How to Turn on TV with an Amazon Smart Plug

Long before smart home gadgets and virtual assistants came along, lots of people were still dreaming of the day when they could control everything inside their home with the sound of their voice. We’re slowly getting there with more and more smart gadgets hitting the market each year.

The Amazon Smart Plug is a good example, one in a long list of household smart gadgets intended to make your life easier, and help you save some money on your electricity bill. That said, can it really be used with and for anything? Let’s find out.

Devices Compatible with Amazon Smart Plug

There are many household gadgets that will work with the Amazon Smart Plug. Lighting equipment, fans, audio-visual equipment, and so much more. But there are clear limitations too.

Although you can use an Amazon Smart Plug to power off devices, you’ll find that not all devices can also be powered back on. For example, you can’t start your PC with the Smart Plug because a PC requires a power cycle which can only be triggered by the built-in switch. Unfortunately, many TVs suffer from the same issue.

And, while there are certain devices that you can add to a PC’s motherboard that can remain active and trigger the power cycle when you prompt Alexa to do so, you can’t install the same devices on your TV. What does this mean?

This means that unlike most cameras, light bulbs, lamps, and other equipment, your TV likely won’t be able to work with an Amazon Smart Plug. Not in the way you want it to, anyway. This doesn’t mean that the Smart Plug won’t be able to cut off the power and shut off your TV. That will still work.

Devices You Shouldn’t Pair with a Smart Plug

There are also some gadgets that you may not want to use with a Smart Plug. Think heaters, AC units, refrigerators, medical equipment, etc.

The Amazon Smart Plug wasn’t designed to handle electronic devices with a huge power draw. To avoid overheating and blowing up the device, use it on lighter equipment. Furthermore, it’s important you understand that your Smart Plug will always be dependent on a wireless connection.

If your Wi-Fi suddenly goes down and then comes back up again, this could result in the devices connected to it starting up again. This means that you’re risking a fire hazard if you have your Smart Plug connected to your heater.

You also risk ruining the food in your fridge if the Smart Plug dies or your router breaks down while you’re away and the fridge turns off as a result. As cool as the Smart Plug is, it’s important to understand when and where to use it. There are still plenty of kinks to work out. Perhaps in a couple of years, there’ll be enough safety features so you can use a Smart Plug in every outlet in your home.

How to Setup Your Smart Plug

Say your TV can start up without physical power cycling. Then you could use a Smart Plug to turn it on and off at will, schedule TV time for kids easier, turn the TV on to deter robbers when you leave for a few days, and so on.

In order to do all of that, you’ll first have to setup and configure the Smart Plug from your smartphone. Here’s how:

1. Plug in the Smart Plug into a three-prong outlet.
2. Open the Alexa app on your smartphone.
3. Select Devices.
4. Tap on the plus icon.
5. Select the Add Device option.
6. Select the Smart Plug device.
7. Follow the on-screen instructions for the Smart Plug.
8. Make sure you give the Smart Plug an appropriate name, e.g. TV, bathroom lights, lamp, sound bar, etc.
9. Check to see if the blue LED light is flashing on the Smart Plug.

It’s a pretty simple process, especially given the intuitive device setup guide. But, there are a few things you might want to tick off your checklist before configuring your device. First of all, check to see if you have the latest version of Alexa.

After that, make sure that location services and Bluetooth are both enabled on your smartphone.

Another way in which you can setup the Smart Plug is by scanning the barcode on the back of the device. This is a much faster process sometimes, but it may not be available on all smartphones. See what options you have on your phone in the devices Quick Setup menu.

If all goes well, you can then say “Alexa, turn on/off [Smart Plug name]” and control your connected devices.

Setting Up a Routine

Smart Plugs are on and off devices. They can’t be used to turn up the volume, increase the fan speed, dim lights, and anything else along those lines. But, you can configure them so that they turn on and off based off a schedule.

1. Open the Alexa app on your smartphone.
2. Tap the hamburger icon in the top left corner.
3. Tap on Routines.
4. Tap the plus icon.
5. Tap the When this happens option.
6. Go to Schedule.
7. Select a time.
8. Select the Repeat function (optional.)
9. Tap Done.
10. Go back to the New Routine menu.
11. Tap the Add action button.
12. Select Smart Home.
13. Select Control Device.
14. Select the Smart Plug you want to bind to that routine.
15. Move the slider to ON.
16. Tap Next.

This may take a bit longer but it’s such a cool thing to be able to do. Depending on what gadgets and appliances you have, you can use your smart plug to start your coffee maker, turn on the lights so that you don’t hit furniture on your way to the bathroom in the morning, and so much more.

Smart Plugs Are Interesting but Not Essential for a Smart Home Setup Just Yet

Given all the cool things you can do and their power saving potential, having a few Smart Plugs around the house isn’t a bad idea. But, you have to be realistic in terms of expectations. As previously mentioned, they’re only really useful as long as the devices you use them with can be turned on and off without a physical button power cycling.

What has been your experience with Amazon Smart Plugs? Did they work as advertised? Do you think they need a simpler setup menu? Do you see them as must-have smart home gadgets in the future? Or do you think that this is just another “smart accessory” the world could do without in its current state? Let us know in the comments section below.