Amazon Alexa can make the holidays a little easier this year. Christmas can often feel like a grind whether it’s coordinating the family Zoom call, putting together Christmas dinner, or untangling the mess those strings of lights have become while in storage. With how stressful 2020 has been in particular, Christmas-celebrators everywhere could do with a helping hand when decking the halls. The good news is the Alexa voice assistant has a few tricks up its sleeve to help with many holidays-related chores, including those lights.
Alexa is known for its wide range of skills, resulting in a device that's now more than just a Bluetooth speaker with a voice command function. In fact, there is even a list of great skills specifically for the holiday season. Some skills come pre-loaded while others will need to be downloaded from Amazon’s website and installed on the device. With over 100,000 options available, it makes sense that Amazon would have a few holiday helpers on deck.
When it comes to holiday lights, some may choose to leave their tree fully lit throughout the day, while others prefer to turn off the lights during the day or when they go to bed. For the latter, that can mean having to either crawl beneath the tree to unplug the lights or fiddling with a complicated timer to set-and-forget it. Now there’s an easier — and smarter — way to control every light in the house. With the use of an Alexa smart plug, existing strands of lights can be plugged in and controlled with the app or a user’s voice and even if they aren’t home. For those who want to start fresh, there are even smart Christmas lights that can be commanded, scheduled, and controlled with ease.
Once the lights have been untangled, there’s one more step to take before plugging in and lighting up the tree. For those sticking with the lights on hand, a smart plug is the best choice. Whether they’re decking the tree inside or the eaves out front, there’s a smart plug out there to make managing lights smarter and simpler. Simply plug the lights into the smart plug, then plug the smart plug into an outlet. Even if multiple strings of lights are plugged into one another, as long as the lead is plugged into the smart plug, all the lights will turn on. If users need a new string of lights, a set of smart lights are a great upgrade replacement. Depending on the set, smart Christmas lights can be controlled by voice or through the app, set to a schedule, and even be set to music. Lights can even be “mapped” to create effects like spirals and waves to make a truly unique and professional-looking display right at home.
To use either, download the Amazon Alexa app to set up a smart device. Once plugged in, the app should prompt the user to set up their smart plug or string of lights. They can also click the More tab, then tap Add a Device. From there, they simply need to choose their desired device from the list, then follow the on-screen instructions to set it up. Once the device is set up, they can name their device to suit their needs and add it to a group. For instance, by adding all devices to a “Christmas” group, lights can be turned on everywhere by simply saying “Alexa, turn Christmas on.” Some smart lights might also have their own app for special features, but within the Alexa app, lights and smart plugs can be controlled in a number of ways. Easy to use and set up, this Alexa upgrade will make the holidays brighter, smarter, and — most importantly — less stressful.
Source: Amazon
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