aficionados are passionate about personalization. We get it. The ability to customize your entire festive display—both indoors and outdoors—is one of the most delightful aspects of the season. And with the rise of smart home tech like Amazon Alexa and Twinkly lights, this joyful experience has become simpler than ever.

Voice-controlled holiday lights are an essential feature for anyone who appreciates smart home gadgets like digital assistants or security cams—or simply anyone wanting to make their festive season as hassle-free and enjoyable as possible. Turning on and adjusting smart lights on your tree or window setup with just a voice command is genuinely an upgrade to the next level. Just imagine: whether you’re enjoying a family movie, deeply engrossed in work or gaming, or setting the atmosphere for a get-together, a quick verbal command and you’re all set!

changing Christmas tree color with Alexa
Here, we’ll walk you through the steps to control smart Christmas lights with Amazon Alexa, emphasizing how to use Alexa specifically with Twinkly lights. With a few straightforward actions, you’ll be able to verbalize control and customize your indoor displays like an expert.

The optimal combo: Twinkly lights + Amazon Alexa

By merging the capabilities of Amazon Alexa, a cloud-based virtual assistant, and Twinkly lights, you can control Twinkly lights with voice commands. This combo will enable you to adjust the brightness, alter colors, or switch the lights on and off remotely.

What you need: 

  • An Amazon Alexa device
  • Twinkly lights (any variant will suffice!)

Setup instructions:

First, ensure your Twinkly lights are connected to your Wi-Fi network. If you’re new to using Alexa, you’ll also need to download and set up the Alexa app.

Twinkly lights and gaming computerOnce that’s done, add the “Twinkly skill” to Amazon Alexa. The steps are simple:

  1. Open the Alexa app
  2. Tap on “More”
  3. Go to “Skill and Games”
  4. Search for “Twinkly”
  5. Select Twinkly from the list and hit “Skill Activate”
  6. Follow the subsequent steps

Once completed, you’re ready! You can manage your Twinkly lights using these voice commands:

  • Set brightness with percentages (“Alexa, set Twinkly to 50%”)
  • Switch Twinkly lights on/off (“Alexa, turn off Twinkly”)
  • Change light colors (“Alexa, set Twinkly to Red”)

Note that the color-changing feature is only available on the second generation of Twinkly lights, which are the newer models. Twinkly lights made in 2020 or earlier belong to the Gen I category.

If you have non-Twinkly lights

If you don’t own Twinkly lights but want to use your current Christmas lights, it’s quite feasible to set them up with a smart device like Alexa. The process is slightly more intricate than with Twinkly lights but still very manageable for most individuals. However, note that this setup won’t enable color changes.

Requirements:

  • A smart plug compatible with Alexa (here’s a list of some recommended ones)
  • Any Christmas lights!

Setup process: 

  1. Create a Routine on Alexa

The key to using Alexa and smart plugs with your Christmas lights is setting a Routine. To do so, open the Alexa app and select the “hamburger” icon at the bottom left to access “Settings.”

Under Settings, choose Routines. Routines are collections of smart-device actions triggered by a specific voice command you decide.

In the Routines section, tap the plus sign at the top right to create a new Routine.

  1. Name the Routine

Name your new Routine; something simple like “Christmas lights” will work. After that, choose “When this happens,” opening a new menu with various Routine triggers.

Begin with the “Voice” icon, allowing you to specify a phrase to initiate the Routine. Opt for something direct, such as “Alexa, turn on the Christmas tree.”

  1. Add actions to the Routine

Return to the “New Routine” menu and select “Add action.” Scroll to “Smart Home” and pick it.

This will list all Alexa-enabled devices on your network, including your smart plug. Select it, and Alexa will ensure your new Routine, triggered by your chosen voice command, turns the smart plug on. Tap “next” and then ”save” to finish.

  1. Test the Routine!

Now it’s time to test. Ensure the Christmas lights you want to control are plugged into the smart plug and that the plug is off. Then, use your set command (e.g., “Alexa, turn on the tree”). It should work! If not, revisit the setup steps to confirm proper connection.

And that’s all! With just a few steps, you can achieve hands-free control of your indoor Christmas display. Experiment with Alexa and your lights to find the optimal setup—and enjoy the process!

Happy decorating!