Setting Up a Smart Home That Runs Itself

Write down the five things you do every day at the same time. Those are your automations; ignore everything else for now.

Locks and doorbells earn their keep first: auto-lock at night and a recorded look at the porch cover the two things you actually worry about.

Let the thermostat learn your schedule instead of programming it manually. It'll beat your guesses within a couple of weeks.

Keep everything in one ecosystem. Mixed platforms are where smart homes turn into a hobby you didn't sign up for.