New Smart Lock and Doorbell Cam Features Now Available With Amazon Alexa, the Google Assistant, and IFTTT
Just in time for Halloween, one of the busiest nights for your front door, we are announcing new Smart Lock and Doorbell Cam features that let you see and hear all the events of the night – spooky or not!
“Hey, Google, unlock the front door.” (using the August Smart Lock)
Unlock your August Smart Lock for trick-or-treaters using the Google Assistant by saying, “Hey Google, unlock the front door.” The Google Assistant will then ask you for a security code, which you set up during the Google Assistant integration process. The unlock feature is the latest to be added to complement the lock and check lock status and door status features already available through August and the Google Assistant.
“Someone is at the front door.” (using the August Doorbell Cam Pro)
We’ve released a number of new features that you can activate when someone rings your August Doorbell Cam Pro or motion is detected, including:
Amazon Alexa
When visitors ring your doorbell, Alexa will now announce “Someone is at the front door.” You can also create custom routines that allow Alexa to say something special, play a certain song, or make your smart lighting flicker or change color. Use motion detected by your doorbell cam to create similar routines. Just imagine – Monster Mash plays each time a witch rings your doorbell or spooky lights flicker on and off as s/he steps up to your front door. To use these features, just enable August’s Alexa Smart Home Skill and then use the Alexa app to activate the announcements and routines. You can always view the live stream from your August Doorbell Cam Pro on video-enabled Alexa devices like the Echo Show and Echo Spot. In the coming weeks, you will also be able to speak to someone standing at your door using the Echo Show and Spot.
The Google Assistant
On your Google Home devices, the Google Assistant will announce when someone rings your doorbell. To enable this, open your Google Assistant and go to Settings > Home control. Then link your August account to Google to activate the visitor announcement feature. You will need to unlink and relink if you’re already connected to Google Home.
IFTTT
August has long supported “If this…, then that…” smart home automations related to lock and unlock events using the IFTTT app. Now, August has extended that to its doorbell cam products, so you can create an unlimited number of automations when someone rings your doorbell or when motion is detected. Many people connect these triggers to lighting, notifications, or playing a song on a Sonos system, but the sky’s the limit when it comes to everything you can do with IFTTT. For Halloween, we’re sure you can get creative!
Get Started
Ready to take advantage of all these exciting new features available on your August smart lock and Doorbell Cam Pro? Here’s how to get everything set up in time for the spookiest day of the year:
Google Assistant
- Launch the Google Assistant app > go to Settings > Home control > press the Add New button (bottom right of screen) and select August.
- Enter your August account information.
- To unlock your door, set a PIN code on the next screen.
- To enable visitor announcements when someone rings your doorbell, select Yes when prompted to link your doorbell cam to the Google Assistant.
Note: If you wish to activate these features and have already linked your account, you must unlink the August account first and then re-link it.
- In the Alexa app, enable the August Smart Home Skill in the Alexa app (if you haven’t already done so)
- Select your August Doorbell Cam device
- In the Announcements section, turn on the Doorbell Press setting
Routines
- In the Alexa app, go to the Routines section
- Create a new routine and choose Device and select your doorbell cam
- Add the action that you want to follow the doorbell button press or motion detection event
IFTTT
- Using the IFTTT app for iOS or Android, go to My Applets, and create a new applet
- Press +this, search for August, select your preferred trigger and doorbell
- Then select +that and choose any related activities that you would like to occur after your doorbell button is pressed or motion is detected
- You can select multiple actions if you would like
Source: August