Belkin’s WeMo switches and lights are great for turning your house or apartment into a smart home—assuming you’re cool with always using your iPhone to make the magic happen. Luckily we found an easy way to let your Mac take control of your WeMo gear.
Since I sit at my Mac a lot writing and podcasting I went on the hunt for a way to control the collection of WeMo Switches that run my window fans and air conditioners. While my iPhone is always close by, by hands are already on my my Mac’s keyboard and mouse so I don’t want to stop to reach for another device. The solution was WSwitch from Georgios Trigonakis.
WSwitch fits the bill nicely and was so easy to set up that I’m wondering why Belkin didn’t already make this app. It’s available on the Mac App Store and costs US$4.99.
Once installed, WSwitch shows up in your Mac’s menu bar and automatically finds all of the WeMo devices on your local network. You get toggle switches to turn on or off each device, and WeMo lights include dimmer slider’s too. You can also make groups to control multiple devices at the same time.
Here’s what WSwitch can control:
- WeMo Switch
- WeMo Insight Switch
- WeMo Smart LED Bulb
- WeMo Light Switch
- WeMo Maker
The big limitation to WSwitch is that it works only on your local network; no remote control here so you’ll still need to use Belkin’s WeMo app on your iPhone or iPad when you’re out and about. For me that’s not a big deal because I’m not concerned about manually controlling my air conditioners from my Mac when I’m at the local coffee shop.