Learn About Managing Your Connected Devices

Understanding Your Connected Devices and How They Work Together

Connected devices, often called the Internet of Things or IoT devices, are everyday items that link to the internet and communicate with each other. These range from smartphones and tablets to smart home devices like thermostats, security cameras, doorbell systems, and voice assistants. According to research from Statista, as of 2024, there are approximately 18.2 billion connected devices worldwide, and this number continues to grow. Most households in developed countries now have between 5 and 15 connected devices active at any given time.

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Understanding how these devices function is the first step toward managing them properly. Each connected device contains a small computer chip that allows it to send and receive information through your home network or through cellular connections. When you ask a voice assistant a question, that audio travels to company servers where it is processed, and an answer comes back to your device. When your smart thermostat learns your schedule, it stores information locally on the device itself or sends it to the manufacturer's servers for analysis.

The ecosystem of connected devices creates what experts call a "smart home" or "connected lifestyle." This means your devices can work together in automated ways. For example, when you leave your home, your phone's location service can trigger your smart door lock to engage, your lights to turn off, and your thermostat to switch to an energy-saving mode. These automations happen through a combination of local processing on your devices and cloud processing on remote servers.

Common types of connected devices include: smart speakers with voice control, smart displays with screens, security systems including cameras and door sensors, climate control devices like smart thermostats and humidifiers, lighting systems that adjust brightness and color, kitchen appliances such as refrigerators and ovens, entertainment systems including televisions and streaming devices, wearable devices like fitness trackers and smartwatches, smart plugs and switches that control power to other devices, and health monitoring equipment such as scales and blood pressure monitors.

Practical Takeaway: Create a written list of all the connected devices in your home, noting the brand, model, and what each device does. This inventory will be useful for managing passwords, understanding what data each device collects, and troubleshooting problems later.

Securing Your Connected Devices and Networks

Security is one of the most important aspects of managing connected devices. When devices are connected to the internet, they can potentially be accessed by unauthorized people if you do not take protective steps. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center reported that in 2023, people lost over $14 billion to internet-related crimes, many involving compromised connected devices. Protecting your devices involves several layers of defense.

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The first layer of protection is your home network. Most people connect their devices through a wireless router that broadcasts a WiFi signal. This router needs a strong password to prevent neighbors or others from accessing it. Your router's password should be at least 12 characters long and include uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Change the default password that came with your router, as manufacturers often use the same default passwords for all devices of that model. Additionally, enable WPA3 encryption on your router if your devices support it. WPA3 is the newest security standard and is more resistant to hacking attempts than older WPA2 encryption.

The second layer is securing each individual device. Every connected device should have a strong, unique password or PIN. Do not use the same password across multiple devices. Consider using a password manager application to generate and store complex passwords securely. Password managers like Bitwarden, 1Password, or Dashlane can create passwords that are difficult to guess and keep track of them so you do not have to memorize each one. For devices that use biometric access, such as fingerprint or face recognition, enable these features in addition to a password backup.

Regular software updates are another critical security practice. Manufacturers release updates to fix vulnerabilities that hackers discover. When your device notifies you that an update is available, install it promptly. Many modern devices allow you to set up automatic updates, which will install security patches without requiring manual action. Devices that do not receive updates anymore should be retired from service or isolated from your main network.

Additional security measures include: disabling features you do not use to reduce potential entry points for attackers, reviewing and adjusting privacy settings in each device's companion app, enabling two-factor authentication where available to require both a password and a secondary verification step, keeping your router's administrative password different from your WiFi password, and checking your router's settings periodically to ensure unknown devices have not connected to your network.

Practical Takeaway: Schedule a monthly security check where you review your router's connected devices list, check for available software updates on each device, and verify that passwords remain strong and unique. Setting a calendar reminder will help you maintain this routine.

Managing Data and Privacy on Your Connected Devices

Connected devices collect varying amounts of personal information depending on their function and design. A smartwatch might collect your heart rate, location, and sleep patterns. A smart speaker records audio of your voice commands. A security camera captures video of visitors and activity in and around your home. Understanding what data your devices collect is fundamental to privacy management. Most manufacturers publish privacy policies explaining what they gather, though these documents are often lengthy and written in technical language.

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Data collection generally falls into a few categories. First-party data is information collected directly by the device manufacturer. When you use a device made by Company A, Company A learns information about how you use it. Second-party data occurs when Company A sells or shares that information with Company B, who may use it for their own purposes. Third-party data is collected about you from multiple sources and combined to create a detailed profile. This aggregated data can be used for targeted marketing, product development, or sold to data brokers who resell it to other companies.

To manage your data, start by reviewing the privacy settings within each device's companion application or settings menu. Most devices allow you to control what data is collected. For example, you might be able to disable location tracking, turn off activity history, or choose not to save your voice commands. Some devices offer a "privacy mode" that disables certain data collection features. Take time to explore these settings rather than accepting default configurations.

Data retention policies vary by manufacturer. Some companies delete your activity data automatically after 3 months, while others keep it indefinitely unless you delete it manually. You have the right to request deletion of your data from most companies, though the process varies. Many manufacturers provide tools to view, download, or delete your data through their websites or apps. The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation and similar laws in other regions require companies to honor these requests.

Consider these strategies for privacy management: disable cloud storage features and use local storage when possible, meaning data stays on your device rather than being sent to company servers; limit permissions on companion apps to only what is necessary for the device to function; review privacy policies before purchasing new devices; use separate email addresses for different device manufacturers if you want to limit how much data any single company holds about you; and opt out of marketing communications and data sharing when these options are available.

Practical Takeaway: Visit each device manufacturer's website and locate your account settings. Review what data each company has collected about you and delete data you do not want retained. Many companies allow you to set data retention preferences for future collection, so modify these settings according to your comfort level.

Organizing and Naming Your Connected Devices

As your collection of connected devices grows, organization becomes increasingly important for smooth operation. When you have 20 or more devices, it becomes difficult to remember which device is which, which ones are functioning properly, and how to control them effectively. A systematic approach to naming and organizing devices will make management significantly easier.

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Device naming should follow a consistent pattern that describes the device type and location. For example: "Kitchen_SmartPlug_Refrigerator," "Bedroom_Motion_Sensor," or "Front_Door_Camera." This naming convention is far more useful than the default names manufacturers assign, which are often generic like "Device_5A8F2" or "Living Room Lamp 1." When you use your voice assistant, say, "Turn off Kitchen_SmartPlug_Refrigerator," the specific name makes it clear what you are controlling.

Group your devices in your smartphone's companion apps or through your smart home hub. Most ecosystems allow you to create rooms or zones. You might have a "Bedroom," "Kitchen," "Living Room," and "Outdoor" grouping. Within each room, list the devices and their functions. This organization method makes it easy to control multiple devices at once