'What is an Amazon Smart Plug?': Everything you need to know about Amazon's outlet that lets you turn devices on with your voice

• The Amazon Smart Plug is an outlet that you can plug into the existing outlets in your home.
• Any device that you plug into an Amazon Smart Plug can be turned on and off using the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet.
• The Alexa app allows you to set timers and routines for all of the Smart Plugs in your home, and lets you control your devices remotely and with your voice.

Remember the Clapper? Clap once, your lights turned on. Clap again, and they turned off. It was a popular device that made turning on your lights as low-effort as possible.

Now, with the advent of smart technology like the Amazon Smart Plug, managing your electronics is even easier.

Here's everything you need to know about the Amazon Smart Plug, one of Amazon's tools for turning your living space into a Smart Home.

What is an Amazon Smart Plug?

The Amazon Smart Plug is a smart outlet that you plug into a regular outlet. It has a compact design so it won't block adjacent ports, and it can be controlled remotely using the Amazon Alexa app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device.

When you plug a device into the Amazon Smart Plug, that device can now be controlled using the app, and with your voice as well. This is good if you want to turn your devices on or off when you don't have direct physical contact with the device.

For example: If you have a coffee maker, you can prep it with coffee the night before and use the app to turn it on as you leave for work, so that a pot will be made for you to consume before heading out.

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Don't want your kids playing video games all day while you run errands? Set a timer on the plug to turn their system off after an hour or two. The possibilities are endless.

You can also set timers so that your devices turn on and off at the same time every day — great if you're going away for a while, or for turning your Christmas lights on and off every day. Similar to running timers, you can set routines that trigger reactions from all of your Smart Plugs with one command.

For example, you can set it up so that saying "Alexa, goodnight" turns off all your lights, turns off the TV, and turns on the box fan in your bedroom. That's quite a timesaver at the end of a long day.

The Amazon Smart Plug must be connected to a 2.4 gigahertz Wi-Fi network, and is only compatible with the Alexa smart home system. You don't need an Echo device to control the outlets — just the Alexa app.

The Plugs are available for about $25.00 each on Amazon.

Related coverage from Tech Reference:

• How to make Alexa work on your iPhone, and use it with or without an Amazon Echo

• 'Can Alexa play YouTube?': Not directly — here's how to play YouTube on an Alexa-enabled speaker with a Bluetooth-paired device

• 'What is the Amazon Echo Dot?': Everything you need to know about Amazon's compact smart speaker

• How to connect an Amazon Echo to Wi-Fi to get the most out of your Alexa-enabled smart speaker

• 'What can the Amazon Echo do?': Everything you need to know about Amazon's smart speakers