustration.
- Introduce Devices Slowly
You might feel eager to introduce as many smart home devices into your home as possible. The technology could streamline your life; however, as mentioned, it could also take its toll on your internet connection. For this reason, you’d be wise to introduce devices gradually. It will take pressure off your network while providing time for you to learn about each gadget and maximize its features.
- Pick Flexible Smart Home Devices
Before purchasing a smart home device, double-check if it is compatible with various major smart speaker platforms, such as:
- Alexa
- Apple HomeKit
You can then switch platforms with ease and enjoy its many benefits, which could include better features, connectivity, or pricing.
- Monitor Battery Life
Many smart home devices are battery operated, such as smart doorbells, smart locks, smoke alarms, and motion sensors. Prevent power issues by routinely replacing their batteries or recharging the devices. It will ensure that your smoke alarm never fails in a fire, or that your home’s security isn’t at risk of a burglary or trespassing. If monitoring the battery life sounds like more hassle than it’s worth, you’ll be pleased to learn you can buy hardwired devices that may feature back-up battery power, which will allow the gadget to recover from a power outage.
- Be Careful with Passwords
It is wise to diversify your online account passwords when introducing smart home devices, as it will protect your technology from a data breach. Many companies may even provide password-less options to keep a device safe from cyberattacks.
Remember, many smart home devices will feature microphones or cameras, and a hacking incident can pose a risk to your privacy. A rock-solid password may prevent an unwanted data breach that could put your personal information at risk. Also, read the manufacturing privacy policy for each device to learn how the company uses your data.
