Make your home a smart home in 2023

More of us are choosing to introduce smart technology into our homes, from voice assistants, smart speakers and smart TVs to smart door locks, smart lighting, and smart heating. Smart home tech has developed a lot in recent years, and more people are starting to understand the range of benefits this type of technology can provide.

However, for many, investing in smart home technology can be quite daunting, with confusion over what products to choose and how to use them being off putting for some dubious homeowners. And so, to help explain more about how you can introduce smart tech into your home, the team of experts here at Yale have provided some top tips to help start your smart home.

Start simple

When first setting up your smart home, a good place to start is with a voice assistant. Simple to set up, most well-known voice assistants work with other smart home products within the home, so it’s important to research the compatibility of the voice assistant with other products in the market.

As well as searching online, playing music and setting timers, when connected to other smart devices in the home, it’s possible to control your devices using just your voice. Whether that’s to turn on the TV, turn off the heating or switch on the lights, a voice assistant is a positive first step to creating a fully functional smart home.

Smart Security

Another area of smart technology to consider is smart security. With more smart security devices being developed and coming to the market, there are a wide range of products to choose from to suit your security needs.

A smart alarm system makes arming your home convenient and easy - simply arm or disarm your home alarm using your smartphone, from anywhere at any time. A smart alarm system puts you in control of your home security and can provide you with peace of mind knowing your home is protected. 

Smart security cameras are another type of smart tech, which is simple to use and provides effective security measures for your home. Controlled through your smartphone, a smart security camera allows you to monitor any activity captured, so you can always be in the know of what’s happening at home, even when you’re out.

And if you have chosen a display voice assistant, it can be possible to view live footage from your camera through your voice assistant screen. Simple ask your device to ‘show your camera’, and it’s possible to watch the live footage.

Step up your smart home

If you’ve already got a voice assistant and other smart devices set up, but you’re wanting to build your smart home further, another product to consider is a smart door lock.

An upgrade to a traditional door lock, a smart lock puts you in control of the security of your front door. Providing added convenience to your daily life, a smart lock makes it possible to lock and unlock your door with just your smartphone. And to make sure you’re in control of who has access to your home, it’s possible to share and delete digital keys to friends, family or perhaps your dog walker with the tap of a button.

The advanced technology of a smart lock will notify you if you’ve left your door unlocked, so you can be sure your home is locked and secure.

Ideal for all lifestyles, having a smart door lock means there’s no need to search through bags and pockets for your keys. A simple tap of your smartphone allows you to access your home with no stress.

And with sophisticated smart locks, such as the range of Yale smart locks, the technology enables the lock to unlock when you approach your door.

Advance to an eco-system

The final stage of creating your smart home is building an eco-system. A smart home eco-system is where all your smart home devices talk and connect to create an effective smart home.

When creating your smart home eco-system, your voice assistant will become the central control station for your home, so it’s important to consider what products work with your voice assistant. Most of the most popular systems such as Google, Apple and Amazon work with most devices, but we’d recommend looking out for the ‘works with’ sticker and checking before purchasing any new products.

Looking forward, the development of ‘Matter’ will help to make the compatibility of all different smart home products and brands easier, so a full mix of products can be compatible in the home.

With a smart home eco-system, it’s possible to control your smart home devices all through one central system, helping to make your home more efficient, convenient and fit in with your daily life.

If you’re starting your smart home and want to find out more about our smart security products, please visit your local site.