A voice assistant

What it is

Operating a device by speaking to an assistant the household already runs. Eleven listings name an assistant or voice control.

What it requires

The assistant itself, set up and running before the device arrives, which is the requirement counted on the assistant page. The Philips lock is the odd one out: it names voice and fingerprint unlocking and no assistant, so the site cannot say whose voice service it means.

When it is the only way

Where an assistant is the only control a listing names, a household without that assistant has nothing else in the listing to go on. That is the case for the Amazon Basics smart bulb, the Kasa Ultra Mini, Amazon, Govee and Kasa outdoor plugs, and both Midea dehumidifiers.

Listings that name it

• LED Bulbs

  • Amazon Basics Smart A19 LED Bulb, Color Changing, 9W, 800 LM

• Smart Plugs & Remote Outlets

  • Kasa Smart Plug Ultra Mini 15A, EP10P4, 4-Pack, White
  • GHome Smart Plug, White
  • Amazon Smart Plug, 2-Pack
  • Govee Smart Plug, 15A, 4 Pcs
  • Linkind Matter Smart Plug, 15A/1800W, 4 Pack
  • Kasa Outdoor Smart Plug EP40, 2 Sockets, Black

• Dehumidifiers

  • Midea Cube 20 Pint Dehumidifier, 1,500 sq ft
  • Midea 50 Pint Dehumidifier, 4,500 sq ft

• Keypad & Smart Locks

  • Schlage Encode Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt, Century Trim, Matte Black
  • Philips Wi-Fi Keypad Deadbolt with Handle

Requirements it leans on

• An assistant you already use
• A 2.4 GHz network