A Comprehensive Guide
to Smart Home
Device Compatibility

Smart home device compatibility is key to getting the most out of your home automation hubs. In fact, many homeowners face a new set of challenges once they obtain multiple smart devices - how to make them all function seamlessly with one another. 

Few things are as frustrating as “device divorce,” such as when you find out that your new speakers don’t talk to Alexa or that the irrigation system you were looking forward to using cannot be controlled by verbal commands with Google Assistant. 

Fortunately, the list of smart home devices that are compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant is constantly growing longer. And once you’ve gathered all of your compatible smart devices, all you need is a centralized platform on which to manage them. The ADT Command platform and app gives you the freedom to take charge of your smart home devices from virtually anywhere. 

Learn more about the successful setup of smart devices to ensure maximum compatibility and ease of use, no matter your configuration goals. 

Compatibility and Connectivity Basics

When attempting to make your smart devices compatible, first ask yourself some key questions: 

1. What do you really want to achieve through your home’s smart network design?

2. Is your smart home hub all about being able to talk to your security system, or is governing your sound system the primary aim?

3. Do you want to incorporate all electronic elements of your home, such as lights and the thermostat, or just a few things, like your garage door and locks?

The logistics for organizing your devices will differ depending on your answers to these questions.

Voice Assistant Integration

Take, for instance, a basic household detail such as locks. A product like the ADT smart locks can be seamlessly linked to Alexa – all you have to do is add a new skill to Alexa and give each of your ADT security devices a name that Alexa recognizes in a verbal command. 

The bonus is that once you’ve paired your ADT locks (or any other ADT smart feature) with Alexa, you can access your phone’s ADT app with nothing but your voice as well. The ADT smart home skill currently extends to Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show, Echo Plus, and Echo Input.

What if you need to have your lights come on automatically when you pull into the driveway or when your children return from soccer practice after dark? The ADT system, the platform that makes it possible for all ADT smart devices to interconnect and communicate, makes it simple to teach Google Assistant when to turn on the lights. 

ADT Google Assistant compatibility allows you to assign your individual devices to “rooms” within your Google Home hub, which, in turn, allows you to control all of your devices with just one spoken command.

For many people, the idea of fully committing to the new automation frontier seems daunting. You may have bought your smart speakers years before you decided to install outdoor cameras – and it may be challenging trying to figure out if either of those has Alexa compatibility. This is where an ADT smart home system can truly save the day. We offer professionally installed or DIY setups that take the headache out of compatibility questions. 

Our team can look up your current device's compatibility and make recommendations if changes need to be made. Bear in mind that the features or specifications page of any product you buy will contain information about the platforms that can govern your smart device. 

These specifications are progressing all the time, so it’s a good idea to check back often, even after you have your current system set up. 

Smart Device Compatibility and Overall Safety

Of the Alexa-compatible smart home devices out there, the security system is the one people most often want to vocally automate. 

With smart capabilities, you can manage your security system with basic commands, such as “Alexa, lock the front door.” In addition, ADT smart cameras, both indoor and outdoor, pair with Alexa-friendly commands and give you the power to control your home security system from anywhere Alexa can hear you or respond to the phone app. 

Alexa can be taught the ADT “Away” skill so that all you have to say is, “Alexa, arm ADT in ‘Away’ mode,” and you’re all set to sleep soundly or walk out the door, confident in the knowledge that your household is secure.

Understanding IFTTT

Whether you are hunting for Google Home compatibility, Alexa affinity, or Samsung synchronicity, IFTTT integration capability makes the whole process infinitely easier. IFTTT stands for “If This Then That,” which refers to the core design of smart device interrelationships. 

IFTTT is a free web service that enables you to connect:

• All of your apps and devices in one centralized place

• Your email, social media, and phone with your daily-use devices

For example, when setting up your smart home security system, you might want to make sure that an alarm goes off anytime a door is opened in your home after a given hour. When you set the command in your Alexa, Google, or SmartThings hub, it will essentially read, "If the door opens after 11 p.m., sound the alarm." 

By setting up what IFTTT calls "Applets" - essentially, instructional recipes telling your devices how to cooperate - it ceases to matter whether your smart devices have built-in compatibility or not. All you have to do is connect your devices to IFTTT, and they will work together. There are currently hundreds of Applets already in existence to help you sync up smart devices and apps that don't normally talk to one another. 

All of ADT’s smart home products are IFTTT-compatible. That means you can customize an Applet that tells your ADT smart plugs to turn on your Sonos speakers, which are connected to your Pandora app or a preset playlist, at a certain time each morning. IFTTT also gives Alexa, Google Home, Siri, and Cortana additional voice controls that you can utilize to manage your home security system or even your irrigation system by pairing with Rain Bird. 

Tips to Increase Smart Home Compatibility

Smart home device compatibility, in many ways, comes down to making sure that all your devices operate on the same frequency – quite literally. Not only do all ADT smart products connect seamlessly with the products you already love, but they also make use of two of the most common connectivity methods that unify smart devices: an embedded 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radio and the ability to use Z-Wave to connect. 

If you have a premium Echo device of any kind, it also enjoys compatibility with ADT smart products. 

If you have older devices that came out before embedded Wi-Fi capability became the norm, you might consider upgrading before connecting your whole system, since it will save you the trouble of having to figure out how to disconnect the older devices down the road. 

Here are some additional steps you can take to make sure your smart home compatibility is as high as possible:

• Commit to a central smart home management option

• Use just one app for unified control

• Pick your new devices based on compatibility with your chosen platform

• Routinely update your devices

Commit to a Central Smart Home Management Option

When you examine the specifications lists of all your devices, there may be only one platform that supports them all, or you may have a choice of several. ADT not only pairs well with Alexa and Google Home devices but also Samsung devices. Your ADT smart home security hub will pair with all SmartThings products and allows you to set automations for your locks, lights, and motion sensors.

Use Just One App for Unified Control 

As its name suggests, the ADT Control app partners with Alexa-compatible smart home devices, Google Home smart devices, and Samsung SmartThings to give you complete management options in the palm of your hand. 

ADT Control provides instant alerts, live video, and the ability to remotely arm and disarm your system, as well as remotely control your thermostat.

Pick Your New Devices Based on Compatibility with Your Chosen Platform 

For instance, if you are already loyal to Alexa, but in the market for a video doorbell camera, you’ll want to choose a camera that is designed to work with Amazon products. The ADT video doorbell camera solutions can be used with all Amazon Echo devices to let your kids inside after school or to say hello to the UPS driver who just walked up to your door. 

Routinely Update Your Devices 

As the world of smart home device compatibility continues to evolve daily, keeping your devices and apps updated ensures that they remain compatible and that technical glitches or bugs do not affect your system. When you have the ADT Mobile App, it keeps up with all the necessary updates for you and will notify you when you need to update any devices connected to your app. 

Broad Compatibility Brought With a Smile

ADT services are designed to be compatible not only with your smart devices but also with your life. Our incomparable technicians and staff will turn your collection of devices into a smoothly working system in no time at all. We offer same-day or next-day service for new or expanding service, and our operators are the most experienced in the security industry. 

ADT also offers discounts on the installation of any system that utilizes Alexa and offers Alexa Guard, ADT Command, and an Echo Dot with free activation. We even supply you with our unique Tech Tracker service so that you never have to spend your day waiting for a technician to arrive. 

Whether you need us to make your whole house Google Home compatible or to bring added security measures to your SmartThings hub, ADT professionals will help you effortlessly achieve your smart home compatibility goals.