Many smart devices come with Bluetooth as part of their basic connectivity, but most of their functionality is governed by Wi-Fi instead. By combining a Bluetooth module and a handful of Bluetooth proxies as signal extenders, you can rework your smart home setup to work even without Wi-Fi or dedicated apps. This allows you to fine-tune your homebrew setup to your precise needs and reduce the presence of potentially intrusive network monitors in your home. It’s a little more work than setting up a normal smart home device and requires some know-how, but these smart apps are more than worth it.
Set up a temperature monitor
Home Assistant can automatically detect nearby devices and connect to their available functions. With a temperature monitor that uses Bluetooth and Home Assistant, you can see readings for temperature, humidity, and whatever else the monitor picks up in a given room, without requiring a branded app. If the temperature monitor is out of range of the main module, you can install individual Bluetooth proxies throughout your home to extend the signal and bypass limitations such as broadcasting through walls.
Program automations
Using a Bluetooth automation app, such as Tasker for Android, Shortcuts for iPhone, or our old friend Home Assistant, you can program all sorts of automated routines to run between your Bluetooth-connected devices. For example, if your home’s air conditioning is compatible with smart technology, you can program it to turn on as soon as you get home from a long run on a hot day and unplug your Bluetooth headphones. You can even schedule multiple events to run in sequence. Starting with disconnecting those headphones, the AC turns on, your Bluetooth speaker starts playing the same playlist you had running, the smart kettle in the kitchen starts boiling water for afternoon tea, and so on.
Create a security network
For example, using a motion sensor, speaker, and outdoor light connected via Bluetooth, you can set your lights to start flashing and your speaker to sound an alarm if an intruder is detected. While some network-connected smart setups can handle something similar, Wi-Fi-powered smart home setups are potentially vulnerable to intruders using jammers to evade your home security, not to mention ordinary network outages. Bluetooth connections rely on an isolated signal and are generally better suited to avoiding interference from bad actors.
Control devices with your voice
Opting for an open-source voice control system, such as the Assist feature in Home Assistant, lets you add voice commands to your Bluetooth-powered smart home setup. This means less worry about tech companies spying on you and the ability to set up elaborate automation sequences with a single command. Using Home Assistant, you can program an entire list of if-then-because functions on your Bluetooth-connected devices, then trigger them all at once with a single voice command. You can also have fun with it, by making the trigger a pop culture reference like “execute order 66” or “do the thing.”
Remotely disable outlets and devices
These small, smart devices typically monitor a device’s power consumption, letting you track how much juice it’s using and turn it off remotely. But again, to do this through a branded app, you need to share information about your home. So, to use a smart plug, simply connect it to a Bluetooth module and program it to automatically turn off when a device is not actively in use. This may take some trial and error, as not all devices have the same idle power consumption, but it’s a great project to optimize your smart home’s power consumption and ultimately reduce your electricity bill.
