Will amazon smart plug work with google home

They let you voice control your lights, fans, coffee makers, and more smart home automation remotely, but do Amazon smart plugs work with Google Home Mini?

It’s compatibility functions are designed to work exclusively with Alexa.

Usually, Alexa-enabled devices such as Echo, Sonos, or Fire TV are the go-to but we want to find out if it supports Google Home Mini.

Contents

• Do Amazon Smart Plugs Work With Google Home Mini?
• Set up and Required Connection For The Amazon Smart Plug
• The Benefits of an Alexa-only Smart Plug?
• What Smart Plugs Work With Google Home Mini?
• 1. The Currant Wifi Smart Outlet
• 2. TP-Link Kasa Smart Two-Outlet Wi-Fi Plug
• 3. Awair Glow C Air Quality Monitor + Smart Plug
• 5. Samsung SmartThings Outlet
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Do I Need an Alexa Device in the Home to Control the Outlet While We’re Away?
• Do Amazon Smart Plugs Work Without Wi-fi?
• Can The Amazon Smart Plug Be Used For Outdoor Functions?
• Do You Need A Hub For Amazon Smart Plug?
• Final Words

As we established earlier, smart plugs are a way to connect devices to your smart home and it’s no different from the Amazon Smart Plug.

Although, with the Amazon Smart Plug. It might shock you to learn this $25 (£25) plug only works with Alexa, so Amazon smart plugs do not work with Google Home Mini. If you’re all-in on Alexa gear, this smart plug is fine, but there are better models out there, like the TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug with Power Monitoring, that provides more customization and broader compatibility.

Therefore, the Amazon Smart Plug is affordable and it seamlessly integrates into the Alexa platform, thanks to Wi-Fi Simple Setup but You won’t get power monitoring, away modes or compatibility with any other voice assistants.

Hence, the Amazon Smart Plug works exclusively with Alexa.

So, you only need the Alexa app to get it up and running. You’ll then be able to remotely control the electronics plugged into the Amazon Smart Plugs, use voice control from Alexa devices, as well as set schedules for routine operation

If you decide to move on from the Alexa platform to Google Home, for example, the Amazon Smart Plug won’t be compatible with Google Home voice control. You’ll still be able to remotely control the plug through the Alexa app on your smartphone though.

Set up and Required Connection For The Amazon Smart Plug

Wi-Fi Simple Setup is part of Amazon’s latest initiative for what the company calls “frustration-free” setup, a plan to make connecting smart devices easier across the Alexa platform. Wi-Fi Simple Setup works by sharing encrypted information about your Wi-Fi settings with your new device and establishing the connection. Simply ask Alexa to discover your devices, and your plug is ready to go. It saves a lot of time since you won’t need to toggle back and forth between apps and Wi-Fi networks to get things up and running.

Amazon Smart Plug must also be connected to a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network to set up the plug. And it should be connected to the outlet.

Note that, the Amazon smart plugs are for indoor uses only.

The Benefits of an Alexa-only Smart Plug?

Smart plugs do more than let you control them via your voice; they can turn even a “dumb” device into a connected, Wi-Fi controlled appliance. They also provide peace of mind.

The ability to connect traditionally non-connected devices to your home makes smart plugs a welcome addition to any home.

Although some plugs take up more space than seems strictly necessary, the ones with a slimmer profile make it easy to control your house by saying, “Hey Google, turn on the sitting-room lamp.” A smart plug lets you bring your antique, heirloom 1960’s lamp into 2020.

What Smart Plugs Work With Google Home Mini?

Of course, there are other smart plugs that are compatible with Google home mini asides the Amazon smart plug.

To help you decide which one of these plugs is right for you, should you be interested in a variety of options, we have narrowed down the top five best smart plugs compatible with Google home mini, just for you:

1. The Currant Wifi Smart Outlet

Currant Smart outlet is one of the leading AI-powered energy monitoring plugs you can find in the marketplace.

It comes with two individually controllable outlets and has the ability to build a Bluetooth mesh network of smart plugs. 

For example, if you have two or more of this smart plug in your home, then, there is no need to individually turn them on, rather, putting on just one of them automatically turns on the rest.

The most crucial part of Currant smart plug is its two-outlet which offers the ability to track detailed breakdowns of your energy usage by the hour, day, month, or year. Also, Currant uses artificial intelligence to identify energy usage patterns and help suggest changes to ensure better savings on your energy bill.

This plug works with Alexa and Google Assistant, and It is priced at $50 on Amazon.

2. TP-Link Kasa Smart Two-Outlet Wi-Fi Plug

The Kasa Smart WiFi Plug also has two outlets, just like our first choice, but it is slightly different because the Kasa smart plug offers an outlet on each end, allowing you to control two separate devices while leaving the second plug on your wall outlet free. One of its cool features it boasts of is a built-in WiFi technology, which means no hub is required to get things connected.

This plug works with Alexa and Google Assistant and is priced at $28 on Amazon

3. Awair Glow C Air Quality Monitor + Smart Plug

AWAIR has a smart plug combined with an air filtration technology to create an uber-functional smart plug. If plugged into an outlet, it can be set up to turn on an appliance such as a dehumidifier or air filtration system at a specific time or if air quality drops. It supports a voice control feature once it is connected with Alexa or Google Assistant, and you are able to use the AWAIR Glow to control whichever device you have plugged in just by your voice. It is priced at $69 on Amazon.

4. Teckin Outdoor Smart Plug

A lot of smart plugs out there are basically designed for indoor uses only. Only quite a few are good for outdoor functions and Teckin Outdoor Smart Plug remains one of the best to use for your smart home experience outside of the four walls of your home.

The Teckin Outdoor Smart Plug has an IP44 waterproofing rating, hence the Outdoor Smart Plug is ideal for those outdoor events that may result in some water being splashed or sprayed around a bit. It is priced at $26 on Amazon.

5. Samsung SmartThings Outlet

Samsung’s SmartThings is a very capable full home kit for the smart home platform. It supports a wide array of sensors and smart home products, and of course, a compact smart plug that enables you control of your lamp or appliance with the free SmartThings app, provided they are connected. Each smart outlet also doubles as a ZigBee repeater that extends the range of your other ZigBee-enabled smart devices. It is priced at $32 on Amazon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I Need an Alexa Device in the Home to Control the Outlet While We’re Away?

No. You need the Alexa app to set up and maintain skills, routines, wifi connection, etc. After that, the device needs access to your wifi network and that’s it. 

In other words, as long as you have the app and the outlet is paired with your Alexa app, you can control it through the app (no echo device needed). 

Do Amazon Smart Plugs Work Without Wi-fi?

As you know that a lot of the functions that make a smart home “smart” largely depends on an internet connection. Well, without an internet connection many Wi-Fi-based plugs and switches will continue to operate smoothly, but some of the advanced options like voice control won’t work and network range will be limited.

Can The Amazon Smart Plug Be Used For Outdoor Functions?

The Amazon smart plug is not specifically designed for outdoor uses but it can serve as one.

Of course, there are certain plugs on the market designed specifically for outdoor use,  The Teckin Outdoor Smart Plug, for example, is $23 and is marketed for use outside. This is the perfect plug to use for controlling things such as your porch lights or elaborate birthday displays. This Smart plug is Weather-resistant and is designed to withstand the elements, whether that’s pouring rain or frigid snow. Ensure you look for smart plugs that are specifically designed for use outside the home should the need arise for one.

Do You Need A Hub For Amazon Smart Plug?

Not necessarily, although if you need more functionality out of your smart home whenever your internet is down, you need to change the way they communicate; and a hub is most likely what you need.  Unlike Wi-Fi, which is advisable to start with, products using Z-Wave and Zigbee need a hub to work.

With a Smart Home Hub and Z-Wave or Zigbee your smart plug has several advantages over just using a wi-fi connection:

• Ability to link products from different brands and make them work together
• Mesh network with longer range than a single Wi-Fi router
• Set up schedules and interactions between devices work without internet

Hence, you can start out with just Wi-fi initially but I suggest you do not end there.

Final Words

If you’re using Alexa in your home and looking for an affordable, reliable smart plug, this one will get the job done. When it comes to power monitoring or broad integration, I can’t recommend it. You might find the compatibility and features of TP-Link’s or Belkin’s plugs better off.