Getting ready for a vacation can be a fun and busy time — which makes it easy to forget that, much like your houseplants, your smart devices may need a little care before you go. That’s good news, because when they’re properly set up they’ll help take care of your home when you’re away and allow you to make remote changes no matter where you are.
Here’s what I’ve learned about changing settings for my own smart devices when I head out. I’ll go through major devices and the settings I may want to change, as well as how they can help when I won’t be home for a while. The changes and tips I recommend are below. Also, here’s my one vacation trick everyone forgets.
Read more: The best travel gifts | Best DIY home security systems to buy
Thermostats
A Nest thermostat is an easy way to manage home temperature from near or far.
If you have a smart thermostat, most types will detect that you’re away and offer a way to change the thermostat remotely. After all, that’s probably why you bought the thing in the first place. It’s a nice perk when you’re out for a few hours or a workday.
For longer periods of time or for thermostats that include a vacation mode, it’s a good idea to check the threshold settings and set them to a bit colder and warmer than you would if you were home. Sure, you can adjust the temperature remotely, but the whole idea here is to set it and go. So before you leave, set the temperature ranges on your thermostat as you would for the middle of the day when no one is home so you can save money while keeping your home safe.
Read more: Make the Most of Your Smart Thermostat to Save Money and Energy This Summer
If you have shades or window coverings, it’s best to lower them in your absence.
Lights and shades
Ikea smart shades
My parents always left the TV on when we were away so people would think we were home. These days, that’s not very effective: Burglars are just as likely to strike in the middle of the day when they won’t notice a TV or when constant lights and noise make it very obvious no one is home. Smart switches and schedules can do much more.
Read more: Ikea Brings Voice-Activated Smart Shades to the Rest of Us
A good rule of thumb is that outdoor lights should be on at night and off during the day, while indoor lights should go on and off in different rooms. If you have smart switches, consider creating a schedule based on time of day that replicates what you’d typically do while home. You can also set smart light bulbs to power on and off intermittently.
If you have automated or smart window shades, consider setting them to stay down while you’re away. Keeping lights on might deter crime but leaving your shades open could turn your living room into a window display for a burglar.
Door locks
Lockly’s new smart locks include a lot of Apple compatibility and an option for face recognition.
Locking your door before a vacation is a no-brainer. But what happens if you forgot to lock the door or if you need to let a petsitter or plant caretaker in while you’re gone? Hiding a key is old-fashioned, messy and comes with risks. We highly recommend a smart lock instead.
Smart locks are easy to install and when connected with Wi-Fi allow you to control them from anywhere. You can create a couple of passes for neighbors or petsitters before you go, assigning them digital phone keys or temporary keypad numbers that will expire when you return. Plus, you can check access history to see exactly what’s happening at the front door while you’re away.
Garage doors
Smart garages allow you to secure them from anywhere.
Your garage is a popular access point for intruders, so keep the side doors and any garage windows secured. However, you can easily go a step further and install a smart garage controller, either a retrofit for your current garage door motor or a new smart motor.
Smart garages let you check their status at any time, get updates if anything changes and remotely open or close the garage if someone really needs access (like for packages that you’re expecting while you’re on vacation).
Cameras, doorbells and security systems
The Ring Alarm Pro is our top pick for DIY smart home security.
You have plenty of choices for DIY smart home security systems and professionally monitored services. While they do most of the work for you once they’re out of the box, it’s important to give them a quick status check before you leave. Security settings will differ depending on what products you have.
Regardless of brand, make sure all the integrated motion sensors, cameras, locks and doorbells have fresh or fully charged batteries and notifications correctly enabled to reach the right emergency contacts.
Read more: Our review of the Ring Video Doorbell 4
For cameras and smart doorbells, be sure the lens is free of dirt, cobwebs or decor that might obstruct the view. If you’ve turned down motion sensitivity or set your camera to ignore motion in some areas around your home, now is a good time to put those features back to maximum vigilance. Finally, ensure all notification settings are set to notify the appropriate people at the appropriate times.
Environment detectors
Kangaroo includes a climate sensor, aka leak detector, in its expanded eight-piece home monitoring kit.
Leak, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors offer peace of mind every day, and even more so when you’re out of town. Making sure all these have fresh batteries, a solid Wi-Fi connection, updated apps or firmware, and correct notification settings is worth a few minutes of your time before you hit the road.
Read more: Smoke detector placement guide
If your detectors aren’t connected to a live monitoring service, it’s even more important to get a notification sent to the right mobile device. That way, you can ask a friend or neighbor to check out any suspicious alerts. Smart speakers may even be able to send you alerts if they hear the sound of a siren or alarm.
But that’s just the start of what smart home sensors can do. Arlo’s all-in-one security sensors, for example, can monitor ambient light, air temperature (in case it drops unexpectedly) and loud noises like a smoke alarm. And leak detectors from all kinds of systems can watch for pipe leaks in crawl spaces, under sinks and in other vulnerable spots.
Robot vacuums and other small appliances
The iRobot Roomba S9 is our favorite robot helper.
There are several robot vacuum cleaners out there with some version of a scheduling option. If that’s a feature you use often, turn it off while you’re away. If no one’s home to make messes, the vacuum doesn’t need to run. Plus, if you’ve enhanced the sensitivity of the motion detector portion of your security system, a robot vacuum could trigger false alarms.
Read more: Our review of the iRobot Roomba S9 Plus vs. Neato Botvac D7 Connected
You’ll save battery life and wear and tear on your vacuum by making sure it isn’t running when it doesn’t need to. The same goes for other small appliances that might run on a smart schedule or with smart switches. Run through your list of managed devices to be sure everything is on or off accordingly.
The human element
Yes, smart homes are cool. They can do a lot for you on a daily basis and they keep you connected to home when you’re hundreds of miles away. Still, smart homes aren’t perfect, and it’s a good idea to have one or two trusted (and tech-savvy) humans keeping an eye on things. Consider hiring a well-rated petsitter in addition to pet tech or finding a reliable plant sitter who can also make sure everything is working properly when they stop by to water your greens.
And for a complete look at how you can improve your home security with a single purchase, take a look at our best indoor security cameras, the top wireless cam for easy placement and the best cameras with lights to help deter trespassers.