We typically associate our homes with safety and security, and we try our best to take the recommended steps to safeguard our homes. Fortunately, the rise of easily accessible smart-home technology has ushered in developments that don’t just help with everyday inconveniences but can significantly improve the safety and security of your home. As companies like Google — whose Nest products are well-known for their elegance, ease and efficiencies — and other innovative tech enter our lives, we’ve seen several ways that smart tech can make a meaningful change in families’ lives.

Smart tech is making welcome changes in home security.

Before the proliferation of affordable smart technology and strong home Wi-Fi, not many people had access to effective home surveillance tools. Cameras were often ineffective at night — when many crimes occur — and even during the day yielded blurry, pixelized images. Today, police departments across the country regularly use crystal-clear images from the latest technology to identify and catch criminals or help corroborate the accounts of witnesses.

Though smart security cameras — which ideally are waterproof, on continuously, and upload footage to the cloud — are a smart and surprisingly affordable choice, today’s tech can provide simple solutions that many homeowners aren’t aware of. A doorbell video camera, such as the Nest Hello, streams video footage to your mobile device in real time so you can see who is knocking or if a package has been delivered — or taken. Thanks to the camera's use of HD video and night vision, the video will display clearly, day or night. Homeowners can also use pre-recorded messages, such as instructing the delivery service where to leave a package, which reduces potential safety issues at the door. Remarkably, add-on programs like the Nest Awaresubscription enhance the doorbell camera with facial recognition software to learn the difference between someone you know and someone you don’t.