I ordered 2 of the Smart Link Smart Plugs for use with my Google Home and Google Home Mini. I didn't have a practical use for them in mind, but they seemed pretty neat. Little did I know I'd actually be using one of them on a daily basis. HomeSweetie is awesome. I received several emails in regards to my order. The first was to let me know my order was being prepared, and it included instructional videos and links for setup of the product. The videos were specific to Amazon Echo, but the basic concept was the same (and I will describe below). The second was to inform me my order was shipped. Today, I received the final email checking in to see if I had any issues with the product. I imagine there is a good chance these emails are automated, but it was a great touch and I appreciate them very much. On top of the great service, the plugs arrived a day early. For all of this alone, ignoring the product itself, I'd be willing to give the seller fantastic feedback. The plugs themselves came in a small square white cardboard box, and included what I believe to be an instructional manual (I didn't read it). I plugged in an outlet in my bedroom and went back to the living room to set it up. Setup is (in standard cases) very simple. Download the Smart Link application, register an account (using your phone number of choice), and then find a new device. The application will probably take around 20 seconds to find the device if no network issues exist and the plug is in sync mode. You will know the product is in sync mode because the blue LED on the side will be flashing constantly. If it is not, you can place it in sync mode by holding the power button for several seconds. In my case, the first outlet I attempted was not picked up. I live in a condo, so I assumed it was network interference (the router and plug were about 20 feet away, through a wall). Most common household routers are pre-programmed on channel 6 or 11. Being surrounded by a plethora of wireless devices from a number of residents, I changed the channel of my router to something less common and I was able to connect. It is also my understanding the plugs only work on 2.4GHZ wireless networks. I believe most dual-band routers will by default broadcast on 2.4GHZ and 5GHZ so there should be no problems there, but if you have connection problems, I recommend looking into this. After the plug is registered in the Smart Link application, you can set schedules, scenes, and simply turn the device on and off. To use the device with Google Assistant, open the Google Home application, click the menu button and select Home Control from the list. Click the "+" button to add a new linked account, and select Smart Link from the growing list of supported devices. Enter your previously registered phone number and password, and the plugs will automatically be picked up. From there, you can set nicknames and control them with voice. When I registered my second plug, it didn't automatically appear in my Google Home app, and I actually had to remove the account from Google Home and re-add it. Seems like issues with Google Home itself and not Smart Link, but either way it was overall very easy to set up. Now I can say "Hey Google, turn on the rock!" and that stupid rock lamp I received as a white elephant Christmas gift will turn on without a hitch. Read more
I bought four of these in December 2017, and all four worked flawlessly into 2023, when two of them failed (no longer power on), and then another one failed in September 2025. One of the 2023 failures had been outdoors year-round for some or all of that time, even though they're not intended for outdoor use. (I created a routine in Alexa to turn some outdoor decorative lights on and off at sunset/sunrise. And "outdoor" here in the mountains in winter means lots of below-zero nights.) So I'm not dissatisfied, especially for the price. They were easy to set up, easy to control via Alexa, always connect to our wifi network, and always work as expected (well, 'til the two died). Although maybe an expert would say they should've lasted forever. Instead of buying a "programmable" coffee maker, the smart plug gives me complete control over our coffee maker via Alexa routines (for scheduling) or manually by saying, "Echo, coffee on" after I walk the dog in the morning. Read more
I literally just cancelled my return on these sockets. I initially thought they were a great buy, then thought they were useless junk. I am currently back at my first state - they work great. I just had to learn the secret. What's the secret? Well, let me tell you my dear friend. I just found out, probably at the chagrin of many reviewers on here who left bad reviews or had already returned these sockets themselves, that you don't need to use your smartphone as a bridge to use these with Alexa. She can control these sockets herself, with no middle men! What does that mean. Well... if you have just started diving into this smart home thing, you might have learned that some devices need to communicate to a hub before Alexa can control them. However, Alexa dosen't need a hub for some wifi devies - If they know how to talk to her that is. And so, sometimes she needs help getting the conversion started. That is the case with these wifi sockets. To set them up, you will have to go though the instructions. Install the Smart Life app on your phone. Use the AP option. Enable the Smart LIfe skill on Alexa. Then have her discover the socket. Once you do that, you are golden like a sack of potatoes (the golden kind that is) and can uninstall the Smart Life app. During my first set-up attempt, I thought I needed that stupid Smart Life app running at all times on my phone in order to make these work - draining my battery and compromising my security. Not to mention I would have to have my smart phone on my home wifi at all times so Alexa could communicate with them. Ruins the whole idea of the adjective in smart home. This concept is similar to those Broadlink mini R3 IR devices, which, BTW, I ended up using a cheap Android TV box to host the app it need to work as a bridge. I was so disappointed soon after my initial set-up attempt of these sockets because the instructions have you going though this whole long thing with using the Smart Life app to make these work. I starting to get frustrated that my smart home was turning into a system where every device needed it's own hub or own special way to communicate. I got the SmartThings to help avoid that. Turns out you won't be completely out of the woods with just the SmartThings. So, I was like, F' this, I'm gonna return these babies. Then I gave it one more shot and read a review that said, install the Smart Life app, connect it to Alexa, then uninstall the App. This, this makes me happy! Read more
These were the first smart plugs that I decided to purchase. Well not know how big they were going to be I ordered them. First, they were hard to connect with the Smart Life APP. Second, you could only fit one to an electrical outlet, because of the size of the product. You are lucky to fit anything else. I was able to get a table lamp and a smaller plugged fan to connect to this outlet. Once I was connected the product works great. If you are using a sing outlet this product would be great however if you have two that you want to smart switched to go into I would recommend looking at some of the other slimmer more compact models. Read more
