Use Amazon alexa or Google home compatible hardware without alexa/Google home

1
votes

There are plenty of devices available, which are promoted with the phrase "compatible with alexa/google home", e.g. LightBulb or Smart socket

My question is:
Is it somehow possible to use and control these devices without using alexa or Google home? I'm specifically asking for WiFi devices like smart light bulbs or sockets. I would like to just connect them to my WiFi and then control them by sending some kind of HTTP-request to the devices, without using any alexa or google cloud whatsoever.

In my opinion if the devices are all compatible with these cloud-based services, they have to share some common API, which I should also be able to use offline just in my network, should'nt I? Unfortunately I did not find any information about such an API that I could use. Anyone has an idea?

2
httphardwarealexagoogle-homegoogle-smart-home

2 Answers

1
votes

It sounds like you're actually asking "do smart home devices have a local API that devices like Alexa and Google Home use?" With the implication that you can then take advantage of them as well.

While some might - the general answer is "no".

Neither Alexa nor Google Home control devices directly. Both of them send their commands to their cloud services, which relay the command to a device manufacturers cloud endpoint, which then relays the specific instruction to the device or the device's local hub or gateway.

0
votes

If you only want to command your Google Home compatible devices with your voice, you can simply use the Google Home app from your phone (both iOS or Android) without having the Google Home device.