How to control lights with Alexa

Alexa can control smart lights, plugs and switches which means you can turn your home's lights on and off with your voice. We explain how to set it up.

Contents

• > What is needed to control lights with Alexa?
• > How do you turn Alexa lights on?
• > How do I control groups of lights with Alexa?
• > Can Alexa turn lights on and off on a schedule?

If you have an Amazon Echo, you're probably keen to use Alexa for more than just weather forecasts and setting timers. With inexpensive hardware, you can get Alexa to turn individual or groups of lights on and off, and by using Routines you can make them turn on automatically at set times.

Here's all you need to know about controlling lights with Alexa, from the required hardware to setting up routines via the Alexa app for iOS and Android. 

What is needed to control lights with Alexa?

• Smart plug, or
• Smart light bulb, or
• Smart wall switch
• A device with Alexa built-in or the Alexa app

You need at least one piece of hardware from this list that is compatible with Alexa before you can control a light, along with the latest version of the Alexa app and/or an Amazon Echo or another device that has Alexa built-in.

Alexa works with many smart bulbs including Philips Hue and LIFX bulbs. We're big fans of these because they're high quality, reliable and offer lots of features. They come in white and colour versions, with the latter costing more, but still able to produce good whites as well as bright colours.

However, even the cheapest Wi-Fi bulbs can be expensive, so if you don't want to splash out on new lights, you can instead buy smart switches that are compatible with Alexa.

Amazon did launch its own smart plug for £24.99 / $24.99 but it's unavailable at the time of writing, and with a bunch of 1-star reviews citing a potential fire risk, we'd avoid picking it up until Amazon addresses the issues.

But while Amazon's own smart plug has issues, you can get Alexa-compatible wall switches from third-party manufacturers including Lightwave RF and Energenie MiHome. Note that - like Philips Hue - these both require a 'hub' which plugs into your router: they don't talk directly to it using Wi-Fi. If you don't want to mess around with a hub for a single smart plug, we'd recommend the budget-friendly, Alexa-compatible Kasa Smart Plug. 

Obviously this is no good for ceiling lights as it will only turn on and off lamps which plug into a mains socket, but it's a start.

Whichever method you use, the way to control compatible lights, plugs and switches with Alexa is the same. Here's how to do it.

How do you turn Alexa lights on?

To get started, you need the Alexa app. It is available on Android, iOS and Amazon Fire tablets. You'll probably have the app already if you have an Amazon Echo.

Before you can turn a light on, you must install and set up your light bulb, plug or switch. Do this by opening the Alexa app and following these steps:

1. Tap on Devices at the bottom right
2. Now tap on the + icon at the top right
3. Tap 'Add Device'
4. Select the type of device you are setting up (Light, Plug or Switch)
5. Choose the brand from the list
6. Follow the instructions on screen

Typically, you will have to create an account with the manufacturer of the hardware, then link that account with your Amazon account and authorise the app to use that account.

Once your plug, switch or light is set up you should be able to see it when you tap on Lights, Plugs or Switches on the Devices screen in the Alexa app. 

You will want to rename it with a friendly name that's both easy to remember and simple enough that Alexa can understand. Do this by tapping on the device in the list, then tapping on the cog icon (top right) and then tapping Edit Name. Just like this:

It's best to use short, single-word names, but you can experiment and change the name if it isn't understood by Alexa.

To turn on a light with Alexa, the simplest command is:

• "Alexa, turn on [name of light]"

If your light or switch supports dimming or changing colours, you can also say:

• "Alexa, make the front light purple"
• "Alexa, dim the living room"
• "Alexa, make the kitchen brighter"

How do I control groups of lights with Alexa?

1. Go to Devices in the Alexa app
2. Tap the + icon, top right
3. Tap Add group
4. Pick from the pre-defined names or add a customised name for the group
5. Tap on the devices you want to be in the group
6. Tap SAVE

You can add an Amazon Echo device to the group as well. This is very useful if you have more than one Echo as it allow you to - for example - walk into the living room and say "Alexa, turn on the lights" and she will understand what you mean because you have grouped the Echo in that room with the smart bulbs in that same room.

Once this is done,  you can say, "Alexa, turn on Dining Room" and all devices in that group will be switched on.

Can Alexa turn lights on and off on a schedule?

Yes! You simply need to create a Routine to make that work. You can create as many Routines as you want, and they can control individual lights, or groups of lights.

To make a new Routine, tap the three lines at the top-left of the app, or swipe in from the left to open the main menu. 

Tap Routines and then the + icon (shown below, second left). Now tap the + to the right of 'When this happens' and choose Schedule from the five triggers.

Tap Select next to 'At Time' and pick when you want the light(s) to turn on. If you want this to repeat on certain days, tap Select next to Repeat and choose which days. Then tap Next at the top.

You'll be taken back to the NEW ROUTINE screen where you need to tap the + next to Add action. From the list, choose Smart Home, then either pick Control device or Control group depending upon whether you want just one light to turn on, or multiple lights at the same time.

Here we've chosen to control the Dining Room group, and the only option available (below, middle) is power. The slider is already set to 'On' which is what we want, so just tap Next. Finally, tap Save at the top and your Routine will be stored and run at the specified time.

If you want the same lights to turn off at a later time, create another Routine with a schedule set to a time that's later than the time the lights are set to turn on, but this time tap the slider to 'off' on the screen which says Power. Once that new Routine is saved, your lights will turn on and off at the times you have set.

Oh, and just on the off-chance that you need to, here's how to update your Echo's software.