How to program your smart hub to scare the pants off of you
Halloween is coming up soon. Smart devices are becoming more compatible than ever now that the Matter standard is rolling out, and there are new versions for everything from the latest Nest video doorbell to the new Echo Dot 5th-Gen intelligent speaker. That makes it a great time to celebrate the season with some spooky additions to your home.
Your smart hubs now have more options than ever, and we’ve got plenty of ideas to help you get started on your scares – whether you want some mild spooks for the kids or plan to scare your friends terribly. Let’s start!
Set up your porch for maximum fright
With the right gadgets like smart lights, smart plugs, and video doorbells, you can turn your porch into a scary show for anyone who stops by. There’s so much you can do, we’ve got a full guide on how to set up your porch for Halloween, but here are a few highlights:
- Set your doorbell to a spooky sound. Google, in particular, releases a range of Halloween-themed sounds for its Nest chimes each year, including things like witch cackle and woof howl.
- Set your porch lights to take on a spooky color. Extra points if you set up your smart lights with a motion sensor, like those on security cameras or video doorbells, to change spooky colors when someone approaches, or to sync with Halloween tunes playing on a smart speaker.
- You can use the two-audio communications found on video doorbells and security cameras to simulate a spooky greeting or really get into the role-playing game.
- Hide portable Bluetooth speakers in the bushes. You can play sounds or spooky music on-demand wherever you want, and the batteries last for hours without you having to charge them. You could even get a battery mount for something like an Echo Dot and stick it in a jack-o’-lantern so you can talk out of it for frightening effect.
- With smart plugs and other devices, you can add smoke machines, speakers and other devices that you can control with a simple command.
Find a scary movie to stream
Voice assistants are usually great at keeping track of what movies are streaming. So if you want to see something spooky (alone or with friends), don’t hesitate to ask. For example, if you ask Alexa, “What scary movies are they streaming?” She’ll provide a list of the latest choices not only from Amazon, but a variety of services — all of the new ones mumbo jumbo to the dahmer Series on Netflix. If you have an HBO Max subscription, you can also use a smart display to visit the House of Halloween Page: Pick a tarot card and HBO will recommend the scariest deals based on your selection!
Establish a Halloween routine
Your porch isn’t the only place for a Halloween scare. To get a few bounces from your friends and loved ones, set a routine on your Smart Hub so you can issue a command like “Alexa, get scary” (or Google’s “Hey Google, haunt my house,” which is one more ) can give automatic option), and your whole house will join in.
The only limit is what you want your compatible smart devices to do: smart interior lights can go spooky red, and smart speakers can be set to play Halloween sounds or spooky tunes (you can look these up on things like Alexa Skills ). If you have smart blinds, you can raise them up to suddenly open or close them, while smart sockets can turn things like lights or small appliances on and off. You could even sling a Roomba across the floor or have pet devices shoot treats! Check out How to create routines for more information.
Play a Halloween game
Smart Hubs always have some interactive games to offer, and some of them are way scarier than others, making them perfect for the season. Alexa has options like Haunted Adventure, while Google Assistant supports games like Roleplay Schwarzhorn Castle. Just tell the voice assistant to play such games by name. Add a smart display option like Echo Show or Nest Hub and your gaming options will expand thanks to the touchscreen!
Or hear a dark story instead
If a game just isn’t for you, smart hubs with voice assistants have a lot of stories to tell. A variety of voice commands work with this feature, but we’ve found that sharing from Alexa or Google with something like “tell me a scary story” or “play a scary story” produces great results. You might want to experiment a little beforehand to find out how kid-friendly the story choices are, but in general voice assistants are careful to keep things family-friendly unless very, very specifically ordered differently.
Use a portable projector for wacky results
Did you know there are portable, battery-powered projectors that you can plug into your phone and use screen mirroring to stream images, video clips, movies, and more? Some of the best examples are these AAXA P8the anchor fog podand the ViewSonic M2. Set these up with the right connections and a little stealth, and you have the potential for a spooky image to pop up in anywhere from the side of your house to the end of a darkened hallway. Most come with Bluetooth speakers that can also add sudden sound.
You can use these ideas to create jump scares or beam an old scary movie onto your siding or door – well, you probably already have some imaginative ideas. Of course, a portable projector is an expensive choice, but you can always use it out of season for watching movies with kids in the backyard or for other fun tricks.
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