How to “stalk” Your Home With Smart Speakers
Whether you have Google Home, Amazon Echo, or Apple HomePod, your smart speaker shouldn’t be ignored this Halloween. Just like you can ask Alexa to set a timer while you cook, or check the weather with Google, you can also ask your smart speakers to accept a creepy time of year – if you only know what to ask.
Some of these Halloween features are built right into your smart speakers; the developers seem to have fun adding these options to their products without advertising them. Other ideas require additional products such as a second speaker or other smart hardware. But it is all well worth the effort if you are looking to improve your Halloween party game.
Speak through the speaker
If you have a smart speaker, you can use it to scare guests from afar. All smart speakers have some sort of function for this; Amazon has Drop In , Google Home has broadcast option , and HomePod has Intercom . The effect should be the same for everyone; create a creepy message and this message will be sent to your smart speaker.
Maybe you make a scene, leaving the party guests in a dark room with one flickering lamp … only to shout through your smart speaker, which is strategically hidden behind a skull or other prop, when they wonder what exactly is going on. … Or maybe you hide a speaker on your porch, watching and waiting for the unsuspecting (older) trick masters to come up.
Create creepy playlists
Nothing says “Halloween” like the classic creepy jams. Monster Mash is clearly welcome here, but so is the main theme of Halloween. A good Halloween playlist will get you and your guests into a truly creepy spirit.
You can choose these playlists yourself ( or take advantage of our suggestions ) and then play them through your smart speaker. Or, to make it easier for you, choose one of the Halloween playlists your smart speaker can play automatically. There are options for smart speakers, as well as playlists that they can pull from streaming services like Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, and Apple Music.
Ask your smart assistant to change the light
If you really want to decorate your home for Halloween, you might also want to consider some smart fixtures. Buy suitable bulbs, such as Philips Hue , that can change color on command. You can use a variety of oranges, purples and reds to create a truly intimidating atmosphere for your guests.
While this can all be done with a smartphone, it is fun to use a smart speaker instead. Saying “Ok Google, turn on the orange light in the living room” is always a great party trick. And if you set up a command in the smart home app that the lights are linked to, you don’t have to ask the lights to change color by color. “Alexa, Halloween Lights” can cause all of your smart lights to change color to your pre-set color.
Ask the presenter to tell you a scary story
One fun Halloween Easter egg is to ask for a scary story from your smart speaker. Some may take you three to 10 minutes; however, I’ve found that if you just ask Google Home to tell you “something scary,” you get a half-joke, half-joke story. “Have you heard the urban legend about the power cable that was … too short?”
Your smart speaker practices resilience
Speaking of jokes, your smart speaker is trying its last five-minute set, if you don’t mind checking it out (there are at least two drinks). While smart speakers are ready to joke all year round, ask Google or Alexa to tell you a Halloween joke for something more holiday-relevant. (Unfortunately, while Siri can tell jokes, her repertoire doesn’t include Halloween jokes, and she only replies, “I’m not sure I understand.”)
Eerie sounds, eerie screams
Halloween music can really set the mood for your party, as can an atmospheric playlist with sounds. Transform your living room into a squeaky, eerie sound environment full of screams – just ask Google Home or Amazon Echo to get scared and the smart speaker will follow suit. In fact, you can ask your Amazon Echo to scream at some point in the future. (Will it be as scary as Meryl Streep in Big Little Lies ?)
Scare the (old) tricks with your speaker
Many smart speakers are small – use this to your advantage. Hide one of the speakers behind your front door, such as a lantern or plant. Then use any of the tactics we discussed above; shout out to a group of (older) trick or weed masters when they come up to you, or politely remind them to only take one candy at a time, please. They’ll probably be a little shocked no matter what you say, so have fun.