Ask Alexa to turn on your smart lights — here’s how!

Amazon’s Echo line of smart speakers can be used to control a plethora of different supported lights. If you have an Echo and supported smart lights (with the smart hub for those that need it), it’s easy to get set up.

Products used in this guide

• Amazon: Amazon Echo ($100)
• Amazon: Philips Hue White Light starter kit 4-pack ($96)

The guide

If you don’t already have smart lighting that supports Alexa integration, Amazon has a full list of lighting options, but we’re working with the Philips Hue smart lights for this guide.

Once your smart lights are connected to your home wi-fi (follow the manufacturer’s instructions), you’re ready to connect your lights with your Echo so that you can ask Alexa to control them. Here’s how.

1. Launch the Alexa app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap the menu icon in the top left corner of the screen. It looks like three lines.
3. Tap Smart Home.

4. Tap Add Device. Wait for Alexa to discover your device.

   

5. Scroll down to select your newly added smart light. It will appear in the Your Devices list.

   

How to group lights

One of the best things you can do with your smart lights is to group them so that, with a single instruction, you can tell Alexa to turn all of them on or off. Decide which lights you want to group (ie., two bedroom lights, all the lights in the back half of the house, your kitchen and dining room) and group them to make a one-stop action across all of them.

1. Launch the Alexa app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap the menu icon in the top left corner of the screen. It looks like three lines.
3. Tap Smart Home.

4. Tap Groups at the top of the screen.

   

5. Tap Add Group.

6. Tap Smart Home Group.

   

7. Enter a name for your group (like living room or bathroom).
8. Tap Next.
9. Select the lights you want in the group.

10. Tap Save.

    

Our top equipment picks

The perfect pairing for your Smart home lighting setup using Alexa is an Echo speaker and Philips Hue smart lights.

The smart speaker

Amazon Echo

$100 at Amazon

The perfectly priced mid-range Alexa supported smart speaker

Amazon’s basic model Echo is more than just a smart device, it’s a decent speaker for its size. With Dolby support and 360-degree omnidirectional audio, you’re getting the best speaker for the price.

Echo is the perfect smart home speaker for anyone hoping to get into the smart home market without spending too much money. Alexa is the widest supported virtual assistant for smart products across the board, and the Echo is the best speaker at a reasonable price. It’s more expensive than the Dot but sounds much better.

The smart lights

Philips Hue White Light starter kit 4-pack

$96 at Amazon

The perfect starter kit for getting into the smart home world.

Don’t be fooled by cheap knockoff bulbs. Philips’ line of smart bulbs are worth the price and if you go with white, you’ll save a few bucks.

When you’re first starting out, you might be intimidated by the plethora of smart lighting options presented to you. May I personally recommend the Hue line of smart lights. Set up is easy. They work great. The companion app interface is user-friendly, and you’re future-proofing your smart lighting by going with Philips. They are constantly updating and launching new lights that support the Hue Bridge, which is included with the starter kit. Going with white lights, to begin with, will save you nearly $100 from the color starter kit.

Additional equipment

The most feature-rich and future-proof combo for Alexa supported smart light integration is an Echo and Philips Hue, but there are less-expensive alternatives that work great with limited features.