How Third-Party APIs Take Smart Home Gadgets to the Next Level

As the number of smart home products on the market continues to grow, so does the use of developer APIs. These products can take you far beyond the capabilities of the developer's applications and services. This gives you the opportunity to make your home as functional and creative as you can imagine!

In this article, you'll learn more about how APIs work and how they can benefit you as a smart homebuyer. You will also see some examples of these APIs in practice. Don't be afraid to go beyond entry-level applications and processes – the world of third-party APIs is an amazing next step for any smart home owner!

What are APIs?

APIs, or Application Programming Interfaces What are APIs and how are APIs open? How to change APIs? What are APIs? How are the APIs open? How have the APIs been converted? ? Read More In the most general sense, these are the lines of code that allow various software components to communicate with each other to enable various tasks or actions to be performed. APIs take many forms:web-based systems, operating systems, databases, software libraries, and more.

Smart home APIs allow third-party apps and services to interact with products like lights, weather stations, and learning thermometers. By doing so, they can enhance your smart home experience by providing services or tools that the hardware vendor doesn't specifically offer.

Smart home API

Many companies now offer APIs to developers for their smart home products. In this section, you'll learn about APIs from five of the most well-known companies in the industry, including Philips Hue, Nest, Netatmo, Insteon, and Amazon.

Philips Hue

The Philips Hue system offers perhaps the most recognizable smart home products on the planet today. Smart lighting products from Philips Hue company Smart bulb Money saving alternatives Philips Hue Smart bulb Money saving alternatives In this article, you'll learn about some of the less expensive alternatives to Philips Hue and see how they compare. The Read more are easily controllable from anywhere in the world with the official Philips Hue app.

Thanks to the Philips Hue API, there's a growing list of third-party mobile apps and web-based solutions that can help you control your lights too, in ways the company doesn't offer. There are third-party solutions for various platforms, including Android, iOS, Kindle, Windows Phone, macOS, Windows, and Chrome.

Philips Hue API has become so popular that there is now a website, apps4hue.com, which is not associated with the company. On this site, you'll find an extensive catalog of Hue apps organized by category, including Kids, Automation, Health, Humor, and more.

The Philips Hue API is free for developers. If you're considering building your own product, all you need to do is sign up.

Examples

You can quickly get lost in the plethora of third-party solutions for Philips Hue. We've discovered three that are worth considering:

• Thunder Tone ($2.99) offers different thunder simulations with different settings. Each light effect syncs with background sounds to create an immersive experience.
• OnSwitch (Free with in-app purchases) remains one of the most popular third-party solutions for Philip Hue lighting. With the app, you can choose from over 30 animated and static effects.
• Every day can be an adventure with Hue Party for Mac (Free to try). Use the app to sync dynamic lighting to tempo and audio input to presets. Features include a strobe, candle flickering, ambient lighting, and more.

Nest

The Nest Developer Program, which launched in 2014, allows third-party developers to create solutions to link “things you already use every day” with Nest products. These include items like lights, appliances, fitness bands, and more. You can find tools and support to use on iOS, Android, and the web.

Nest products include the popular Nest Learning Thermostat 13 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do With a Nest Thermostat 13 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do With a Nest Thermostat You may be surprised how many little tricks you can pull off with your new Nest Thermostat! Read More

As Nest explains:

The Nest API provides subscription-based access to data shared by Nest devices.

Examples

• Caséta Wireless Offers automated light and shadow control products. Each is compatible with the Nest Learning Thermostat, Nest Protect and Nest Cam.
• the Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller Generation 2 It helps you save water and money. When connected with Nest, it can automatically turn on your sprinklers when Nest Protect detects smoke inside your home.
• Thanks to the Nest API, Haiku's smart ceiling fans Reacts to seasonal and temperature changes automatically..

Amazon

Amazon Echo is one of the most popular smart home products ever created. One reason for its continued popularity is Amazon's Smart Home Skill API. This tool allows smart home appliance manufacturers to create products that can communicate with Alexa, Amazon's voice recognition software. How to Ask Alexa Questions in Your Browser (Even If You Don't Have an Echo) How to Ask Alexa Questions in Your Browser (Even If You Don't Have an Echo) Did you know you can ask Alexa questions from your browser? This is a great way to perform remote actions, among other benefits. Read more.

As a result, users can use speech to control lights, door locks, thermostats, fans, and more. The biggest players in the smart home industry have products that work with Alexa, including Philips Hue, Ecobee, and Samsung SmartThings. There are already over 450 Alexa smart home integrations, with more added monthly.

Developers can download and use the Smart Home Skill API for free.

Examples

It seems like just about everyone is launching a smart home product that connects to Amazon Alexa. Here are two that stand out:

• With the Wink skill for Alexa. , you can use your voice to adjust settings on your Wink-enabled products, including lights, plugs, switches, locks, and thermostats.
• Meanwhile, the Dyson Skill allows you to control your Dyson connected machines with Alexa. Interact, control and monitor your Dyson technology using just your voice.

Netatmo

Since 2016, Netatmo has offered three Netatmo Connect API programs for developers. These include Netatmo Weather for personalized weather services, Netatmo Smart Home for intuitive product interactions, and Netatmo Enterprise for business customers.

In addition to personal weather stations, Netatmo sells smart energy, security and air care products. These include the Healthy Home Coach, the Presence surveillance camera, the Netatmo Smart Thermostat, and the recently introduced Netatmo Smart Smoke Alarm Apple HomeKit. growing! From security cameras to lighting products, here are the coolest new gadgets coming in 2017. More .

Membership in Netatmo Connect (its API interface) is free.

Examples

• Accuweather uses network data from the Netatmo Personal Weather Station to enhance its weather sources across its multiple platforms.
• Netatmo has partnered with IFTTT to create connections between various smart home devices. By doing so, Netatmo has access to one of the largest databases of services and applications in the industry.

Insteon

Insteon offers a full line of smart home products including thermostats, wall switches, plug-in devices, LED light bulbs and more. With the Insteon Hub 7 All-in-One Smart Home Starter Kits that are worth the money. 7 smart home starter kits that are worth it. that smart homes can be quite affordable. Read More

The Insteon Program offers an API that connects accessory and platform manufacturers to the Insteon Hub experience. These partners include some of the biggest names in the smart home industry like Amazon, Sonos, Logitech, and Apple.

It is important to note that you must be accepted to join the free Insteon program and access the Insteon API.

Examples

• the Association between Insteon and Logitech means you can control your Insteon smart home products with your Logitech Harmony remote. This can revolutionize your home entertainment:you can make your Harmony dim its lights and increase its speaker sound every time you press the button. “Watch a movie” activity button.
• Have a Sonos speaker ? Use the Insteon keyboard, mini remote, or sensor to add music to Insteon scenes.

A lot to see

If you own a smart home product, the odds are pretty high:there's an API that the manufacturer has developed to allow third-party developers to make their devices even smarter. To find third-party solutions for your smart devices, head over to the company's official site first. From there, you should find links to other solutions.

Third-party solutions are also often listed in the official app for your product or through a search in your preferred app store. With a bit of searching, you should find multiple third-party apps to enhance your smart home experience!

Are you leveraging smart home APIs and solutions for your products? Which? Let us know in the comments below.