With smart home appliances, you can weave a series of commands together and have them triggered just by flipping a switch or having a sensor detect motion. Smart assistants and task apps have long been able to cook up recipes or routines, but it takes two to tango — those partners being the appliance makers that need to be able to get their products synced up and ready for a command. TP-Link is the latest OEM to allow for synced or so-called "Smart Actions" on its Kasa lines of lightbulbs, switches, plugs, and cameras.

TP-Link actually announced Smart Actions at CES this year. In an FAQ section, it describes four types of Smart Actions that users can program with their Kasa products:

• Motion Sensing: if a Kasa camera detects motion, it can turn on a smart plug, bulb, or switch. They can be set to later turn off with an auto-timer.
• Control with a Switch: if you flip a Kasa switch, you can also turn on multiple bulbs or plugs.
• Schedule a Scene: you can set certain times for a number of plugs, bulbs, and switches to come on or off.
• Auto-off Timer: you can also just have plugs, bulbs, or switches turn off after some time being on.

The company says that only three Smart Actions can be active at a time and that users can create up to 50 actions in their account.

Smart Actions is rolling out in stages to blocs of Kasa owners. You should see a new Smart Actions tab, which means you'll be able to program one. No word on if or when Kasa video doorbells and wall outlets will have Smart Actions.

Source: TP-Link