5 Ways You Can Use An Apple Watch To Control Your Smart Home
There's a very distinctive flavor of cool that comes with being able to control your personal world from a watch. It's not quite the same thing as a spy watch full of gadgets or an alien watch that turns you into a superhero, but it's about as close as modern technology has currently gotten.
With the power of an Apple Watch and various compatible smart home appliances and devices, you can not only create an interconnected network of controllable systems, but manage all of it by either tapping on your wrist or commanding Siri. The potential of such a thing can seem absolutely dizzying, to the point that you might not even know where to start with such unlimited functionality. If you've got an Apple Watch on your hand, some smart gadgets hooked up at home, and a dream of futuristic convenience in your heart, then here are a few nifty tricks you can try out.
Activate accessories
The first and foremost thing you can do with your Apple Watch in and out of your smart home is activate connected accessories. If you have smart devices in your home that are synced up to an Apple hub device like an Apple TV or a HomePod, you can control all of them through a synced Apple Watch via the built-in Home app.
Any compatible device in the Home app's list can be activated or deactivated using your Apple Watch's buttons and touch screens. For example, if you've got smart lights or light bulbs in your home, you can turn them on and off in the Home app. This is handy if you're out of the house and forgot to turn them off, or if you're in the same room and just don't feel like getting up from the couch. This feature can also be used with other smart devices including air conditioners, speakers, faucets, and more.
Check camera feeds
If you're concerned about the safety of your home, a smart security camera can go a long way toward giving you some peace of mind. The only hitch is that you can't turn on your computer to check the feed if you're not at home, and you may not always have your iPhone in easy reach. Luckily, your Apple Watch is always right there on your wrist, and while it may not have the biggest screen, it's just big enough to check your security feeds.
Through the Home app, you can receive a live feed on your Apple Watch from any smart security camera synced up to your Apple hub network. The Home app can display all your video feed previews on your Apple Watch screen, switching to the live feed with a quick tap. While only your first four cameras are displayed initially, you can tap on the + button on the camera screen to see every feed you've set up.
Get security updates
While a security camera is a great way to exercise greater control over your home's safety, you obviously can't sit there, staring at it every hour of every day. This is where other smart home devices like motion sensors come in, either on the cameras themselves or on standalone devices in and out of your home. If you've got a few sensors synced up to your Apple hub, then you can get round-the-clock updates on your Apple Watch.
Unlike when you check security camera feeds, you don't need to do much of anything to get security updates on your Apple Watch. Whenever a connected motion sensor in or around your home is tripped, an automatic push notification is sent to your Apple Watch via the Home app letting you know. If the sensor is connected to a camera or you have a camera aimed at the same area, you can tap on the notification on your Apple Watch to immediately bring up the feed to scan for intruders. Depending on whether the connected device has a built-in intercom, you can also connect to that to give intruders a good shouting at.
Control the temperature
Whether you want it cooler in the summer or warmer in the winter, a smart thermostat in your home gives you much finer control over your personal atmosphere. Of course, you still have to get up and walk over to the control panel to adjust things, which can be a bit uncomfortable if you're bundled up in blankets. If you don't want to leave your cocoon of warmth, then don't; you've got all the control you need right on your wrist.
An Apple Watch can be used to adjust any compatible smart thermostat system in your home via the Home app. With this connection, you can of course adjust how hot or cold it is in the house, but in addition to that, you can control things like standalone fans and humidity. This is especially nice if you're far away from your home and want to make adjustments. For example, if the weather gets especially rainy, you can remotely control the temperature and humidity to ensure things don't get damp or stuffy in your home while you're away.
Control the power
It's normal to worry if you've completely powered down your home before you leave on a trip. You're not sure if you turned the oven off, unplugged the toaster, and so on. If you're losing sleep on a vacation over whether or not your appliances are running amok, you can get some immediate peace of mind by checking connected smart plugs on your Apple Watch.
Even if you have appliances in your home that don't have smart capabilities, you can still exercise control over them using your Apple Watch and a smart plug. Any appliance plugged into a smart plug can be remotely controlled using the Home app; for example, if you did leave the toaster plugged in, you can remotely disable the flow of power to it using your Apple Watch. On the flip side, if you meant to leave something on while you were gone, like a lamp for the dog, you can power on a smart plug for a little while.