As an Alexa user, you may be aware of the benefits and advantages it can give you, but how does Alexa work with lights?
This may be one of the gray areas of knowledge that you have when it comes to Alexa’s capabilities, and that’s what our guide is for!
We won’t just give you a general take on its performance with light, but we will offer a complete rundown of what it can do and how you can do it!
Alexa-enabled devices can connect to most Smart light bulbs via the Alexa app. Then, you can use your virtual assistant to help you with your lights.
Before we go deeper, let us first briefly discuss the process of how you can set it up.
Setting Up Alexa to Control Your Lights
Before learning all the things Alexa can help you with, though, you need to know how Amazon’s Alexa works with lights.
Luckily, we’ll be detailing every step of the way in this guide for you!
Step #1: Ensure You’re Using Compatible Echo Devices
To control your Alexa-enabled light bulbs and other smart home devices, you first need to have at least one (1) Amazon Echo device with a built-in smart home hub.
This hub will then connect to all your Alexa-compatible smart home devices via either Bluetooth or WiFi.
Amazon Echo 4th Gen devices, as well as the original Echo Plus, have built-in smart home hubs. Amazon Echo Dot and smaller devices do not have a hub built in it.
However, you can purchase a smart home hub separately and connect it to any Alexa device that does not have a built-in hub.
NOTE: Some light bulbs don’t require a hub at all. So, do your research before buying smart home light bulbs if you don’t have an Amazon Echo device with a built-in hub.
Step #2: Connect the Device to the App
Initially, only a few manufacturers produced smart light bulbs compatible with Alexa.
Today, there are too many to list! And, each setup process is slightly different. Not to worry, though, because your device will include instructions to set up each bulb with the manufacturer’s app.
You could stop there and control your bulbs via the manufacturer’s dedicated app. But, Alexa truly shines when you put her in charge of all of your smart home devices at once.
Here’s how you can connect your device to the Alexa app:
- Access the Amazon Alexa app on your smartphone.
- From there, scroll down until you see Devices, tap on it.
- Then, locate and tap the bulb you want to connect to your virtual assistant.
Once this is all done, it’ll just be the waiting game. After this, you simply have to wait for confirmation that your bulb and Alexa device are paired and connected.
Step #3: Add the Skill
Skills are third-party apps that give Alexa control of non-Amazon devices. Skills allow Alexa to control light bulbs, smart plugs, and other smart home devices from manufacturers other than Amazon.
Once you’ve connected your smart lights to their dedicated apps, here’s how you can add the dedicated skill.
- In the Amazon Alexa app, select Skills.
- Then, find the skill that matches your smart light bulb’s manufacturer.
- Enable the skill and log in to connect it to the bulb manufacturer’s app.
Once complete, you’ll be able to control all your smart home devices remotely! How cool is that?
Then, when you’re ready to add more smart light bulbs, you simply have to follow the same procedure and connect as many devices as possible.
Now that we’re aware of this, what things can we do with Alexa in relation to our lights? How does Alexa work with lights?
How Does Alexa Work With Lights?
Getting your home set up with Alexa-enabled lights and other devices can consume a lot of time and money.
What’s the value of that investment? Enabling your home with smart home devices like Alexa-enabled lights can automate your life and save you time.
Name Your Devices
Every Alexa-enabled device in your home needs a name. This is for you to be able to give Alexa specific commands for it.
This includes the light bulbs, which must be named individually, but can also be grouped together
This is what allows smart devices to be controlled individually, even in the same fixture. But you’ll also create and name a group, like “Hanging Lamp,” containing all four bulbs.
NOTE: You may even take it one step further and create another group containing all the light fixtures and Alexa-enabled devices in your kitchen.
That would make it possible for you to control everything in the room at once.
Turn Your Lights On and Off With Your Voice
Have you ever crawled into bed at night, only to realize that you forgot to turn off the lights in the kitchen?
With Alexa, you don’t need to stand back up to turn it off!
Alexa-enabled lights and light bulbs are the modern versions of the “clapper.” However, you’re not limited to it as they can do so much more.
Using simple voice commands, you can turn off the Alexa-enabled bulbs in your bathroom, change their color, or dim them.
Useful commands include, “Alexa, turn off the lights in the bathroom,” “Alexa, turn the lights in the bedroom blue,” and others depending on how you set it.
Schedule Lights to Turn On and Off When You’re Away
In the past, people had timers that controlled their lights while they were out of town. Alexa-enabled lights can do the same thing, only better.
Plus, you can set groups of lights to turn on and off together!
For instance, you can schedule your bedroom lights to gradually turn on beginning a few minutes before your alarm goes off.
Furthermore, you can also schedule your kitchen lights to turn on when you get home; you can set your bedroom lights when you usually start winding down, and all of them off after you’re in bed.
NOTE: It’s convenient because you don’t have to think about it during important times within the day.
Plus, when you are out of town, your lights will continue turning on and off as though you were home, making your house never look vacant.
Set the Mood With Smart Home Routines
Alexa smart home routines allow you to combine multiple Alexa actions in a single step.
You can set a relaxing mood before bed, dim the lights, change colors, put on relaxing music, turn on the aromatherapy diffuser, and many others!
You can do virtually anything with Alexa smart home routines.
Have Alexa read your schedule to you in the morning, tell you about the traffic on your commute, and even wait a specified time before doing another action.
Use Alexa routines and Alexa-enabled bulbs to automate your life.
Alexa works with lights by controlling it – and you’ll be able to do it so long as you’re able to pair and connect the devices with each other. Toggle and control your lights without the need to stand up!
Read Next: How to Set Up Intruder Alert on Alexa?
Conclusion
So, is your question, how does Alexa work with lights now been answered.
If you’re part of the demographic that doesn’t believe in the capabilities of Alexa, read our guide and be enlightened!
Connecting Alexa-enabled bulbs to your Alexa app via a third-party skill will give you complete control over every light in your home; the best part is that you can control it with your voice!
Turn smart lights on and off remotely, set a schedule, or use an Alexa routine to automate your life!
