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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To just want to use a fucking light switch

181 replies

Iwrotethelyricstoaxlf · 15/01/2025 22:55

We’ve had Alexa bulbs (other smart bulbs available) for the last few years.

Alexa is getting more stubborn at turning the bloody things on.

Would I be unreasonable to ding the whole
fucking lot out and just use the bloody switch instead.

Its honestly driving me nuts.

OP posts:
ButternutBelle · 16/01/2025 05:05

Mikiamo · 16/01/2025 01:10

Well, my spine broke and I'm mostly confined to bed, so I can't get to my light switch.

What IS the world coming to?

Show quote history

For your situation, this technology is a godsend (sorry about your back). But for those perfectly capable of flicking a light switch, it doesn’t seem to be adding much…

Another example of shiny tech making our lives more complicated.

CarolinaWren · 16/01/2025 05:16

RawBloomers · 16/01/2025 01:23

We use google home, which has similar phases of getting stubborn about obeying spoken commands. But instead of getting “smart” bulbs, we got “smart” switches, so can use those if Google is inconvenient (also, don’t have to get and setup a smart bulb when they need replacing, any bulb will do).

I have found the whole smart home thing frustrating. It stops working every few months when Google decide to rejig how it all works. The interface is very poor and non-intuitive, and also keeps getting changed. The introduction of voice recognition held great promise but was the turning point for confusion, poor responses and broken routines.

However, it’s also been fantastic. I can shut everything off from my bed. In the morning when I turn off my alarm it automatically turns on my lights, turns on the heating and boils the kettle. I have it set to turn the heating up when I’ve been out and am I’m about 15 minutes away. We have a bunch of Christmas lights and things set up so it can run fun routines. It can open the curtains at the start of the day, turn on the bright lights when it’s too dim to see, turn them down and close the curtains for cozy evenings, turn all but the night lights off for night time with just a command or (if it’s being stubborn!) a press of a button on my phone. And no need to runaround around checking everywhere when we go out or settle down. I also have routines that run when we’re on holiday to make it look like we’re in.

I don’t think it’s well enough developed yet for most people. But I’m worried that Amazon, Google and Apple have been downgrading their investments. I’ll really miss it if it goes.

I highly recommend against smart switches. With smart bulbs, you can replace it with a regular bulb and carry-on as usual. With smart switches, you need to replace the entire switch. I had several installed when I was remodeling my kitchen and bathrooms several years ago. Two don't work at all anymore, even as regular switches, and need to be replaced. One more only works through the app or voice, but not the wall switch.

Oblomov25 · 16/01/2025 05:23

Dh just fitted them, use them occasionally, but use the manual more. Nice to have the option.

CarolinaWren · 16/01/2025 05:27

Iwrotethelyricstoaxlf · 15/01/2025 22:55

We’ve had Alexa bulbs (other smart bulbs available) for the last few years.

Alexa is getting more stubborn at turning the bloody things on.

Would I be unreasonable to ding the whole
fucking lot out and just use the bloody switch instead.

Its honestly driving me nuts.

I feel that way occasionally, but most of the time I love them. I love being able to change the color, change the brightness to any percentage or turn on just one bulb in a multi bulb fixture. I love being able to turn off all the lights at once when I go to bed. I love being able to turn the house lights on or off from my car. I love being able to turn on the bathroom fan when I'm in the shower.

BitOutOfPractice · 16/01/2025 05:31

SnowFrogJelly · 16/01/2025 01:02

Makes you wonder what the world is coming to when people can't turn their own lights on

My elderly mother, who struggles to get in and out of her chair, would wonder why the hell you wonder that. It’s massive boon to lots of people that you would probably deem lazy or incapable.

PieonaBarm · 16/01/2025 05:37

I think my Alexa is peri as she doesn't listen half the time. Tbf she does to me as I just say "Alexa lamp on" but DH says too many words like "Alexa could you please turn the lamp on" and then she just ignores him

MJconfessions · 16/01/2025 05:51

I have a mixture of smart lights and traditional lights and I’m in 2 minds about this. Sometimes I find smart lights a bit faffy and I rarely take full advantage of all the colours, modes, automations etc. however being able to turn the light off via an app is so useful, especially in bedrooms

TheAirfryerQueen · 16/01/2025 05:55

I'm such a Luddite. I don't have any of this stuff.

B0xes · 16/01/2025 05:56

Absolutely get rid of your Alexa it boggles my mind how many people pay to set up a surveillance unit in their homes.

Painauraison · 16/01/2025 05:58

My husband loves it all, I'm not so into it. I feel it does not work more often that it does! Every room has alexa lights, the heating, the doorbell, tvs and now the shower!! Apparently I'm old fashioned because I like a nice lamp 🤣 Boys and their toys.

Jewelanemone · 16/01/2025 06:00

I'm coming around to ours. We use it to switch lights on around the house when we're away (via the phone app), and we also control the heated airer and our electric blanket. Nice to be able to switch that on just before we come home from a night out in the winter!

Simonjt · 16/01/2025 06:01

SnowFrogJelly · 16/01/2025 01:02

Makes you wonder what the world is coming to when people can't turn their own lights on

Well my husband has extremely limited use of his arms and hands, so yeah, whay is the world coming to.

MsJinks · 16/01/2025 06:09

Set Alexa up for my chair/bedbound Mum and it was so good for her and everyone she could control lights/heating/xmas tree lights/tv - she had previously avoided even using a mobile but learned really well. I did however have to go up a lot when 'Alexa wouldn't listen' and sometimes had to reset the lights, which was a pain - also bulbs are extortionate and didn't all last as they should, but ultimately helped her stay in her home tbh.
However, I've been staying whilst sorting the house now and just didn't carry on using it - the 4 different light sets in the room are too much for me 🙈🤣 - it takes ages to turn on/off and just seems clunky and odd. I can't be doing with her telling me she has/not done things too lol. I do very occasionally wish I used the light one if I'm half asleep on the sofa!
I'm a fan for where it's needed but not personally, but I guess it will improve over time and might be better and I perhaps didn't try hard enough to get used to it.

garlictwist · 16/01/2025 06:12

I didn't even know that was a thing. What a faff!

RawBloomers · 16/01/2025 06:24

CarolinaWren · 16/01/2025 05:16

I highly recommend against smart switches. With smart bulbs, you can replace it with a regular bulb and carry-on as usual. With smart switches, you need to replace the entire switch. I had several installed when I was remodeling my kitchen and bathrooms several years ago. Two don't work at all anymore, even as regular switches, and need to be replaced. One more only works through the app or voice, but not the wall switch.

Show quote history

That’s really annoying. I can see why it would put you off. I haven’t had any problems with my smart light switches, though have had plenty of sockets die on me.

JaninaDuszejko · 16/01/2025 06:27

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

You clearly don't have teenagers who go to bed after you. They seem to be incapable of turning off lights when they leave a room so I have gone downstairs and found all the lights on more than once. Not that smart lights would help since I'm asleep long before this happens.

HappiestSleeping · 16/01/2025 06:30

JacquesHarlow · 15/01/2025 23:42

I would never have them. How many people who own them, have put them on a separate SSID with client isolation?

How many people on this thread will also attack me in ignorance and say “nothing will ever happen” etc?

I did, but have since pretty much binned them. At very least, they are all on switches. There are so many devices these days that can be used as entry points to the network, it's scary.

newschoolpals · 16/01/2025 06:32

If it's Hue, get the dimmer switches and stick them on the wall on / next to the physical switches! We have that in every room and mostly use those but can instruct Alexa when needed or use the app on our phones when we want to do something more clever or specific. Best of both all worlds! I love it!

12purplepencils · 16/01/2025 06:33

I worry that with all these smart things we’re gradually taking away the need to move at all! All those little movements to go and switch on my lamps manually probably use a lot of calories over my lifetime!

anotherside · 16/01/2025 06:36

Not anti tech but they’ve always struck me as pointless. I mean manually flicking a switch is actually quite satisfying.

TimeForATerf · 16/01/2025 06:38

I have a couple (and a couple of hive bulbs) and use them in lamps when we are away for the night. The rest of the time I’m a switch person.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 16/01/2025 06:41

We don't have Aklexa or similar but when friends have demonstated it seems a bit like asking a cat to do something - it might do it, it might not or it might do something different. I suppose it is one way of bringing some excitement and mystery into one's life

Motherbear44 · 16/01/2025 06:42

PyongyangKipperbang · 16/01/2025 02:06

My sister has these....."Alexa turn on the lounge lights" ....how the hell is that quicker than FLICK? ITS NOT!!! And half the time it takes her several times for Alexa to do it.

Load of old bollocks.

Its one of those "just because you can, it doesnt mean that you should" things.

My neighbour is always on trend with technology. When they are away and I feed the cats it seems great to not to have to touch the switches (more hygienic tbh). However I can only get the kitchen to work because I cannot remember what they have called the corridor (?corridor or hall) and lounge (sitting room, family room, lounge, drawing room). Easier to just wave in front of their hygienic contactless switches.

Christmassoxs · 16/01/2025 06:46

All the tech bollocks, such as described here with lights,🙄 a light switch is simple enough for majority of people.
No wonder so many people complain of anxiety and depression when they are worrying about shit like this, likes /lack of on fb and so many other pointless things in modern life, it helps make mental health much worse ime
john upthread, summed it up in one sentence.

miliop · 16/01/2025 06:47

TheAirfryerQueen · 16/01/2025 05:55

I'm such a Luddite. I don't have any of this stuff.

I didn't know this stuff existed.

Great for people with disabilities/mobility issues. But for everyone else, why?!

I like switches. Buttons. Toggles. Knobs. Dials. Tactile, intuitive, fast, simple and easy. Very little to go wrong.

I want stuff that performs better than ever and is more energy-efficient. But I don't want using it to be over-designed, fussy, difficult and long-winded, for the sake of faux-convenience.

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