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The smart home revolution has been kicked into high gear in recent years allowing you to control nearly all your home’s electronic features from anywhere on the planet. But while the technology continues to improve and broaden overall applicability, the sheer amount of app options can be completely overwhelming for those who aren’t tech experts but still want to experience the benefits of a smart home. Here are five of the best apps for your home that can help you join the wave of the future of smart home technology without having to be a techie.

1. Stringify

Boasting a user-friendly interface and easy access to many of your house’s essential features, Stringify is a free app that can help you control your temperature, locks and light systems from anywhere, making it a terrific app for those with limited knowledge of smart home operation. Although it’s only available for iOS, it works with more than 500 different services/products and is very easy to setup, which makes it a great option for those who want to connect a home to a smart phone without high costs or learning a complex system.

2. Vivint Smart Home

Another free app with a wide range of uses, the Vivint Smart Home is all about providing peace of mind and can easily make using keys a thing of the past. Even though core functions like controlling your thermostat are great, the app is mainly designed to secure your home by syncing with door/window sensors, smoke detectors and security cameras. The Vivint Doorbell Camera can also let you record and monitor your entry ways, letting you keep a close eye on any uninvited guests who come knocking. Notifications, in case you forget to lock your door, are also extremely helpful for those who tend to leave the house in a hurry. Perhaps most importantly, the Vivint system can not only notify you if your smoke alarm goes off but also can contact the appropriate authorities, giving it a distinct advantage over most of its competitors.

3. Yonomi

As Amazon Echo continues to popularize, Yonomi is a terrific way to setup many of the basic features of your home thanks to its easy integration with the popular smart speaker system. Yonomi offers the essentials like remotely locking your door or turning off your lights although it can also provide a warm cup of coffee when you wake up for work and is very easy to customize for your lifestyle. For those hoping to do a little more than just the basics, Yonomi offers an easy way to stay on schedule by taking care of many of the mundane aspects of everyday life that no longer require human supervision.

4. Control4 MyHome

Although it costs $100 a year, Control4 MyHome offers the next level of control for your home with an easy-to-use interface that can make it a tremendous overall value. Control4 MyHome is particularly useful for parents worried about what their kids are doing, allowing a parent to ensure an impressionable young student is focusing on that algebra homework by blocking video games and other entertaining distractions. The app can also be easily used with both iPhone and Android devices making it a terrific all around option to turn your abode into a smart home.

5. Philips Hue

While many different apps offer control of lights and security systems, the Philips Hue is designed for those looking to spruce up the aesthetics of a home with a touch of your smart phone. For those who aren’t interested in the fairly expensive color bulb package, a modestly priced starter kit offering white bulbs still can give you terrific overall control of your lighting and send you on your way to getting completely rid of light switches. Philips Hue points to the exciting future of versatile interior design, letting you shift the color scheme of a room with Philips’ state-of-the-art color-changing bulbs. For anyone who enjoys creating an exciting ambiance for a get together or simply likes to modify the interior lighting every once in a while, the Philips Hue is a great option that points to the type of lighting control that homeowners will be expecting in the future.

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