Smart plugs are amazingly simple but powerful gadgets that let you automate your home.
And today I have my hands on plugs from Teckin.
They're a lot like other smart plugs I've used with a single outlet and a manual power
button on the front.
But let's connect this with an iPhone to see how these work.
And later in the video I'll demonstrate the connection to Alexa for voice control.
Start by downloading the Smart Life app.
If this is the first time you're using this app you'll have to register for an account.
This step is pretty consistent with every smart plug I've used.
I usually use my email address and pick a secure password but you can use your phone
number as well.
Once that's done, insert the plug into an outlet.
If the blue light is blinking slowly then hold the power button down until the blue
LED blinks quickly.
Now in the Smart Life app, tap the plus button at the top right.
Choose Electrical Outlet in the list.
Then tap the Confirm button while the plug is rapidly blinking.
Here enter your WiFi password if it doesn't automatically show up.
Then hit the Confirm button.
It may take 20 to 30 seconds for the app to detect the plug and connect to it.
When it's done, the name of the plug appears on the screen.
At this time you can also rename it to something easier to remember.
When finished the plug may need to update it's firmware so definitely do that.
When the update is complete the plug can be controlled though the phone.
Since I have a 4-pack of plugs, I will have to repeat the process with each one of them
and get them all registered to the Smart Life app for remote control.
The process is the same as you add more Teckin plugs to your network.
When all the plugs are connected to the app, they'll appear in a list and can be controlled
separately.
It's definitely helpful to have them labelled for easy identification.
I've also labelled the plugs themselves so I know which plug I'm working with.
Now just plug in a lamp and it can be turned on or off through the phone.
And you can also control the plugs anywhere in the world with the app.
But there are other useful features in the app you should know about.
There's a scheduler where you can set the plug to turn on and off the plug at set times
of the day.
There's also a quick timer to have the plug turn off after a set duration.
And finally there's a statistics page to track your usage.
But let's get the Teckin smart plug connected to Alexa for voice control.
Obviously you'll need an Amazon Echo and the Alexa app.
Inside the Alexa app, tap the hamburger menu button at the top left.
And then tap on Skills.
Here search for Smart Life.
It'll be the one created by Tuya Inc.
Tap on it to enable the Skill.
Here we'll need the user name and password created in the Smart Lift app that we did
before.
Tap to link your Smart Life account to the Echo.
And then tap the Smart Life name.
Now tap the Authorize button to finish linking.
Last thing to do is tap the Discover Devices button and Alexa will find the Teckin plugs
on the network.
Again this could take a while but you can see the progress on the screen.
When the connection is done, the plugs can be voice controlled.
Alexa, JL-1 On.
Alexa, JL-1 Off.
Connecting to Alexa is not necessary but it's worth it if you already have an Amazon Echo
at home.
This plug will also work with Google Assistant as well but I don't own one right now.
The 4-pack is nice because you can get a great start to home automation for about $40.
And the plugs are slim and stackable in the outlet.
I hope you found this video helpful and if you did please give me a thumbs up and don't
forget to subscribe to my channel TheRenderQ for more how-to videos and product reviews.