15 Ways to Charm Your Smart Home
The dream of living like witches and wizards – able to manipulate the world around you with the correct incantation – can finally become realized through the wonders of technology.
We were all disappointed when our Hogwarts letter didn’t come, but that shouldn’t stop us from doing whatever we can to make the magic of Harry Potter real for us in our everyday life.
The latest smart home technology brings us closer to Harry’s “I love magic” moment in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire than we’ve ever been before. With assistants like Google Home and Amazon Echo, there are endless possibilities for enchanting your home. Some of these require owning such devices as smart light bulbs and outlets, but many are within the reach of anyone who owns a smartphone. You do not need to have an Interactive Wand from the Wizarding World to see magic happen right before your eyes. Nor do you have to be as wealthy as the Malfoys to charm your home – all you need is Arthur Weasley’s enthusiasm for enchanting Muggle objects! Read on to discover 15 ways to charm your smart home.
The first step is to learn how to program commands. With the Google Home app, for example, you can “Manage Routines” to set up a custom phrase for completing a special task. Simply tell your voice assistant to recognize the incantation for the spell (e.g. “Lumos”) and perform the action of your choice (e.g. “turn on flashlight”).
1. Lumos
One of the simplest and most effective spells, casting the Wand-Lighting Charm can turn on your phone’s flashlight or even set your lamps in your house to a certain level, like 75%. If you have multiple rooms with smart light bulbs, you could differentiate “Lumos Kitchen” from “Lumos Bedroom.”
2. Lumos Maxima
Take the Wand-Lighting Charm to the next step, just like Professor Flitwick’s third-year students. You might pair this command with “Set the lights to 100%.”
3. Nox
Both “Lumos” and “Lumos Maxima” can be reversed with the simple command, “Nox.” You can specify the room for this one as well, as in “Nox Kitchen.”
4. Homenum Revelio
With a smart doorbell or camera, you can check your front door for visitors – both wanted and unwanted.
5. Alohomora
This incantation can unlock whatever you want, from your cell phone to your front door, if you buy a smart lock. Don’t worry – many assistants let you specify a particular recognized voice to go with the command. So, unless someone finds a way to Polyjuice themselves into you, you need not worry!
6. Colloportus
Just like the Wand-Lighting Charm, the Unlocking Charm has a counterspell. Simply say “Colloportus” to lock your phone or front door and keep out the likes of Mundungus Fletcher!
7. Accio Phone
The Summoning Charm is very useful for those forgetful Nevilles! You can program the incantation “Accio Phone” to make your cell phone ring wherever it is, even when it’s on silent.
8. Sonorus
The Voice Amplifying Charm is a nifty trick used by both Albus Dumbledore and Ludo Bagman in Goblet of Fire. Now, with “Sonorus,” you can broadcast your voice throughout the house to tell your family when dinner is ready!
9. Cantis
This is perfect for those days when you need to hear “A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love.” Instead of telling your assistant to shuffle your music library, you can use the incantation, “Cantis.”
10. Colovaria
We can’t all change the color of our hair on a whim like Tonks, but with color-changing light bulbs, you can use the Color Change Charm to cycle through different scenes.
11. Rennervate
In the books, the incantation “Rennervate” is used to revive those who have been stunned. Cast this spell to set an alarm so that you, too, can be awakened on time.
12. Finite
Whether you’re stopping an alarm from going off or undoing any other spell, there is something so satisfying about saying “Finite.”
13. Incendio
Those castle corridors can be awfully cold in the winter, and so can your home. Try the Fire-Making Spell to kick on the heat using your smart thermostat.
14. Glacius
Is your house feeling as hot and muggy as the Hogwarts greenhouses? If you have a smart thermostat, you can turn on the air conditioning with the Freezing Spell.
15. Expecto Patronum
If you’ve ever had a really rough day, you’ve probably wished you could conjure a Patronus to fight against the darkness. The incantation “Expecto Patronum” can be used to start a self-care routine with calming lights and either soothing music or your favorite feel-good movie.
Now it’s your turn to try these out! Before you know it, you’ll be in the habit of casting spells throughout your day. Be sure to come back next week for 15 MORE ways to charm your smart home.
