10 Home Safety Features Your Smartphone Can Control

Olympus Insurance is presenting our latest Homeowner Insights series on Home Safety. Last article, we covered how to help prevent home electronics from surging or sparking. This week, we’re looking at how smartphones can be used to remotely manage home safety features.

Every year, new features are added to our smartphones, giving us the ability to do more. Today, we can utilize smartphones as a remote control for home security features, making our homes more secure.

Here are 10 home safety and security features you could be controlling with your smartphone now:

Home safety

These safety options prevent danger to yourself and your family and damage to your home.

1. Smoke detectors

For an early warning in case of fire, a smart smoke detector can send an alarm straight to smartphone, alerting you if you’re not home.

2. Carbon monoxide detectors

Gas leaks can be silent but deadly. Just like your smoke detector, your CO detector can alert you via smartphone if you’re not in your house when gas is detected.

3. Moisture detection

A moisture detector can instantly detect changes in humidity and ping you a warning about anything from a leaking washing machine or dishwasher to burst water lines.

4. Automated water valve shutoff

In the same vein, you can use your smartphone to turn off smart valves. This can stop water at the source whether a potential leak is detected under the sink or behind the toilet.

5. Connected electrical outlets shutoff

Think you left the clothes or curling iron plugged in? Remotely turn off the outlet just like a light switch.

6. Appliance shutoff

Did you leave the electric stove or oven on? Your smart appliances can be turned off from afar with just a few taps of the screen.

Home security

These security options can make you and your home safer by giving you ways to fight back against neighborhood crime.

7. Broken glass alert

Get an instant notification if your security system registered broken glass in a monitored window or door.

8. Door or window opened alert

The same type of alert can be triggered by a door or window opening when you’re not at home, letting you know there’s been a breach.

9. Motion detection lights and motion activated cameras

Prowlers can be caught in the act and live feed video monitoring instantly sent to your smartphone for video proof of a burglary or trespassing attempt.

10. Remote door locking and lights control

Think you forgot to lock the door? Tap to lock from your phone. On vacation? Turn lights on and off randomly to make it look like someone is home.

Smartphone tips

Once you’ve got your smart-home up and running, it’s important that you keep your smartphone secure. It’s your point of access to your smart home systems, and the remote control that handles your home safety. If your phone is stolen or hacked, it could put you and your property at risk.

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