10 Home Tasks You Can Do from Your Phone
Phones no longer just make calls. They also unlock the front door, turn on the bathroom light, and feed the dog.
Answer Your Door
You don’t even need to be in your house to answer your door—if you have a smart doorbell. With a doorbell camera, you can see who’s there and chat with them. Among other things.
Unlock Your House
Of course, maybe you want to let someone in while you’re not there. If you have smart locks, you can do this from your phone. If you’ve ever needed a way to give your parents access to your home without actually giving them keys, this is how to do it.
Check Up on Things
Most modern security systems are going the way of automation. Now, with a smart camera in every room, you can look at how things are going. Or, if you’re too busy for that, you can set it up such that you only get notified if there’s movement or other concerning activities.
Change Your Lighting
Turn lights on and off or dim them to your liking, all from your phone, with smart lights. It’s like having a Clapper, except Home Improvement can’t make jokes about smart lights because they’re not as funny as a Clapper. And that show has been off the air for 20 years. And calling what they did “jokes” is a bit of a stretch.
Feed Your Pets
Want to make sure that little Fido gets the exact correct amount of food at the same time every day? You can automate that task with a smart pet feeder. Add a pet camera to check up on him while you’re at it and you’re golden.
Change Your Thermostat
You’re environmentally conscious, so you don’t run your central air when you’re not around. But you don’t want to come home to a sweltering house, so cool things off a half-hour before you get home with a smart thermostat.
Water Your Lawn
Install some smart sprinklers and you’ll never have to step outside to water your lawn again. Just turn on the water while you’re watching Netflix, like some kind of lazy lord of the lawn.
Check the Weather
If you’re a weather nerd or just someone who wants weather reports specific to your home, a smart weather station has you covered.
Power On or Off Literally Any Device
So, you have a device or appliance that isn’t “smart,” but you want to be able to turn it on and off via your phone? Get a smart outlet and you’re in business. They come in both indoor and outdoor varieties, so literally, anything that plugs in can become a pseudo-smart device.
… And a Bunch of Other Weird Stuff
Want to automate fragrance spraying? Or cleaning your cat’s litter box? Or your toilet? We’ve seen a bunch of odd things you can automate from your phone. If you really, really want to.
