How to connect Alexa to lights

How to connect Alexa to lights: After seeing the ad on TV, he decided to buy one too. Amazon echo i.e. one of Amazon’s smart devices powered by the Alexi voice assistant . Among its many features, Alexa also allows you to control the smart devices installed in your home, both by voice commands and by remote control via the Alexa smartphone app, and you would really like to learn how to take advantage of this opportunity, especially when It’s about lights.

If so, and you want to know more about it, let me give you a hand and explain how to connect Alexa to lights . First of all, I will be happy to inform you about the devices necessary to achieve the purpose of it, indicating all the solutions available to you, after which I will show you the detailed procedure to make the first configuration of the chosen device and how to use it. you use it to control the lights through Alexa.

Courage: make yourself comfortable, do as much time as you think is appropriate and dedicate yourself to reading the following paragraphs. Once you have identified the device that best suits your needs, follow my instructions carefully and I assure you that by putting them into practice you will be able to complete the configuration and turn your Alexa lights on and off wherever you are. Enjoy reading!

The devices needed to connect Alexa to the lights

Before explaining in detail how to connect Alexa to lights, let me list the necessary devices to succeed in your intention. In fact, you should know that in order to control the lights in your home with one of the smart devices produced by Amazon (or through the Amazon Alexa app), you must first have at least one device to choose between smart bulbs, plugs or smart. switches

The easiest way to control lights at home with Alexa is to use smart bulbs (for example, HIVE bulbs). If you have never heard of them, there are simple bulbs that can be installed in any wall light or in any cable lamp, as long as the connection is the same.

Equip yourself with a smart bulb, you can not only turn the lights on and off remotely, via app or voice commands, but also adjust their brightness and intensity and change their color (only if the purchased product offers this functionality). The price of these bulbs varies between 15 and 90 euros, depending on the brightness, energy class and functionality of the bulb itself. Some devices like this require a hub to be purchased separately and connected to your home router via an Ethernet cable.

Another good way to control your lights from Alexa is to rely on smart outlets . However, because there are devices to plug into your home outlet, you may want to consider this solution for cord lamps only. Yes, I find smart plugs from 15 euros.

If the lights you want to control aren’t plugged directly into an outlet in your home and you can’t apply a smart bulb, the only solution you have is to use a smart switch. In this case, however, the installation is not as trivial as in the other devices listed above.

In fact, smart switches need to be applied to the wall (if you buy touch switches ) or in your home’s electrical system (if you buy wifi relay ). Therefore, if you have never handled electrical cables before, I recommend that you use one of these devices only if you require the installation of your trusted electrician.

Before making a purchase, I recommend that you read the specifications of the device you intend to purchase to ensure that it is compatible with Alexa (usually written Works with Alexa ). It will also help you know if you have one. echo plus you already have one zigbee hub thanks to which you control home automation devices based on the Zigbee system (without relying on third-party applications). More information here.

How to connect Alexa to lights

Whichever device you choose connects Alexa to the lights in your home You should know that in order to connect with the smart device produced by Amazon, you must first download the official app for the smart bulb, plug or switch in use and whose name is usually indicated on the device packaging. or instruction manual.

All you have to do after installing the device is launch the app and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the connection. The procedure is almost the same for all the devices I listed above: first, you will need to create a free account by entering Email address is key and then select Wi-Fi network Home.

Once the connection is established, you will need to start scanning your smart devices to identify the one you want to connect to the app, select it, give it a Name (ex. living room lights ) and follow the on-screen instructions to complete setup . If everything goes well, you can immediately control the lights in the house using the official application of the device.

When the above process is complete, you are ready to connect your lights to Alexa. If you haven’t already done so, download the Amazon Alexa Android AND iOS device app from the store on your smartphone or tablet, turn it on, and sign in with your Amazon account by entering details in the fields Email (mobile phone number) AND Amazon word and pressing the Access button . If you don’t already have an account on the popular online shopping site, my guide on how to sign up for Amazon might be helpful.

Now tap on the Instruments item present in the menu at the bottom, click on the + button located at the top right and choose the Add device option from the menu that opens. On the new screen that appears, in the All devices section, choose the option that interests you: Lamp if you bought a smart bulb; Snuff if you have a smart plug or Switch if you have opted for wall switches or wifi relays.

At this point, regardless of the choice made in the What company is [device name]? select the brand that interests you by choosing one of the available options ( philips tone , Osram , yours , Woox , TP-Link Case , Ikea , Lifx , yellow light , Nanoleaf , Amazonas , fibaro , Bticino etc.), press the button Continue and touch the Activate item to usethen enter the details of the account you previously created to connect the bulb to your official application in the appropriate fields (usually Email AND Password ) and click on the option Link now .

If, on the other hand, the brand of the smart bulb, switch or plug does not appear among those available in the list indicated above, click on the Other article . In either case, tap the button on the new Find Devices screen that appears and wait for your device to be detected. Then touch the Set up your device item and if you want to keep your devices organized in a group, choose the Select the group option .

Now choose the group you are interested in Living Room , Bedroom , Kitchen , Dining Room , Office , Cellar and so on and press the Add to Group button otherwise choose the item Create a custom group ENTER Name in the appropriate field and touch the button The end to save the changes. If everything went well, you will see the writing on the screen The device [device name] is configured and ready to use . Then press the Done button to complete setup and start controlling your lights with Alexa.

It will be useful to know that the device added to the Alexa app will automatically be associated with the name you previously set through your official app. If you want to change it, go to the Tools section of the Alexa app, tap the type of device you’re interested in (eg Lamps , Socket , Switching ), press Device Name , and tap the gear icon located at the top right.

On the new screen that appears, choose the change name option, press the X button to delete the current name, enter the new one in the Device name field and touch the Done button to save the changes. Please note that the name associated with the device will be useful for turning the device on and off with voice commands.

Control the lights with Alexa

After completing your device setup, you are ready to control your lights with alexa . It will be useful to know that you can turn the lights on and off both using voice commands and remotely through the Amazon Alexa app.

In the first case, if you have an Amazon Echo device, you just have to say the command “Alexa, turn on the lights [group name]” or “Alexa, start [device name]” . To understand it better, let’s take a practical example: if you have a smart light bulb that you have added to the Stay group and whose name you associated red lamp, you can say commands to turn on the lights «Alexa, turn on the lights in the living room» or «Alexa, turn on the red light . “

If, on the other hand, you are away from home or do not have an Amazon Echo device, you can also control the lights through the Amazon Alexa app, either manually or through voice commands. To do this, click on the Instruments item present in the menu below, select the device of interest and tap the ON or OFF button to turn the lights on or off.

Alternatively, click the comics icon (middle button in the bottom menu) to activate Alexa and say one of the voice commands I listed above. To learn more, tap the ⁇ button at the top left, choose the things to try item, and tap Smart Home for all the voice commands you can use with Alexa to control your lights.