Best Android apps in the Google Play Store week 27

In ‘best apps’ we discuss a selection of fun apps that inspire you every time. This time we discuss apps related to smarthome, the topic of the theme week at Androidworld.

IFTTT

IFTTT stands for If This Then That and is a comprehensive Android app that lets you automate all kinds of tasks. The app consists of services or services and applets. There are already many thousands of applets available in the app, but you can also ‘build’ an applet yourself. An applet is a kind of recipe with ingredients that automates a task for you, for example turning on your smart lights and turning up the heating when you get home. In short, IFTTT is a very handy app and very suitable for anyone who wants to get started with a smart home.

Google Assistant

Google Assistant is Google’s smart helper and can be found on almost every Android phone. The app has long included a handy function with which you can give personalized commands to the Google Assistant, Routines. For example, you can activate certain smart lamps with your own command and play music at the same time. You can set up routines with things like the ‘Good morning’ or ‘Bedtime’ routine, but there are also Routines for when you leave home, drive to work or on your way home. You can choose which command you give in each of those situations and which actions the Assistant should perform. For example, you can set the lights to turn off and the music to stop when you leave the house.

SmartThings

With SmartThings on your Samsung you can control all kinds of smart devices in your home. You can compare the app with the Google Home app. You simply link the devices to the app, and these do not necessarily have to be Samsung devices. You can also connect smart video doorbells from Ring, cameras from Arlo and lamps from Philips Hue to the app.

You can then automate actions and scenarios in the app. For example, you can switch on lights at a fixed time or activate your smart lighting automatically when you go to watch a movie. The biggest advantage is of course integration with Samsung products such as the brand’s tablets, televisions, smart refrigerators and smartwatches. For example, you can dim the lamps in the living room via your Samsung smart TV.

Tasky

Explaining the operation of Tasker in a few sentences is almost impossible. The app is so extensive, but I’m going to give it a try. With this app you can automate things like turning on WiFi when you get home or turning on Bluetooth in the car. The app can also perform quite complex tasks for you, such as controlling your home automation system via voice.

The new owner, João Dias, is now working on Tasky. Tasky has a simpler interface and downloads profiles from a Tasker Store. Tasky is part of the beta version of Tasker. You can sign up for Tasker Beta here in the Play Store or download this version right away. According to developer João Dias, Tasky works just like Tasker. Users cannot make their own adjustments, but they can import projects with variables that can then be easily set.

Smarthome theme week on Androidworld

This week the ‘Best Android apps of the week’ section focuses on the theme week ‘smarthome for beginners’ on Androidworld. Do you have a question about the topic we discuss during this theme week or do you have ideas or tips? Let us know in the comments below this article (also check our Android app). You can also email us via this email address or leave a message on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. In addition, you can ask us questions via this Telegram group or this Signal group. Would you rather send one of the editors a tip? Then you can too!