Are you using smart home devices you own effectively? The answer is probably not. There’s a whole world of fun and convenience available. Smart home devices like smart speakers can be used throughout your daily routine. You just need to put some time into learning how to use them effectively.

Daniel Krasoń – stock.adobe.com

Maximize Your Smart Home Devices: The Perfect Weekend Project

To get more out of your smart home appliances, plan a small weekend tech project. In just three to four hours, you can learn new techniques and technologies that will make your life more fun for months and years to come. Getting started is easy. The first step is to plan your project.

1. Make a List of Your Smart Home Devices
Look around your home and write up a list of all of the devices you have. Don’t rule out anything. You might have a smart heating and cooling system. You could have a smart device connected to your phone or laptop by Bluetooth. Some smart home devices, like smart lights, might be in drawers, so check there as well.

2. Ask Yourself If You Know More Than One Way To Use a Smart Device
Depending on the device and your creativity, there are usually many different ways to use a smart device. For instance, you could use a smart light to save power. You can also use it to support your home security measures. If you look at a device like a smart speaker and only use it for one purpose like listening to music, then you have an excellent chance to get more value from it. Find out how in the next step.

3. Locate The Manual and Resources From the Smart Device Manufacturer
Without information on a smart device’s basic features, you will be stuck with trial and error. That’s usually a waste of time. Instead, do an online search for your product (e.g., “Amazon Alexa manual” or “Amazon Alexa instructions”). Once you find the official manufacturer website, spend some time reading the documentation and viewing any videos.

4. Write Down Two Smart Home Device Ideas To Start With
In the final step, write down two ideas for how you could use your smart home devices better. For example, you might struggle to wake up in the morning. In that situation, programming smart lights for your living room could help you start your day effectively, even when it is dark outside.

Your Smart Home Device Weekend Plan: Step By Step

Your mission is clear: get more convenience, entertainment and benefit from the smart home devices you have purchased. To illustrate what’s possible, let’s use two examples — a smart speaker and a smart home kitchen appliance like a refrigerator.

Project Idea 1: Get The Most From Your Smart Home Speaker

There are several ways to get more value out of your home speaker. Review this list of ideas and see which approach looks promising to you.

• Experiment with different locations. If you currently have your smart speaker in the living room, move it to a different location for the day. For example, you might find it convenient to have it in the kitchen so you can look up recipes by voice command while you are cooking.
• Browse for new apps. The major smart speakers, such as those offered by Amazon and Google, let you install apps. For example, you can install weather apps to find out the forecast before you go outside. Merely browsing a list of popular apps (e.g., The 50 most useful Alexa skills) is bound to give you a few ideas.
• Explore ways to integrate your smart speaker with other technology. Sometimes, smart home devices have a quite limited interface – a few buttons or a small touchscreen. For example, smart home speakers tend to have a limited interface. To get the most value from these devices, check if you can control the device more fully by connecting it to your computer or smartphone. For instance, find out more about Google Assistant commands to use with your Nest device.
• Ask your partner, children and friends for ideas. When you’re looking for ways to get more from your smart devices, you don’t have to do it alone. Get in touch with friends and family and ask them how they are using their devices. For example, your children may want to use the device for a homework project on the future of technology.
• Experiment with ways to improve performance. Smart device performance will vary depending on the circumstances. For example, the device will probably work better if it has a stable connection to your wireless router. On the other hand, you might find it helpful to have the smart speaker on a different floor of your home. See if the distance from the router impacts your favorite apps and functions.

Project Idea 2: Get The Most From Your Smart Refrigerator

Getting more value from your smart kitchen appliances takes a bit of creativity. They are not as common as other smart home devices. However, there are still a few ways to get more out of these devices.

• Integrate your smart refrigerator with other devices. Using radio signals (i.e., Bluetooth and WiFi), you can connect a smart fridge to other devices. For example, the LG InstaView ThinQ Refrigerator has Amazon Alexa built in. If your smart fridge does not have that option, explore whether you can connect your smart fridge to other devices using Amazon or Google apps.
• Test internal fridge cameras. Not sure if you have space to store frozen food when you are shopping at the grocery store? You can solve that question by using internal cameras available in some smart fridges. However, getting proficient with using these cameras takes some practice. Experiment with different ways of arranging food in the freezer to maintain camera visibility.

Want More Challenging Ways To Enhance Your Smart Home?

After a few hours of tinkering, installing new apps, and studying instructions, you are going to be highly skilled in using your smart home appliances. After a certain point, there is not much convenience or fun to get out of these devices. In that case, your next step awaits! Check out one of our DIY electronics tutorials and build something yourself. For beginners, we recommend reading Top 8 Smart Home Electronics Projects You Need This Year next.