What Are Home Security Apps?
Home security apps are relatively new additions to the smart home setup. They have since replaced the remote control in some smart homes.
The popularity of the smartphone is the obvious reason why home security apps are now used. They are now utilized in place of the remote control and control panel in a smart home security system.
Today, home security apps are among the most important components of a smart home security system. To give you an idea of why here is an overview of home security apps:
Types of Home Security Apps
Home security providers use different types of home security apps. Features of these home security apps may vary slightly with the features. But, essentially, they have the same main features and functions.
The traits that mainly distinguished home security apps relate to the proprietorship. Based on this, there are mainly two types of home security apps. These are the proprietary home security apps and non-proprietary ones.
1. Proprietary Home Security Apps:
These are specially made by home security providers. Providers made these apps to specifically serve systems that they had developed. Thus, upgrades and maintenance of these apps can only be done with methods designed by the provider.
These apps are also most likely incompatible with systems made by other providers. That is why you should make sure to have both the system and the app from the same provider.
But, the benefit of having proprietary home security apps is that it fits well with the system it is designed to serve.
2. Non-proprietary Home Security Apps:
Home security apps could also be compatible with many system types. But, these types are rare as security systems vary greatly in their features.
Non-proprietary home security apps cannot simply become compatible with multiple apps. With such a setup, the home security apps should have been made first. Home security providers will then make their systems compatible with the app. This would take an agreement among home security providers, though.
Features of Home Security Apps
Home security apps may vary in features, functions, systems, and protocols. This is because they are developed by multiple companies. These companies had developed their home security systems. So, they would most likely develop apps that are well fit for their systems.
Although home security apps may vary in features from very subtle to extreme, they have a lot in common. This is because the purpose of home automation is essentially the same. And that is to make homeowners’ life convenient, secure, and efficient.
Here are some of the traits that home security apps share among themselves:
1. User-friendly. Home security apps are developed to bring convenience in controlling home security systems. So, home security apps should, first of all, be user-friendly.
Users should not feel any intimidation in using home security apps. Controls within the app should be intuitive.
Fortunately, virtually all home security apps are user-friendly. They are easy to use and have good and fair reviews. These traits contribute to the rise in usage of these home security apps. They have since found their way in the phones of smart homeowners.
2. Remotely Controlled. Home security apps are developed to turn smartphones into remote controls. So, it is important that home security apps should be easy to control and navigate. This is so that homeowners could feel their hold on their own homes.
3. Compatible. In designing your home security system, you should make sure that the components are all compatible. All your devices and apps should be working under the same protocol. Thus, everything should be integrated to avoid any failures in the system.
Homeowners should also make sure that home security apps are compatible with devices. Incompatibility between apps and devices could cause your system to malfunction.
Homeowners should also make sure that the apps of their systems have a version that fits with the operating system of their devices.
4. Adjustable. Homeowners should also find it easy to change settings in home security apps. One of the parks of having a smart home is to make things according to homeowners’ tastes.
With the home security apps, homeowners should be able to adjust the thermostat. This is so that they could adjust the heat of their home according to their personal preference.
Some homeowners also prefer to have their alarm system disabled once the motion sensor detects them. Home security apps should be able to cater to such adjustments.
5. Accurate. For better control, home security apps should also be accurate. They should be able to show homeowners the status of the system in real time.
This is true especially for homeowners who want to watch their home even when they are at work or abroad. Accurate reading of the system would help them confident about leaving their homes.