Imagine this. You’re upstairs in bed, and someone is at the front door.
Instead of rushing and risking falling, you stay in place and say, “Alexa, show me the front door.” An image from a camera pointing at the door displays on a video by your bed. You see it’s the dog sitter, say hello to her, and then automagically open the door for her with your voice: “Alexa, unlock the front door.”
Here’s a quick way to automate your front door camera and lock.
View the Products in this Article
This article shows you how to use an Amazon Echo Show, a Ring Doorbell and a Schlage Camelot lock to control and view the front door from anywhere in the house. Get these products here:
View and Control Front Door from the Bedroom Checklist
How to Remotely Control Your Front Door
For the sake of this example, we’re going to say that you’re controlling your front door from your bedroom. But in reality, you can do this from anywhere in the home. Wherever you have an Echo Show, you can see and command what happens at the front door.
The three pieces you need are:
- An Echo Show video device in your bedroom
- A Ring Doorbell in place of your current doorbell
- An Alexa-compatible door lock on the front door
The Echo Show Video Device
The Echo Show is a video device that you command with your voice. You will connect the Echo Show to your front door lock and Ring Doorbell to command them from your bedroom.
The Ring Doorbell Front Door Camera
The Ring Doorbell adds a smart camera to your front doorbell. When you attach it to your Echo Show, you will be able to see what it sees by looking at your Echo Show video device
An Alexa-Compatible Smart Door Lock
Several vendors make smart front door locks you can use with your Echo Show. Schlage, Kiwkset and August are three of the popular brands. The locks below are certified to work with your Alexa devices.
How to Setup the System
Here are some awesome videos that show you step by step how to setup your Ring, Echo Show, and some of the more popular remote door locks.
Watch this Video on how to Connect Ring Cameras to Echo Show
Watch this Video on How to Use the Ring Doorball with Echo Show
Watch this Ring Home Security System Review
Watch this Video Showing How to Lock and Unlock a Shlage Lock with Echo Show
Watch this Video on How to Open a Schlage Encode Deadbolt with the Echo Show
Watch this Video on Setting Up the Echo Show
More Ways to Secure Your Home with Echo Show
The Echo Show is an entertainment device, but it’s also a smart home controller. You can use it to turn on lights, lock the door, and close the garage door. Here are some examples:
- Ask Echo Show to show you your security camera feeds
- Use Echo Show to “drop in” on Mom to check how she’s doing
- Use Echo Show to turn on the lights outside, or off in the kitchen
- Use Echo Show to close the garage door or a gate
How the Ring Keeps You Safe
The Ring is a motion-activated camera that captures anyone or thing coming to your door. You can see and speak with someone in range of your Ring doorbell.
You don’t have to watch your video screen to see if someone is coming. The Ring can send an alert to you, which Alexa can then speak outloud. You can also get notifications over the phone. To send your voice to visitors outside the door, you say “Alexa, talk to the front door.”
If you want to save the videos, you can upload them to the Ring Plan automatically for an extra monthly fee.
The Ring is connected to your home electrical, so there’s no worry about batteries failing. A handy person can install most Ring models but Ring suggests that only a professional install the Ring Doorbell Elite.
How a Smart Lock Gives You More Control
A smart lock connects to the internet through your home’s wifi signal. You can then connect to the lock over your mobile phone.
The phone app for a smart lock allows you to both lock and to unlock the door.
Most smart locks fit right over existing locks, while some require you pull the old lock first.
A good smart lock allows you to unlock it without using your keys.
This means you do not need to leave a key under the mat for your dog sitter, too.
Locks use biometrics (fingerprints) or facial recognition on the high end, and just a push button keycode on the less technical end.
You can give access to and revoke access from anyone you like. For example, you can give the dog sitter her own code, but then revoke that code when she goes off to college.
You can set most smart locks to automatically lock when the door closes. This means your house will be locked all of the time, not just when you remember to lock the door.
How to Get the Items in this Article
Get the items mentioned in this article: View and Control Front Door from the Bedroom Checklist
