The good news here is that you can use your smart plug without the need for Alexa. Smart plugs are everywhere and more people are adopting them as they are perfect for energy monitoring and other features. Smart plugs nowadays are compatible with Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and other products. As it has been stated that you can make use of a smart plug without Alexa, it is nice to state that there are several ways by which anyone can make use of a smart plug without Alexa. The sections below are going to outline these methods.
How You Can Use a Smart Plug without Alexa
Manual Method
One of the ways by which you can get to use your smart plug without Alexa is for you to simply do the switching of the off-and-on button on the Alexa plug. This is easy and you get to do it manually. There is nothing complex about this at all.
KMC Application
Apart from manually switching off the on and off button, there is another method that you can employ when it comes to using your smart plug without Alexa. This is via the KMC application and a lot becomes possible with this application. This is an application by KMC which has been designed in a way to include all the characteristics of the Smart Life application. It makes life a lot easier for the user as there is no need to make use of separate applications for heaters, outlets, doors, lights, and other devices.
The application has received interesting reviews from users. It is known for working perfectly without crashing. Other advantages come with this KMC application. It is very easy when it comes to the setup and integration with Google Home assistant device. Also, when it comes to reliability and stress-free functionality, the KMC application is always there for you. You get to control your lights from any location on this planet as long as you have access to functional Internet. For those who may be trying to integrate with Google Home or even Alexa, they might need to search for the ‘Intelligent Home’ application instead of KMC, just check to be very sure of what you are adding.
Information on Amazon Smart Plug
It is the rave of the moment but many still do not know much about it. In this section, more details will be provided about the outlet from Amazon that allows you to turn on and activate your devices simply by using your voice. The Amazon Smart Plug can be defined as an outlet that you can plug into and use alongside the outlets that are already present in your home.
An interesting feature with the Amazon Smart Plug is that any device or product that can be plugged into it can be easily turned off or on via the Alexa application which is on your tablet or smartphone. With the Alexa application, you can do the setting of timers and fixing of schedules. This applies to all the smart plugs that you might have in your home. It also allows you to be able to have control of the devices, even remotely, using just your voice.
The introduction of smart technology gadgets like the Amazon Smart Plug has made the management of electronic gadgets a lot more convenient. With this plug, you can truly convert your space into a smart home. As stated earlier, the Amazon smart plug is a kind of outlet that you can plug into another outlet. Because of its portable design, you can plug it in a way that other ports are not going to be obstructed.
Then with the Amazon Alexa application that is on your smartphones like any Android device, iPad, or iPhone, you can control. But remember once again that it is very possible for you to make use of a smart plug without the Alexa application and how this can be done has been outlined in the sections earlier.
Any device that you then proceed to plug into the Amazon Smart Plug, will be able to control such a device using not just the application but also your voice. This way, even without having any direct contact physically with any of the devices, you will be to control them, turning them on and off at will using just your voice controls.
A good and typical example here is the coffee maker. You can integrate the application with the coffeemaker in such a way that you can time when you precisely want it to get your coffee ready. You can do the timing before you go to bed so that by morning, the coffeemaker can come on automatically and before you go out for work, your beloved brew will be ready.
Also, if you want to have some control over what your children are doing regarding video games, the device can come handy. All you need to do is to set the plug so that after a particular duration, their gamers will be switched off automatically.
So, if you do not want your children to spend too much time playing games, this is one application for you as a parent. In other words, with the Amazon smart plug, there are so many things that you can get done. You can schedule the devices to come on and off at specific periods while you can focus on the other activities that are more important to you.
More on Other Smart Plugs
Today, the smartening of devices is continuing at a relentless pace. There are now voice assistant smart plugs that you can use to get the best out of your connected home. It is clear that as a result of smart home devices, we are doing away with archaic appliances. However, you will be interested in knowing what happens when not all the appliances in the home are smart. That is precisely where the importance of the smart plug comes to fore.
With a smart plug, you can hook up to your old coffee maker, lamp, fan, and practically any device you have in mind to your connected home for voice control and automation purposes. The good thing is that in the market today, you can select from various models for voice assistance. There are even some models that are compatible with all the three principal ones which are Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and the Apple HomeKit.
Considering the fact that there are several options that are available for the consumers, getting to select the most excellent smart plug for turning off and on your newly-linked devices implies that you will need to carefully consider all the related factors like the setup of the connectivity at home and even things like your willingness or otherwise to make use of voice command and even the platform that you are going to utilize to do the control. You also need to take into consideration the wall outlet that you are going to make use of.
Excellent Smart Plug Choices
As hinted earlier, there are lots of options for you in the market when it comes to making a selection of smart plugs. In this section, the discussion will be on the alternatives that are there for you as far as choosing smart plugs are concerned.
Smart WiFi Plug Mini from TP-Link Kasa
This is one brand that is known for coming up with several smart home products and one of them is this compact smart plug. It also comes with the Kasa application (available on both Android and iOS and also comes with several alternatives that allow for features like timers, customized schedules, and even away modes.
However, that is not all there is to this smart plug. It is also good for those trying to minimize energy usage while it can also be used as a USB port and it is compatible with HomeKit. Users have praised its voice commands and voice control features. So, if you are very much interested in controlling your light or any of your other connected devices with ease, this is for you.
SmartThings WiFi Smart Plug
Known for its customer-friendly price, here is another smart plug that will serve you well. This one is particularly small and it is also good when it comes to energy efficiency. It works well as an alternative for your smart home or socket.
But that said, it is good to also point out that this smart plug cannot function with the HomeKit and it also does not come with additional USB ports for charging. So, if what you have in mind is a smart power strip, then you should get something else.
Also, its application (both Android and iOS versions) does not come with the same flexibility and even scheduling options like the ones of the Kasa smart plug from TP-Link. However, it is so easy to set up and use has made it a prominent choice among the users. Based on its importance, it is safe to state that smart plugs will remain popular for a long time to come.
Sam has been a Smart Things expert for years and the author of DIY SmartThings. Recently he’s really more into Nest smart devices and has a lot of experience with all sorts of projects from converting a regular Home to completely a smart home with the background degree in Electronics.