How to turn Amazon Echo into the brains of your smarthome

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  • Adding devices to Wink

    Adding devices to Wink

    In the companion app for Wink, you can add any number of different connected devices in just a few seconds.

    Caption by: Kevin Tofel

  • Naming lights in Wink

    Naming lights in Wink

    You can't tell Alexa what lights to turn on if they don't have names. Be descriptive so that your voice commands sound logical for any and all users.

    Caption by: Kevin Tofel

  • Grouping devices in Wink

    Grouping devices in Wink

    Here I've bundled a pair of connected lights in my Family Room into a single group. Note that Alexa can't read the group information, so you have to re-create them manually in the Echo companion app.

    Caption by: Kevin Tofel

  • Introducing Alexa

    Introducing Alexa

    Before Alexa can control any smarthome gadgets, you'll have to link a hub to her. Use the middle section for this process.

    Caption by: Kevin Tofel

  • Authorizing Wink

    Authorizing Wink

    By singing in to Wink through the Echo app, you're giving Amazon access to learn about installed devices.

    Caption by: Kevin Tofel

  • Alexa meet Wink. Wink meet Alexa.

    Alexa meet Wink. Wink meet Alexa.

    At this point, the Echo knows there's a smarthome hub on the same network. Now to gather up all the devices it can control.

    Caption by: Kevin Tofel

  • Time to find devices

    Time to find devices

    Tap the Discover Devices option and the Echo will find them all in your home using the Wink account access and hub.

    Caption by: Kevin Tofel

  • Echo searching for devices

    Echo searching for devices

    Since I've authorized Amazon to access my Wink account, it's retrieving my connected devices. When this steps complete, Alexa will actually say aloud how many devices she found.

    Caption by: Kevin Tofel

  • Found 'em!

    Found 'em!

    All four of my bulbs were discovered by the Echo and Alexa can now switch them on or off based on my spoken word. If you have any grouped devices, you're not quite done yet.

    Caption by: Kevin Tofel

  • Making groups

    Making groups

    It's a pretty simple process: Just choose a descriptive name for a group and select which devices are a part of it.

    Caption by: Kevin Tofel

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Grouping devices in Wink

Here I've bundled a pair of connected lights in my Family Room into a single group. Note that Alexa can't read the group information, so you have to re-create them manually in the Echo companion app.

Caption by: Kevin Tofel

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