Home Automation
How to Set Up Frigate NVR with Home Assistant | Local AI Camera Detection Guide
Step-by-step guide to setting up Frigate NVR with Home Assistant for local AI-powered camera detection. No cloud, no subscriptions, full privacy control.
Home Security
14 articles
Home Security
Best 3 Matter-over-Thread Smart Locks in 2026 | Apple Home, Alexa and Google Compatible
The best Matter-over-Thread smart locks for 2026 compared: Aqara U400, Level Lock Pro, and Nuki Smart Lock Ultra. Features, prices, and hub compatibility.
Home Security
Aqara Camera Hub G350 Review | The First Matter Camera for Your Smart Home (2026)
The Aqara Camera Hub G350 is the world's first Matter v1.5 camera with dual lenses, 9x hybrid zoom, and multi-protocol support. Read our hands-on review.
Home Security
Best Smart Smoke and CO Detectors for 2025 | Nest Protect, First Alert and Kidde
Best smart smoke and CO detectors for 2025: Google Nest Protect, First Alert Onelink, and Kidde Smart Detect compared. Phone alerts and app monitoring.
Home Security
SwitchBot Lock Pro Review | Retrofit Smart Lock with Matter Support
SwitchBot Lock Pro review: retrofit smart lock with Matter support, geofencing, and auto-unlock. Quiet motor at $120, fits most existing US deadbolts.
Home Security
Reolink Argus 4 Pro Review | 4K Solar-Powered Security Camera with Color Night Vision
Reolink Argus 4 Pro review: 4K wireless security camera with solar panel charging, color night vision, and local storage. No subscription fees needed.
Home Security
Schlage Encode Plus Review | The Best Smart Lock with Apple Home Key Support
Schlage Encode Plus review: the first smart lock with Apple Home Key support. Covering security, design, smart home integration, and if it's worth $300.
Gadgets
Z-Wave Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Fire safety is, arguably, one of the most important aspects to home ownership. Not only are you responsible for yourself, but also everyone else living in the home. If your home is not already equipped with hardwired smoke detectors, it's simple to add wireless smoke detectors to SmartThings (or any Z-Wave home automation system) for less than $50.
Apps
Chamberlin MyQ Garage Door Controller
The garage door is a common roadblock for home automation, because garage door openers are “dumb”, expensive, and not something you'd want to break. Have no fear! If you pair a SmartThings hub with the Chamberlin MyQ Garage Door Kit, you can control your garage door remotely, and check its current status. You can even automate it using IFTTT and webCoRE.
Home Automation
Top Burglar Alarm Sirens for SmartThings
This compact siren and strobe plugs directly into the wall outlet. It extends up about 3 inches, but, the device can be plugged-in upside down if necessary. It boasts a 105dB audio siren, with 5 different alert tones available to choose from. The bright LED strobe is a white light that can flash when triggered. No other customization can be done to the strobe light functionality.
Door Locks
Top 3 Smart Z-Wave Deadbolts for Home Automation
For both standard and non-standard doors, or doors with decorative door handles, you should consider adding a deadbolt-only smart device to the door to enable remote control and access. A smart deadbolt is simply a locking mechanism that fits into the existing deadbolt cut-out in your door, and connects to the internet to allow for remote access and programming.
Door Locks
ANSI Residential Security Ratings for Smart Locks Explained
The two most highly recognized and widely accepted organizations for assessing the quality of locks are the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
Door Locks
Compare Schlage Locks: Connect vs. Touch vs. Sense
Which Schlage locks work natively with Samsung SmartThings? What is the difference in Schlage Touch vs. Connect vs. Sense? Read to find out
Home
Smart Home Security: SimpliSafe vs. Iris vs. SmartThings
With the rapid growth of home automation, home security has shifted to be consumer-powered, installed, and monitored. We've reviewed the best