How to control Christmas lights with Alexa

[Amazon]

With the holidays around the corner, you might be pulling out your string lights and preparing to decorate. Thanks to Alexa and Amazon devices, you can bring new life to your old-school holiday décor with a little bit of holiday magic (aka Alexa Routines).

Setting up string lights with Alexa​

You don’t need to throw out your old string lights to get started decorating with Alexa. Here are easy steps you can take to level-up your existing décor:

1. Use smart plugs to control regular string lights and other electronic décor. Smart plugs can control power to many small household items as long as they have an on/off switch.
2. Set up a smart home hub so your smart devices can work on your behalf. Smart home hubs help devices connect to Alexa so you can enable smart features and automations like Routines and Hunches. Smart Home hubs can be standalone, or built into a speaker or Wi-Fi access point, like an Echo or eero.
3. Swap out regular light bulbs for smart bulbs to easily change the ambiance of a room with color and dimmable options that you can control with Alexa.
4. Control your smart devices with the Alexa app. Alexa is compatible with thousands of smart home devices from a variety of devicemakers and brands, allowing you to mix and match your devices based on your preference and needs. To ensure an optimal Alexa experience, look for the “Works with Alexa” badge to ensure your device is compatible.

Alexa holiday Routines​

Alexa Routines are shortcuts that help save you time by grouping together a bunch of actions so you don't have to ask for each one individually.

Here are a few examples of our favorite ways to bring some holiday cheer into the home with custom Routines:

• Deck the halls: At sunset, Alexa can automatically turn your connected string lights on, change the color of your smart bulbs, and turn on your connected electric fireplace to get your home in the holiday spirit without you having to lift a finger.
• Christmas morning: When your alarm goes off, Alexa can begin playing holiday music, turn on your connected smart coffeemaker, and announce “It’s time for presents” on the connected devices in your home.
• Holiday safety: As you head out the door for holiday shopping or on an extended trip to see family, you can use a phrase like “Alexa, I’m leaving” to kick off a Routine that turns off all the lights, locks your doors, and arms your connected security system.

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You can easily create these holiday Routines for the smart home devices you have or set up other custom ones by following a few simple steps:

1. Open the Alexa app.
2. Open "More" and select "Routines."
3. Select "Plus."
4. Select "When" to schedule an event, and follow the steps in the app to choose what starts your Routine.
5. Select "Add," and follow the steps in the app to choose the action of your Routine.
6. You can select multiple actions for the same Routine.

Other things to try​

Can’t get enough of the holiday spirit? Here are some other things you can ask Alexa to do to help celebrate the season:

• Shop and track your gift purchases with Alexa.
• Ask Alexa to play holiday movies on your Fire TV devices.
• Customize your Echo Show with your own holiday photos.
• Ask Alexa to find your favorite holiday recipes.
• Ask Alexa to play holiday music.

Source: Amazon