While Microsoft's Cortana offered essentially the same capabilities across various platforms, the key weakness was that it just isn’t a great smart home controller, as it lacks many of the services supported by rivals.

Now, Microsoft has added support for IFTTT to Cortana, bringing the power of conditional web-based service chains of simple statements, with the new smart-home controls available from the Invoke, and also from Windows 10 PC or even the Cortana apps for Android and iOS.

The Invoke support for Samsung SmartThings, Nest, Philips Hue, Wink, and Insteon was announced late last year, and now, the support have expanded to cover products from Ecobee, Honeywell Lyric, Honeywell Total Connect Comfort, LIFX, TP-Link Kasa, and Geeni.



Albeit, there's still the problem of Cortana's relatively small number of “skills,” or third-party services support, but IFTTT will provide its own app interactions, and thus expand Cortana’s reach.

The IFFTT expanded smart-home support may not still bring Cortana up to par with Alexa or Google Home-powered devices ecosystem, but certainly, it will help to elevate Cortana’s standing.

Microsoft and IFTTT published a list of suggested Applets on a dedicated Cortana channel, which those who want to give it a spin can download and apply. To enable for Windows 10, you’ll need to open Cortana on Windows 10, click the Notebook, then open the Connected Home submenu, and add your smart-home account to Cortana.

Microsoft brings IFTTT Support to Cortana smart home

While Microsoft's Cortana offered essentially the same capabilities across various platforms, the key weakness was that it just isn’t a great smart home controller, as it lacks many of the services supported by rivals.

Now, Microsoft has added support for IFTTT to Cortana, bringing the power of conditional web-based service chains of simple statements, with the new smart-home controls available from the Invoke, and also from Windows 10 PC or even the Cortana apps for Android and iOS.

The Invoke support for Samsung SmartThings, Nest, Philips Hue, Wink, and Insteon was announced late last year, and now, the support have expanded to cover products from Ecobee, Honeywell Lyric, Honeywell Total Connect Comfort, LIFX, TP-Link Kasa, and Geeni.



Albeit, there's still the problem of Cortana's relatively small number of “skills,” or third-party services support, but IFTTT will provide its own app interactions, and thus expand Cortana’s reach.

The IFFTT expanded smart-home support may not still bring Cortana up to par with Alexa or Google Home-powered devices ecosystem, but certainly, it will help to elevate Cortana’s standing.

Microsoft and IFTTT published a list of suggested Applets on a dedicated Cortana channel, which those who want to give it a spin can download and apply. To enable for Windows 10, you’ll need to open Cortana on Windows 10, click the Notebook, then open the Connected Home submenu, and add your smart-home account to Cortana.

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