SimpliSafe’s home security system now works with Google Assistant

SimpliSafe, maker of the best do-it-yourself home security system, according to our recent review, is today releasing a new integration with Google Assistant that will let owners control their home security systems with a Google Home or another device that has access to Assistant. This feature follows the Amazon Alexa integration that SimpliSafe released earlier this year.

Once SimpliSafe users have linked their account with a Google account, they can use voice commands to arm the system or check on the status of it. To use the Google Assistant integration, customers must subscribe to SimpliSafe’s $24.99-per-month professional monitoring plan, which also includes the ability to monitor the system remotely via smartphone apps.

SimpliSafe CEO Chad Laurans says that SimpliSafe worked with Google to develop the integration to ensure that it is reliable and easy to use. He says the focus was on fine-tuning the voice integration and that SimpliSafe is one of the first home security systems to work with Google Home’s continued conversations feature. The integration also supports typing commands to Assistant on smartphones as well as its routines feature that automates various smart home functions at once.

The voice commands supported by the Google Assistant integration include specific commands, such as “arm SimpliSafe to Away”, as well as more generic inquiries, such as “is the security system armed?” It is not currently possible to disarm the system by voice, but Laurans said that is something the company is looking to add in the future.

SimpliSafe’s system also integrates with the Nest thermostat and August smart locks, which can be automatically adjusted when the system is armed or disarmed. The company doesn’t yet work with Apple’s HomeKit platform, but it does have an Apple Watch app available for arming and disarming the system through your wrist.

The self-installed home security market has exploded over the past few years; companies like Nest, Ring, Honeywell, and others all released systems with professional monitoring options. SimpliSafe’s latest system was announced at CES earlier this year, and it features a completely redesigned hub and sensor system. The company notes that according to data from Nest’s monitoring provider, SimpliSafe “outpaced Nest by 20-30x for monitoring subscribers from December 2017 to March 2018” and that approximately 70 percent of customers that purchase SimpliSafe have never had a home security system before.

Update, 2:30PM ET, September 19th, 2018: Added sourcing for sales statistics.

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