Solved! Does Vivint Work With Alexa?

Q: I’m interested in a new home security system. I have a hodgepodge of smart-home devices, but I haven’t managed to choose a home ecosystem yet, so I have some devices set up with Alexa, some with Google, and a few with Siri. I like the services and products Vivint offers, but I’d like to streamline and settle on one centralized smart-home system. Does Vivint work with Alexa?

A: Streamlining sounds like a good idea. With too many devices listening and trying to follow commands, it’s easy to accidentally have two assistants battling over which one gets to adjust the thermostat—or have family members scolding Google for not turning on the lights when that’s Alexa’s job. Vivint is considered one of the best home security systems on the market. While home security costs have generally trended down with the advent of DIY security systems and systems that allow customers to choose which devices they want to include in their packages, Vivint stands out because it’s a flexible system that allows for true customization, simple smart-home integration, and comes with flexible monitoring packages. And Vivint pricing flexes with the selected Vivint equipment and packages.

Is Vivint compatible with Alexa? Yes, Vivint does work with Alexa, though customers will need to link the Vivint control panel with their virtual assistant to complete the Vivint/Alexa integration. Once Vivint activation and installation is complete, the two systems can be connected through the Alexa app, giving Vivint voice control accessibility. Vivint will also connect to Amazon Echo devices that are connected to the system, allowing users to view feeds from Vivint doorbell cameras, indoor cameras, and outdoor cameras on the Echo screen. Echo devices can also be used to disarm the Vivint security system and unlock Vivint locks and other compatible smart locks, which cannot be done by voice command. Once the connection is complete, Alexa and Echo can control the entire Vivint system alongside the other smart-home and home assistant applications that Alexa handles for many people every day. There are just a few necessary steps to successfully connect Vivint to Alexa.

Protect your home and family with a top-notch security system. Vivint’s professionally installed systems don’t just alert you to threats—they help both prevent and deter them. See Vivint’s cameras and services. 

Enabling the “Vivint Smart Home” skill in the Alexa app will allow your Vivint security system to connect with your Amazon Echo device.

Alexa classifies the integration with Vivint as a “skill”—one of many skills Alexa can perform. Users need to enable skills within the Alexa app to make them available for use—skills are disabled by default to avoid clogging up Alexa’s response time, so users have to choose to enable the skills they wish to use. “Vivint Smart Home” is a skill that must be enabled within the Alexa app in order to connect the Vivint system with Amazon. To enable Vivint, the customer will need to follow a series of steps:

• Open the Alexa app.
• Tap “More” and then select “Skills & Games.”
• Scroll or search for “Vivint Smart Home” in the list of skills.
• Select “Enable.”

It’s also possible to enable skills using Alexa’s voice control by simply saying “Alexa, enable Vivint.”

In some cases, there may be two Vivint Smart Home skills available to enable. Vivint Smart Home Basic can control lights, Vivint thermostats, lights, locks, and cameras. The Alexa Vivint commands with Basic are simpler as well: Users can say, for example, “Alexa, turn on the kitchen lights.” Vivint Smart Home Complete is a different type of integration between the two systems, so it requires an additional phrase: “Alexa, ask Vivint to turn on the kitchen lights.” This extra phrase allows users to control all aspects of a Vivint home automation system through Alexa, including arming and controlling the security system.

Enabling both skills in Alexa will provide users with the most complete control of their Vivint system through Alexa. Complete will allow command of more Vivint functions, but Basic is necessary to view Vivint camera feeds on one of the best home intercom systems, such as an Echo device.

It’s important for users to note, however, that certain commands cannot be given through Alexa’s voice commands. To maximize home security, voice commands do not disarm the security system and do not unlock doors. These commands can be given through a Vivint Echo Show device, which requires a login to authenticate that the person giving the command has the authority to do so.

After enabling the skill, you’ll need to sign in using your Vivint login credentials to link the devices.

Once the Vivint skills are enabled, Alexa will be looking for the signal to connect the two systems. Users can simply tap “Launch” at the bottom of the Alexa screen once the skills are linked. The app will open a login screen for Vivint Smart Home. Users will enter their Vivint username and password and tap “Sign in.” The systems will connect, and the Alexa app will show a banner celebrating the successful link between the two systems—the Vivint system can now be controlled through Alexa’s voice commands. The screen will suggest a few sample commands to try to help the user get started using voice commands.

One more step is required to link Vivint to Alexa on an Amazon Echo device. In order to function correctly, the Echo device and the Vivint SkyControl system must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

First, the user will need to set up the Echo device. When selecting the Wi-Fi network during Echo setup, they’ll want to make sure they select the same network that the Vivint system uses. Once the Echo is connected to Wi-Fi, the user can connect the Echo to the Vivint system by saying “Alexa, discover my devices.”

Once the devices are linked, you’ll be able to arm your security system, turn lights on and off, adjust thermostat settings, and view camera footage using your Echo device or the Alexa app.

Alexa’s integration with the Vivint system creates a central control hub for Vivint’s smart-home features along with all of Alexa’s other abilities, making it unnecessary to remember which devices and skills are connected to which app. Vivint offers a wide range of smart-home functions. Combining control over those devices with Alexa’s smart-home functions gives users a command center that almost makes it unnecessary to get off the couch to control everything about the ambience and security of the home.

• Lighting: A Vivint/Alexa setup is compatible with Philips Hue smart-home lighting systems, so users can control the lights in one room or a whole home via Alexa. Other smart-home and Vivint lighting products can also be connected to the system as long as they function through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Users can ask Alexa to turn lights on and off in a room, to dim or brighten the lights, to check the status of a light in a particular room, or to turn on all of the lights in the house at one time.
• Locks: Smart locks, either those installed as a primary lock or adapters that can be installed over an existing deadbolt, connect to the Vivint system and can then be controlled through Alexa. This can include deadbolts as well as garage door openers and locks.
• Smart thermostat: Vivint has a thermostat available with its equipment, but there are several other smart thermostats that are Vivint-compatible devices. These may already be installed in the home and can be used to set schedules and adjust heating and air conditioning through voice controls, saving money on energy bills.
• Smart appliances: Alexa can control smart-home appliances, including ovens, heaters, dishwashers, refrigerators, and blinds. Connecting Vivint and Alexa combines these smart-home devices with Vivint’s smart-home system in one place.
  Security cameras: Vivint doorbell cameras, outdoor security cameras, and indoor cameras offer night vision and secure two-way communication. Once cameras are named within the Vivint system, users can ask Alexa to show them specific rooms or cameras on an Amazon Echo device.
• Home security devices: Alexa includes a program called Alexa Intruder Alert, which allows a home’s residents to use a command to trigger a response designed to scare off potential intruders: loud music, flashing lights, a strong voice saying “The police are on their way.” But Alexa can’t actually call the police. Vivint, however, can notify the Vivint monitoring station for help. Vivint’s system includes door and window sensors, motion detection sensors, flood and freeze sensors, and smoke detectors, along with alarms. Alexa allows control of these functions from anywhere in range of an Alexa-enabled device. Users can check the status of a sensor, arm the system for the night, and arm the system for the day when everyone has left the home.

Protect your home and family with a top-notch security system. Vivint’s professionally installed systems don’t just alert you to threats—they help both prevent and deter them. See Vivint’s cameras and services. 

You can also use your Alexa app to set up routines, such as locking doors, turning off lights, and arming the security system when you say “Alexa, I’m leaving.”

Most people have routines they follow upon leaving their home. This routine may include turning off lights and appliances, locking doors, and arming the security system. Alexa users can set up routines to automatically complete these tasks so the user doesn’t need to worry about remembering everything when they leave.

Because Alexa can automate and perform multiple tasks at once, users can group tasks together under a single voice command: “Alexa, I’m home.” That single command can perform several tasks before the home’s resident has cleared the threshold of the front door. Another routine can be set for bedtime so that when the resident gives the command: “Alexa, I’m going to bed,” the night-light in the kitchen turns on, all other lights turn off, the heat lowers to the nighttime temperature, and the system checks to make sure that doors are locked, the garage door is closed, and the security system is armed. Setting up programmed routines can simplify the user experience, save time, and add peace of mind—there’s no need to lie in bed wondering if the door is locked when Alexa has already checked.

Vivint can connect to Google Home as well as Amazon Echo, making it a good choice for a large range of customers.

Vivint can also integrate with Google Home, performing many of the same tasks. Google Home can turn lights on and off and adjust brightness, lock (but not unlock) doors equipped with smart locks, set the temperature and mode on thermostats, and arm the Vivint security system. Users simply say “Hey Google” and voice the rest of the command, such as “Hey Google, lock my doors” or “Hey Google, what is the thermostat setting?” Because Google Home’s smart speakers are so sensitive, they can distinguish between different family members and adjust the response to commands accordingly.

The Google Nest thermostat integrates with Vivint as well, and its emergency procedures add an extra element of safety: Should the smart smoke detectors sense a fire in the home, the preprogrammed response is to notify the Vivint monitoring center, unlock the front doors to remove that obstacle to a speedy exit, and automatically turn off the HVAC system to prevent smoke circulation and slow down the fire. It’s a great addition to a home security protocol.

Users can connect Vivint to Google Home in a few simple steps:

• In the Google Home app, touch the home icon, then choose “Set up device.”
• Choose “Works with Google” to indicate that the product you’re searching for is compatible, then search for “Vivint.”
• Press “Allow” to connect the Vivint system, and log in with the appropriate Vivint credentials.

Once the accounts are connected, users have the option to assign smart-home devices that are already on the system to the appropriate rooms, along with the option to create a custom room if necessary. Once the devices are assigned, the user can issue a voice command saying “Hey Google, sync with Vivint.” The systems are then linked and synced.

Vivint’s ability to integrate so completely with two of the most popular home assistants in the industry give the system an enormous range of potential customers, and the ability to control the security system, temperature, lighting, and door locks from one place may persuade even those who are reluctant to try a smart-home assistant. For those already using Alexa or Google Home to control their entertainment systems, smart appliances, and online research and shopping, this seamless addition to the hub makes Vivint a great candidate for home security. Customers looking to integrate a security system with a virtual assistant may also want to compare Vivint vs. Ring or SimpliSafe vs. Vivint to see which option best suits their needs—and budget.

Protect your home and family with a top-notch security system. Vivint’s professionally installed systems don’t just alert you to threats—they help both prevent and deter them. See Vivint’s cameras and services.