Control and efficiency are two of the most prevalent reasons why people prefer smart devices over conventional appliances. Whether through voice commands or by tinkering with the device’s setting on an app, smart home owners can control which devices should be in use, as well as specific functions and scheduling–especially if they have a fiber-fast home WiFi connection. That’s all fine and dandy, but wouldn’t it be nice if our smart devices could perform their task without the need to utter a single command or go through an app every single time?
What is geofencing?
Enter geofencing. It’s a location-based feature that allows smart devices to automatically start or stop their functions if it detects that the owner has left or entered the house through the location of their smartphone, tablet, or smart controller.
Think of geofencing as the WiFi signal of the router at your house. As long as your smartphone is within range, it will automatically connect to the network and use it to access the Internet. Conversely, if your handset is too far out, it will automatically switch over to mobile data while it attempts to look for other WiFi networks that it can connect to.
How geofencing works
Unlike your fool-proof router, though, adding the geofencing feature to your smart home’s arsenal will require a lot more than just entering a complex passphrase. The difficulty of setting up geofencing will vary depending on the number of smart devices you have, how many and what kind of automation you would like to place, and how many users the geofence should account for to activate these functions.
Your geofencing journey starts by creating your virtual bubble, a.k.a. geofence. This can be done through your smart device’s companion app, or a control app like Alexa, Google Assistant, or HomeKit. Once the geofence is set up, your smart devices will be able to determine if you’re around through your smartphone’s wireless signals like WiFi, GPS, RFID, Bluetooth, or cellular data.
From here, you would need to create Automations or Routines on the control app of your liking or fiddle with the settings on your smart device’s companion app. This will allow you to set what functions need to take place when you are inside of the geofence that you created and once you’ve stepped away from it. If there are other people in your household, it would be a great idea to add their devices to the list so the geofence will know that their devices would also need to be accounted for in the Automations/Routines that have been created.
What’s in it for me?
It may sound daunting at first glance, but geofencing your smart home will be worth all the time and effort that you’ve spent setting it up. Once it’s up and running, you’ll never have to worry about forgetting to turn off your smart bulbs or the air-conditioning unit when you leave for work. Moreover, your robot-vacuum can strut its stuff while you’re away, all while your door locks and security cameras are activated.
On the other hand, as soon as you step inside your geofence (or about to do so if you set it that way), you can configure your smart devices to come back to life. These include switching the smart bulbs and air-conditioning unit back on, preheating your oven, and even unlocking the front door.
Automating our smart devices is cool and incredibly convenient, but let’s not forget that geofencing also makes our smart home more energy-efficient. By turning off the device that we’re not using while we are away, this feature will lower overall power consumption, resulting in a more wallet-friendly electricity bill.
Of course, to get the most out of your smart home setup, don’t just settle for a regular internet connection. Subscribe to one of PLDT Home’s Fiber Plus plans to ensure that all your smart devices have access to the Philippines’ fastest internet speed for 5 years in a row.