I check my email several times a day, but the same cannot be said for my inbox. Unlike my inbox, I rarely (if ever) get emails that I want to open. Instead, it’s usually just invoices and ads that end up in your spam folder.
The result is that open mail piles up in my mailbox. In fact, it got so bad a few years ago that the post office stopped delivering mail to my house. That’s when I realized I had to do something different and that’s why I did it I installed a smart sensor on my mailbox.
Maybe it’s the weather or a reckless driver, but one day I came out of the house and found my mailbox had fallen. After investigating things further, I realized it was time to create a brand new mailbox that would hold the physical mail. It took some work, but I was able to install my new mailbox. However, the old mailbox sensor was damaged and I had to get a new one to replace it.
If you have a hard time remembering to check your own email or want to keep track of when emails are delivered, here’s how I upgraded My Mailbox Ultimate and added it to My Mailbox Smart home.
Different types of motion sensors
If you already have a smart home, you’re probably familiar with it Motion sensor And know everything about how to use it Light the lamp Or start another job. Ring mailbox sensors work similarly, but are specifically designed to be placed in your mailbox.
When I got my first ring mailbox sensor, I needed a ring bridge ($49, Amazon) to get to work. Now you don’t need to thanks to Amazon Sidewalk, which works like Apple’s Find My Network. However, if you don’t want to connect your devices to Amazon’s low-bandwidth Wi-Fi network, you can use the Ring Bridge or Ring Alarm Pro base station to add a Ring Mailbox sensor to your home network.
The Ring Mailbox Sensor runs on three AAA batteries and pairs with your smartphone via the Ring app. Depending on how often your mail is delivered, the batteries should last up to a year before needing replacement. If you are setting up a brand new Ring Mailbox sensor, this may take a few minutes as several updates must be installed before you can install it.
Second time’s the charm
As I mentioned earlier, the Ring Mailbox sensor is equipped with an antenna so that its signal can reach other Amazon Sidewalk-enabled devices or your Ring Bridge. Installation is optional if you have a plastic mailbox instead of a metal mailbox, but I chose to install it anyway.
Installing your Ring Mailbox sensor starts by drilling a hole in the back of your mailbox to place the antenna. Fortunately, Ring includes a large drill for this purpose if you don’t have one on hand. Note that if you want to use an antenna, you will need to drill a hole and run the wire before attaching the ring mailbox sensor to the back of your mailbox.
This is because the antenna is attached to the back of the sensor and is not easily accessible after installing with tape. You want to leave some space on either side so you can easily remove the sensor when you want to change the battery.
The antenna cable is about 30cm long, giving you enough room to place it on either side of your mailbox. Since I live on a cul-de-sac, I decided to place the antenna prominently to the left of my mailbox. The antenna itself is made of black plastic, but the ring gives you a sticker to attach it to, which looks nice but can also help deter porch pirates.
You have mail
With the replacement ring mailbox sensor installed in my new mailbox, it was time to add to my smart home. If you don’t have a smart home or you’re not interested in starting one, don’t worry because you’ll get notifications from the Ring app when sensors detect motion. However, the Ring Mailbox sensor actually got me started using it The best Alexa speakers Before I finally upgraded Echo Display 15.
As someone who grew up with AOL in the 90s, my first thought was, “How do you have that set up.”
If you have an Alexa-enabled smart speaker or one of Amazon’s best smart displays, you can easily integrate the Ring Mailbox sensor into your smart home. From checking your security camera when your mail arrives to turning on your porch light, you can do a lot with this little motion sensor. As someone who grew up with AOL in the 90s, my first thought was, “How do you have that set up.”
After adding the Ring Mailbox sensor to the Alexa app, tap more in the lower right corner. Then press plus-symbol Create a new routine and select Ring Mailbox Sensor after clicking on it Add an event Under Matthew. Here you have to choose searcher Cucumber. under Alexa WillThen you have to choose Alexa said Type a phrase like “you have mail”. Finally, you need to choose which smart speaker or smart display Alexa will talk to. To end your routine, just tap remembers down
With a routine like this, whenever someone opens your mailbox, you’ll hear “I have mail” on your favorite smart speaker or smart display. However, you can ask Alexa to connect this line from your phone if you want.
It makes mail fun again
Adding a smart sensor to your mailbox probably won’t change the type of mail delivered to your home, but with the right Alexa routine, getting junk mail can be a little more exciting, especially if you’re a fan of Tom Hanks movies and Meg Ryan. Even if you don’t, at least you won’t have messages piling up in your inbox if you forget to check your email.
I swear by ring mailbox sensors and I think this is one of them The best smart home devices you can get Not only is it cheap, but it’s also relatively easy to install and use. Similarly, you can transform a mundane task into something more interesting. Now that you no longer have to buy a $50 bridge separately to make it work, the Ring Mailbox Sensor is almost a given for you, like me, a smart home enthusiast.
