One of the great advantages of smart home technology is being able to tie multiple devices together through automation. Here’s how to better use a smart video doorbell with some of the other gadgets in your home.
1 After Sunset, When Motion is Detected, Turn on Front Porch Light
For better security, a smart doorbell is a great choice. If you have a smart light on your porch, you can use a quick automation to illuminate the front of your property and let potential thieves know that they’re being watched.
I use Apple HomeKit, but many of these automations can be created using compatible devices with Google Home or Amazon Alexa. Most smart video doorbells have motion sensors that are used to record video, even if someone doesn’t press the chime itself. You can use this to create an automation so that if motion is detected in the area of the doorbell, and it is past sunset, the front porch light will automatically turn on.
This is just one of the many simple automations that will make you want to install smart lights all over your home.
2 Flash Indoor Lights When Doorbell Is Pressed
There are times when you might want to know that someone is at the front door, but don’t want to hear the chime. A baby might be sleeping, or someone might be in the middle of a meeting while working from home. Create an automation where your indoor smart lighting flashes when someone rings the doorbell to achieve this.
It’s also a great accessibility feature for anyone who is hard of hearing.
3 When Doorbell Is Pressed, Pause Audio Throughout Home
Alternatively, you might be rocking out at maximum volume when someone comes to the front door. Create an automation so that when the doorbell is pressed, audio on any smart home speaker pauses so you can quickly go to the door and talk with the visitor.
4 When Motion is Detected and No One is Home, Turn on the TV for 30 Minutes
Another security-focused smart home automation is simple to create and can help ward off any unwanted visitor. Apple HomeKit and Google Home can use geofencing from your smartphone to determine if you’re home or not which makes it possible to use triggers that are dependent on your presence.
Using this, you can create an automation where if someone is detected at the front door, and no one is home, the TV will turn on for 30 minutes. Hopefully, that noise will make it seem like someone is home.
5 After a Certain Time, Doorbell Plays Pre-Recorded Message Instead of Ringing
While almost all video doorbells allow you to talk with a visitor using a smartphone or device like a smart home speaker, some doorbells allow you to simply provide a voice message to a visitor when they push the button.
Just like an old-school answering machine, this makes it possible for your visitors to leave a message. Using this functionality, supported doorbells can be used to create automations where pre-recorded messages will be used during a certain part of the day. It’s a great way to go without interruptions while working at home, watching a movie, or if someone needs a nap.
6 When the Doorbell Rings, Live Video Appears on Smart Streaming Box
Why not rig your doorbell to show you whoever is at your front door on your TV? This automation uses an Apple TV and HomeKit-compatible doorbell, or a modern Roku streaming device and Roku doorbell (though it’s probably possible with other devices too). When someone presses the doorbell, a notification will appear on the screen, no matter what you’re watching, with live video from the front doorbell.
If you’re an Apple user, you can use HomeKit Secure Video to make the automation even better. HomeKit Secure Video is Apple’s connected home security camera system that is private and secure. One of the other advantages is face recognition, which will tell you on the Apple TV screen exactly who is at the door.
A smart video doorbell is a great addition to any smart home, providing additional security for your front door. If you’re looking to add a doorbell, there are a number of considerations to understand before buying a smart video doorbell. If a smart video doorbell isn’t for you, there are a number of cheaper alternatives to consider.