The Best Alexa Dot Accessories

If you don’t yet have a smart speaker in your home, you might be having some FOMO at this point. Smart speakers are only growing in popularity, with a reported 39% of U.S. households having one as of 2020. One of the more popular smart speakers is the Echo Dot, which is Amazon’s most popular speaker.

You don’t need any extras to get plenty of use out of your Dot, which is sometimes called Alexa after the AI that supplies it with its smarts. You can simply plug it in and use it to get answers to questions or add items to your grocery list. But if you want to extend its functionality to turn your home into a true smart home, you might need a few accessories.

The best thing about Amazon’s smart speakers is that you can use them to control other devices in your home. This can be anything from your thermostat to your clothes dryer to your lightbulbs. You’ll just need devices that are compatible with the smart speaker you’re using.

One of the best investments you can make is a set of smart plugs. These plugs turn your appliances and lamps into smart devices that you can then control by voice or through an app. Everything from your Christmas tree to your bedside lamps can be plugged into these small units. The best thing about this setup is that you can control those devices even when you’re away from home. You can also group items together to turn off entire rooms or all your home’s devices with one voice command.

If you buy an Echo Dot, you’ll quickly realize you have to keep it close to a power supply at all times. That means you’ll have a pesky cord that gets in the way. You can purchase accessories that let you mount it to the wall by simply plugging it in, as well as accessories that serve as a battery base to make your Dot more portable.

• Your Echo Dot is only as powerful as you make it. Take some time to learn all that you can do. Over time, look for ways to make everyday tasks easier using voice commands.
• You’ll need a mobile device and the Alexa app to manage your Alexa Echo Dot, as well as your other Alexa devices. If you have any questions, you can ask Alexa and in some cases, the technology will set things up for you.
• If you live in a household with multiple Alexa users, you can set up separate profiles. Switching accounts is simply a matter of saying, “Alexa, switch accounts.” This will ensure purchases are charged to the right person and changes are made to the right connected accounts.
• Alexa isn’t just for audio. You can buy a smart screen that brings video to your home. This is a great way to check out what your security camera is picking up or watch how-to cooking videos while you’re trying a new recipe.
• Don’t limit managing your smart home devices while you’re in the house. You can use the Alexa app to control your connected devices on the go. That means you can power lights off and on to make it look like you’re at home or simply check to make sure you turned a device off. You can also use the Alexa app to let people in and out of your house if you purchase a compatible smart lock.
• Alexa devices rely on Wi-Fi to operate. That means if your Wi-Fi goes down, you won’t be able to control your devices using voice command, although you can still walk over and control them manually.