Xiaomi is becoming immensely popular lately, with their sleek phones (both the Redmi and the Redmi Note series).
This article talks about Xiaomi Mi Smart Home and its products. They help you make your house smarter, more energy-efficient, and cozier every day.
Xiaomi is not really a newcomer to home automation. They have a whole lot of products and gadgetry on sale like smart speakers, washing machines, refrigerators, and so on.
Their products are also called Mi Ecosystem products. Xiaomi has also teamed with some known appliances producing big names like Honeywell and Phillips, to name a few.
Mi Home App
Xiaomi made its home automation easier to control by developing the Mi Home App. It is sort of like a ”mother-ship” app.
It is used to communicate and control compatible devices so long as you have the router and are connected to the internet. You can download this from Google Play Store for Android Devices or the iOS App Store for iOS devices.
When you download it, create an account, and you can start using it. The app contains a mobile store so you can order Xiaomi Smart Home products instead of going through a third-party website as this can be stressful, and you may also not find the correct type of product that you are looking for.
Products and Services
There are a large number of Xiaomi Home Products, but in this article, we will talk about some of the important ones that you can use to get started on home automation for your home.
Most devices work standalone, but the switches and sensors do need to connect to a sort of base station called The Gateway.
The Gateway
This Gateway works as a hub for the switches and sensors, but it can also function as a nightlight. It can be set up to be your doorbell ringer, alarm clock, and home alarm.
It even plays Chinese internet radio (well, if you want it to). You can easily install it by plugging it into a power source and setting it up through the Mi Home app.
The sensors and switches can then connect to the Gateway and be used to control all kinds of devices.
How this is actually set up is quite simple. All the switches and sensors communicate with the Gateway through their own network.
Sensors and Switches
This is a list of Sensors and Switches that Xiaomi has to offer:
1. Door/Window Sensors
These detect when doors or windows are open. They can perform tasks when the door opens, closes and when it is open for longer than a minute.
For example, it can turn on lights when the door opens after 12 noon or send a notification when the door opens between 12 noon and 6 pm.
2. Light Switches/Doorbells
These perform tasks when clicked, double-clicked, or long-pressed. So they can run up to three different triggers. For example, one click turns lights on or off, a double click enables an air purifier or a long press dims the lights. It is a portable device as it can be put on a wall with double-sided tape.
3. Motion Sensors
These perform tasks when motion is detected. It can also perform tasks when no motion has been detected for a certain amount of time. This can perform as a security device or as an automatic light switch.
For example, turn on lights when motion is detected, turn off lights when no motion has been detected for about 2 minutes and send a notification when motion is detected between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm during weekdays.
4. Magic Cube
This can be programmed to perform up to six different tasks. This device can be physically moved and rotated to trigger a task.
For example, turning it 90 degrees, or 180 degrees, shaking it, tapping it on the surface, moving it, and pushing it are always to control your devices.
You can use it to turn on the AC by tapping it, turning the light on or off by turning it 90 degrees, dim the lights by moving it forward, turn on the air filter by shaking it, etc.
5. Temperature Sensors
These perform tasks when a certain temperature or a certain humidity is detected. You can set these up to enable the AC when a set temperature is reached, and the air humidifier when a certain level of humidity is reached.
For example, turn on the AC when the temperature reaches 270C or turn on the air humidifier if humidity is below 9%.
6. AC Control Gateway
This device acts as another gateway. It can be plugged into the power socket to power your AC unit. When paired with the temperature sensor, it can turn on your AC according to the current temperature. It can control AC over infrared and monitor power usage.
As the base station, it can act as an alarm, play the sound of your doorbell or play internet radio.
7. Built-In Light Switch
Works as a regular powered wall switch, with Wi-Fi. This means this will physically work without the internet but could also be controlled via mobile phone.
This allows you to turn any light into a ”smart” light. Some other devices include:
- Blood Pressure Monitor
- Air Purifier
- Yi Smart Products (Webcam, Camera, etc.)
- Mi Smart Scale
- Mi Water Purifier
- Ninebot Mini
- Mi Induction Heating Pressure Rice Cooker
- Mi Robotic Vacuums
- Mi WiFi+
- Mi Body Composition Scale and any more.
How to Connect Devices
The devices are pretty easy to setup. Just follow these steps:
- Have the app installed on your phone.
- Create an account.
- Go to ”My Devices” and touch ”Add Device”.
- Select the device from the list.
- Input your Wi-Fi network details.
- Go to the automation tab at the bottom of the display. You will find suggested featured animation settings from Xiaomi.
