I love the fact that I can control all my smart home and home security devices remotely with just my phone. But I am smart enough to know that my experience isn’t novel. Just about everyone else with home security and automation devices in their homes can do the same thing. All hail the smartphone.
I am old enough to remember life without smartphones. In fact, I grew up at a time when cell phones did not even exist. Back then, home security was pretty primitive. And as far as home automation is concerned, it simply didn’t exist in the form we know it today. But alas, so much changed when the smartphone was born.
The Home Security Hub
Back in the old days, a central hub connected and controlled all the devices in a home security system. The hub generally did double duty as an access panel mounted just inside the front door. Many tech-savvy homeowners who appreciate the power they bring to the home automation space still use hubs today. But a hub is not technically necessary.
The smartphone has all but eliminated the hub for people who prefer the piecemeal approach to home security. These are consumers who do not invest in professionally installed systems like those sold by Vivint. Instead, they choose a home automation ecosystem and add individual devices as they see fit. They do not need a hub because they have all-in-one control on their smartphones.
Remote Access to Devices
Another reason for going with the smart home over a hub is the reality that a smartphone can do one thing a hub never could: provide remote access. From virtually anywhere in the world, I can access my entire system with just my phone and an internet connection.
A hub is a stationary piece of equipment that stays inside my home. I cannot take it with me to access my cameras, thermostat, etc. Granted, I still use a hub for more advanced control. But when I am away from home, a companion app on my phone is more than an adequate substitute.
I pull out my phone to check the video feeds. I use it to program lighting automations. And with my phone, I can override any programming or routines already in the system. It is truly amazing.
New Device Features
Introducing the smartphone to home security and automation opens the door to advanced features as well. Take the smart lock. My sister-in-law has a first-gen lock on her front door that was installed long before home security and smartphones were linked. She controls the lock with a PIN and the device’s built-in keypad.
On the other hand, I have a smart lock that can be accessed with both a keypad and my phone. Forget entering my PIN. I just tell my phone to unlock the door as we are pulling in the driveway. Mission accomplished.
The smartphone has also given rise to geolocation-based automations. By building a geofence around my home and then linking it to my security system, I can create automations that run based solely on the location of my smartphone. If I wanted to, I could program the system to unlock the front door as I round the corner onto my street.
It’s a Smartphone World
The truth is that we live in a smartphone world. And because we do, home security providers have come up with ways to link their devices and systems to our phones. That has meant mostly good things. I am willing to live with the negatives to get all the positives.
