Every smart home guide gives you a list of 200 voice commands. You’ll use 15 of them. Here are the 50 commands real people actually use daily, organized by when you use them. No gimmicks, no “Alexa, order me a pizza” — just commands that save you time and effort.
Morning Commands
Set these up as a “Good Morning” routine — one command that triggers all of them:
- “Good morning” — Turns on kitchen and bathroom lights at 70 percent, adjusts thermostat to morning temperature, reads weather and calendar, starts coffee maker (if on a smart plug)
- “Set thermostat to 72” — Quick temperature adjustment without walking to the thermostat
- “Turn on the coffee maker” — If your coffee maker is on a smart plug, this starts brewing from bed
- “What’s the weather today?” — Gets the forecast before you dress
- “What’s on my calendar today?” — Morning briefing without looking at your phone
Leaving Home Commands
Set these up as a “Leaving Home” routine:
- “I’m leaving” — Turns off all lights, adjusts thermostat to away mode, locks all doors, arms security sensors
- “Lock the front door” — Single lock command for when you’re already in the car
- “Turn off everything” — Kills all lights and switches as you walk out
- “Set thermostat to away” — Energy saving while you’re out
- “Did I lock the door?” — Check status without going back inside
Coming Home Commands
Set these up as an “Arriving Home” routine:
- “I’m home” — Turns on entry lights, adjusts thermostat to home temperature, disarms security
- “Turn on the living room” — Lights and TV in one command
- “Set living room to 70 percent” — Dim the lights for the evening without adjusting each bulb
- “Play jazz in the living room” — Music without opening an app
- “What’s for dinner?” — Checks your meal planning list or calendar
Cooking Commands
- “Set a timer for 12 minutes” — The most-used smart speaker command, period
- “Set a second timer for 25 minutes” — Multiple named timers for different dishes
- “How many tablespoons in a quarter cup?” — Unit conversions while your hands are dirty
- “Turn kitchen lights to 100 percent” — Full brightness for cooking
- “Add milk to my shopping list” — Build a list hands-free
Evening and Bedtime Commands
Set these up as a “Good Night” routine:
- “Good night” — Turns off all lights, locks all doors, adjusts thermostat to sleeping temperature, arms security, turns on Do Not Disturb on your phone
- “Dim the bedroom to 20 percent” — Wind-down lighting
- “Set thermostat to 68” — Sleeping temperature
- “Turn off the TV” — From bed, without the remote
- “Play rain sounds” — White noise for sleeping
Entertainment Commands
- “Turn on the TV” — If your TV is on a smart plug or has HDMI-CEC
- “Volume up” / “Volume down” — Without finding the remote
- “Mute” — Quick mute for phone calls or conversations
- “Play “ — Jump to a saved playlist without navigating your phone
- “Next track” — Hands-free control
Temperature and Comfort
- “Make it warmer” / “Make it cooler” — Relative adjustments without remembering specific temperatures
- “What’s the temperature in here?” — Check the thermostat reading without getting up
- “Turn on the fan” — If your fan is on a smart plug
- “Turn on the bedroom heater” — If your space heater is on a smart plug
- “Set the thermostat to 70” — Direct temperature command
Security and Safety
- “Are all the doors locked?” — Check status of all smart locks
- “Lock all the doors” — One command for every lock
- “Is the garage closed?” — Check your smart garage door status
- “Show me the front door” — Display front door camera on your smart display
- “Turn on all the outside lights” — Security lighting when you hear something at night
How to Set Up Routines
The commands above that say “set up as a routine” are the ones that deliver the most value. Here’s how to create them on each platform:
Alexa Routines
Open the Alexa app, go to More > Routines > Create Routine. Add triggers (voice command, schedule, or device state), then add actions (turn on lights, adjust thermostat, announce weather, etc.). For a complete setup guide, see our routines guide.
Google Home Routines
Open the Google Home app, go to Settings > Routines. Google offers preset routines (Good Morning, Leaving Home, etc.) that you can customize. Add or remove actions to match your setup.
Home Assistant Automations
If you’re using Home Assistant, you can create automations that trigger on time, device state, location, weather, or any combination. Home Assistant automations are the most powerful because they can combine multiple platforms (Alexa, Google, Zigbee, Z-Wave) into a single routine. See our hub comparison for more on choosing a platform.
Commands That Sound Cool But You’ll Never Use
Skip these. They’re gimmicks:
- “Add milk to my cart” — Easier to just open the app
- “Read me a story” — You’re not 5
- “Order me a pizza” — Still faster to use the Domino’s app
- “Tell me a joke” — The jokes are terrible
- “Play a game” — Your phone is right there
The best voice commands are the ones that eliminate a physical action: walking to a switch, finding a remote, or checking a device. If you can do it faster by just pressing a button, skip the voice command. For more on what’s actually useful in a smart home, see our beginner mistakes guide.
The Bottom Line
You’ll use maybe 15 voice commands regularly. The rest of the value comes from routines that run automatically — “good morning,” “I’m leaving,” and “good night” handle 80 percent of your daily smart home interactions without you saying a word. Set up those three routines, memorize the 10 commands you actually need, and let the rest of the 200-command list gather dust.