Smart Home vs. Home Automation: What’s the Difference?

A smart home uses connected devices that you can monitor or control, often through an app, a voice assistant, or a central hub. Home automation is what happens when those devices carry out an action based on a schedule, sensor, or other trigger, without you giving a new command each time.

If you use your phone to turn on a smart light, you are controlling a smart home device; if that light turns on at a set time each evening, you are using home automation. The two often work together, but you do not need an elaborate automation system to have a useful smart home.

Start with a task you want to make easier, such as turning on a lamp without crossing a dark room, and decide whether a manual command or a predictable schedule makes more sense. For a senior or a caregiver planning a setup, our simple smart home setup checklist offers a place to begin; we also offer the Smart Home Automation for Seniors Checklist | Easy Smart Home Setup Guide for Safety, Comfort & Independence | Digital Download.

Automation is most helpful when its behavior is easy to anticipate and easy to change, especially in a shared home where one person’s preferred schedule may not suit everyone. Our team recommends deciding who can adjust settings, trying one routine at a time, and keeping a familiar way to operate essential lights and devices if the internet or an app is unavailable.

Check the product’s listed specifications when evaluating keep control simple.