linkedinad

Mobility

How to Build a Smart Home App: A Guide for Developing a Home Automation System

This article is an introduction to the best IoT app development solution that can be used by smart home automation system developers....

mm Written by Emorphis Technologies · 6 min read >
smart home app

Introduction

Everyone loves comfort and safety in their daily life. However, the current scenario is moving so swiftly that people wonder when they become lonely in their life. Now imagine a life, when you come back and find out everything is in automation and is ready! Let it be evening tea to the playing of a favorite song.

Thereafter, your solitary life is going to change forever; isn’t it?

The arrival of IoT promises unlimited potentials to change the life of individuals, and smart homes are one such thing. Smart home applications have changed the way one dwell their life. Real-life examples such as smartwatches and wristbands have made a drastic improvement in the health of people.

With each passage of time, smart home apps are gaining acceptance at an overwhelming rate. Experts predict the growth of the global smart home market to $75.44 billion by the year 2025. Why? There are two reasons that demonstrate such speed up all thanks to IoT systems:

  • Enhancing the standard of living
  • Securing life to make it calmer

In this blog, we will unravel the secret behind building a smart home automation system through the best IoT app development solution and will share exciting results to make you cherish your experience in the best possible manner.

Also, read this – Emorphis Technologies Recognized as India’s Top Recommended IoT Company for 2021

Brief Overview of Smart Home App Market

There is a continuous evolvement and growth in the market of smart home apps. It is evident from the fact that market penetration is going upwards and is expected to double from more than 12% in 2021 to almost 24% in 2025.

How to Build a Smart Home App: A Guide for Developing a Home Automation System
Figure 1: Several Smart Home Applications & Their Growth from the Year 2018 to 2022

The above-given chart clearly shows that smart home automation based on the IoT market is gaining momentum across the globe i.e. expected to be worth $457 million by the year 2022. Devices that focus on improving voice control, security, and temperature are more popular than smart TVs and thus are helping smart home app developers to reap maximum benefits.

Now which country is benefiting most from it? The answer is the USA. Yes, the given country now accounts for more than 40% of the global smart home app market.

Statistic: Connected home products revenue in the United States from 2018 to 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)* | Statista
Figure 2: Smart Home Appliances Revenue in USA from 2018 to 2022 (From Statista)

The above bar chart demonstrates that by the year 2022, there will be $6 billion in revenue generation from the smart home systems in the USA.

Another study has found that about 50% of US millennials use at least one smart home product. Moreover, about 60% of people believe that IoT technology is the best one to create unique smart home apps.

As there will be advancements in technology, experts trust a surge in the revenue from the smart home industry. According to the statistics of the smart.

How Does Smart Home Technology Work

First of all, what is smart home technology? Basically, it is an ecosystem that helps users in developing a safe and peaceful environment and makes their household management much easier than they have not imagined before.

The working of an automation home application depends on three crucial fundamentals:

a) Hub

Hub is actually the brain of smart home technology. It is the main controller that controls two-way communication between home automation apps and procedures. It comes with two components namely; the back end and the client app that effectively manage devices automatically.

b) Sensors

They are low-powered devices that help in detecting environmental factors like pressure, temperature, or leaks in the system. They are liable for transmitting correct information to the hub, where how to proceed with data is decided in a precise way.

c) Actuators

They are appliances that work on the commands obtained from the hub and focus on changing their states as the need arises. They include IoT devices such as smart TVs, smartwatches, thermostats, and many more.

There is one thing to note that every part of the smart home appliances must work as a single entity through a flawless communication medium (like IoT devices). Let’s talk in detail about several IoT-based connectivity methods.

  1. Wi-Fi: It is one of the most common communication mediums that help in connecting smart home devices to the hub. With the help of Wi-Fi connectivity, it becomes easy to manage devices from anywhere across the globe.
  2. Bluetooth: It is another popular way to connect smart home devices with each other and the control is in the mobile device. It is cheaper than Wi-Fi and consumes less power.

Types of Smart Home Applications

For an IoT application development company, the development of a smart home app must include its functions and the number of services it will support. As per the given criteria, it is easy to distinguish two application groups:

  1. Single-Task App

The aim of designing the given app is to track only a single device or technology such as apps for lightning or automatic vacuum cleaner.

2. Multi-Task App

The aim of designing the given app is to cater to more technologies for meeting the needs of multiple smart products. They are beneficial in reducing doubling apps by the creation of a single infrastructure. They control lightning, doors, cameras, and much more.

Key Features of Smart Home Applications

It is the most important step to determine which features must find a place in the development of smart home apps that will meet the expectations of the customers. With the presence of an ample number of technologies, various exciting features comes up that one must pay attention to:

  1. Remote Control & Automation

These two features are a must for creating a perfect smartphone app. It helps users to access each device so that person can ‘warm-up’ just after returning from work and be at ease at their home. Push Notifications

2. Push Notifications

Setting up notifications is another feature that IoT developers must think about. They must make it simple for the users to make notification settings in their app separate from non-useful features.

3. User Roles

The given feature will be helpful for that person who is either living in a larger family or sharing their apartment with their roommates. The feature of user roles will help in limiting the access of the features such as unlocking doors by children.

4. Different Scenarios

It is a bonus feature that focuses on grouping actions by creating different scenarios at once. One notable example is the ‘leaving scenario’ that includes turning the thermostat and lights off and even turning alarms and motion sensors.

5. Personal Analytics

It is a decisive feature in the smart home automation app that takes a person to the next comfort level. By analyzing and tracking patterns, the app can send reports and help uses make an adjustment that suits their lifestyle efficiently.

How to Design Smart Home Automation System

To design a smart home automation app, the IoT developer must follow simple, but crucial steps that will help them to lead to their destination correctly. They are:

Step 1: Discovery Phase

In this step, the enterprises assess architectural risks before coding to flush out all info related to:

  • Future of the product
  • Its success after its introduction in the market

IoT experts can offer their service to identify pain points that were not found out before and figure out solutions to remove them perfectly. To taste victory, you can hire the best IoT consultants who can offer a hi-tech solution to bring your project to life.

Step 2: Deciding about Features

In this step, it will be prudent to give special focus to pulling out specific features that will define your smart home apps and make them stand out in the crowd. Keep in mind that overdoing the app with unnecessary features will make the application less popular among people.

Step 3: Determine Connection Method

To run a smart home app with good results, establishing a seamless internet connection is a must. And that too between three crucial elements: sensors, controllers and actuators! How to remain connected? The answer is through:

  • Wi-Fi
  • Bluetooth
  • Zigbee

Step 4: Choose Data Storage Type

What is the essential aspect when working on an IoT project? The answer is effective data management! There are two options to manage the data of smart home app developers:

  • Resorting to cloud storage
  • Utilizing local storage device

If you choose a platform, it depends on how your developers are experts in utilizing it.

Step 5: Excelling with Great Design

There are similar smart home apps with stylish designs present in the market. To offer some innovation, one has to present their product with a thoughtful design that offers a personalized user experience that meets their expectations appropriately.

Step 6: Developing a Strategy for High Security

Every smart home app is vulnerable to cyber theft and is the main reason for the developers to implement a robust security strategy. You must follow these tips to ensure the safety of your smart applications:

  • Secure Wi-Fi network
  • Devising a strong and unique password for all devices
  • Enable multi-factor authentication
  • Providing regular updates for smart devices
  • Installation of comprehensive security software

Best Home Automation Applications to Showcase Success

There are several examples of smart home automation apps that explain the popularity of IoT application development companies in bringing out the best apps for the customers:

  1. Amazon Alexa

It is one of the most popular smart home apps that permit users to have control Alexa devices and smart devices from companies other than Amazon. It assists users in creating shopping lists, setting their smart devices, and listening to music online. However, its most crucial aspect is advanced voice control that users just call out its name and control all devices via voice commands.

2. Danalock

It is a security-based smart home application that focuses on:

  • Setting-up home security system
  • Monitoring smart locks at home
  • Set automation unlocking based on the location

3. SmartThings

Samsung created its smart home app that permits users to control them from a single hub. It includes everything from daily life ranging from thermostats, fridges, and air purifiers. It allows users to group all devices so as to control at the same duration of time.

Final Thoughts

There is a promising future of smart home automation technology as more and more companies are showing keen interest in incorporating IoT automation solutions in their services and creating smart homes and workplaces for their dear customers.

Several challenges come with the development of a perfect IoT app solution and include security, user experience, and usage of the latest technology. What’s more, creating a successful smart home application needs several aspects, such as choosing a platform to choose software that incorporates the architecture effectively.

So, there is an advice for you! Focus on outsourcing smart home apps from a reputed IoT company that will help you to develop a product at a faster pace and that too at minimum budget.

At Emorphis, we are one of the leading IoT App Development companies across the globe that creates a well-devised smart home app through:

  • Deep marketing research
  • Innovative UI/UX design
  • Full quality assurance
  • Full support & Maintenance post-release

Besides, we also allow our customers to choose the platform that will meet the needs of your target customers precisely. Feel free to contact us by asking questions:

  • Cost of smart home app
  • The approach took to create the best smart home automation

Before you go, Take an look at one more interesting Smart Solution