How Smart Home Devices Are Changing Security Needs

Have you ever left your house and realized you forgot your phone? It’s that strange, uneasy feeling of being totally disconnected from everything. That’s exactly what it’s like not having a smart home.

When you're away, you're left wondering:

Who’s coming and going?
Was that package delivered safely?
Why is there a random car parked in front of your house for hours?
Did the power go out?
Is there an internet outage?
What if the water heater sprang a leak and your home is flooding?
Did I close the garage door… or am I going to stress about it all day?

These are just a few of the everyday unknowns modern home security systems can help eliminate. With real-time alerts, remote control, and 24/7 monitoring, you stay connected and in control even when you're miles away.

Peace of mind isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential. And a smart home makes it possible.

Smart Cameras and AI Recognition

Cameras are the most fundamental component of any home security system. They give you eyes on your home even when you’re at work or away on vacation, so you never have to guess what’s happening. If there’s a squirrel destroying your garden or a thief stealing your packages, you’ll be the first to know about it with cameras. You can also spot threats before they become threats, like someone loitering too long late at night.

More advanced devices and security cameras programmed with AI tools can recognize faces, license plates, and patterns in objects. They can tell whether that car parked outside is your neighbor, your electrician, or someone lying in wait to rob you or your home. With talk-back functions and audible alerts, you can even make noise to discourage would-be criminals. If something goes wrong, professional monitoring via smart cameras creates the evidence you need to identify the culprit, prevent potential loss, and even impact insurance claims.

Smart Locks and Garage Doors

You know the feeling: you take your seat on the plane, and just as they announce the cabin doors closing, the thought pops into your head. Did I lock the front doors, or am I about to leave town for two weeks with my home completely unsecured? With smart locks and garage doors, you can remove all doubt by checking from your phone to find out. Then, you can use your device to close and lock them with the click of a button, with proper home automation systems in place.

Smart locks and garage doors also have the added benefit of making it easier for people you do want to enter your home. You don’t have to copy all your keys to give to your housesitter, your neighbor, or your cleaning service. Instead, you can choose when to lock and unlock doors remotely, or give them a secret code they can use to get in. Newer systems can also let them in with facial recognition and other biometric data.

Smart Detectors and Thermostats

Even if you covered all the bases before you left, things can still go wrong in your home when you’re away. You could have a gas leak or burst pipes, or there could be a serious problem with your HVAC system. Left unchecked, a small puddle can turn into a major flood, and a gas leak can turn into a devastating fire. Smart detectors and thermostats alert you to the issue immediately, letting you intervene before there’s a crisis.

With a smart home, you can set up interconnected devices to share critical information. For example, your smart thermostat can shut down your HVAC system when there’s a fire, to prevent it from spreading. You can also use your smart home to automatically open doors and let first responders into the house. Or, you can have your smart system share temperature information that they can use to monitor the fire.

Connectivity Alerts

What if there’s a storm while you’re away and you want to know whether the power is out at your house? Say you’ve got food in the fridge and you need to make sure someone gets to it before it spoils. Smart home devices can still work on battery power even when the grid isn’t working. They can alert you on your phone when the electricity is out, so you can take action immediately to prepare and manage the next steps.

Some smart devices can also operate when there isn't internet connectivity. Many are able to connect to cellular towers and other systems used for virtual communication without wifi. Even if your devices don’t function in the event of an outage, they can still clue you in when something goes wrong.

You can see from your smartphone or tablet whether your home devices are still connected or whether they’ve gone offline. Utilizing professional installation and a pain monitoring plan through a security company can provide further access control and monitoring that gives you peace of mind, no matter where you are in the world.

Real-Time Peace of Mind

A key feature of any smart home system is that it keeps you in the know with real-time alerts. You’re always up to speed on what’s going on in your home and if anything needs your immediate attention. Notifications give you the confidence to relax and enjoy that vacation or focus on that work conference.

You don’t have to wonder what's going on at home because your system automatically responds to any doubts you might have. It's like having a trusted neighbor always looking out for your property, but without the need to share all your personal information with people on your street, you don't actually know.

The only real question, then, is how much coverage and protection you want from your security system. With so many options available, the search for better home security can get a little overwhelming.

That’s why we created Smart Security Concierge: so that there’s one less thing you don’t have to wonder about. Start your free security assessment and let Smart Security Concierge help you understand your security needs.