Ever leave your house and 10 minutes later have to turn around because you can’t remember if you left the garage door open? Are you coming home late and want to turn on the lights to your house while driving? Well those days are over with Android Auto, Google Home and Google Assistant integration. Here are five steps to get hands free control of your smart home while you are driving:
1. Android Auto
The first step will be to have an Android Auto compatible stereo in your car. If your vehicle did not come equipped with this feature all you have to do is upgrade to a Pioneer stereo. With a wide range of head units from Pioneer you can get an Android Auto compatible stereo starting at only $400.
2. Google Home
Google offers a range of Google Home units that can be used as a hub for your connected smart home. All Google Home units have the same functionality to control your smart home devices so from the $50 Google Home Mini to the $399 Google Home Max any of these units will do the job.
3. Connected Smart Home Devices
From smart switches, lights, thermostats and garage doors there is a range of devices you can use with Android Auto. Smart switches and lights range from $20 on up, thermostats will start around $150 and a smart garage add-on unit will be around $100. All of these devices would then connect to your Google Home device.
4. Google Assistant
So now that you have an Android Auto car stereo, Google Home and a connected smart home device you can check with Google Assistant to see if your garage door is open just by saying, “Hey Google, is my garage door open?” If the answer is yes all you have to say is, “Hey Google, close my garage door.” For lights it’s the same thing, “Hey Google, turn on my living room lights.” You can even setup routines, so if you’re on your way home you can say “Hey Google, take me home” and it’ll automatically cool our heat your house depending on how long it will take you to get home.
5. The Cost of Peace of Mind
Combing the connected car and connected smart home experience doesn’t need to cost you an arm and a leg. To get started it’ll run you under $600 for a Android Auto compatible Pioneer car stereo, Google Home, smart lights and a smart garage unit. With everything said and done the price to have hands free control of your home while driving is small price to pay for peace of mind.
