In a survey of American smart home users commissioned by Google Nest, 85% of respondents said they mastered their devices within a week

If smart home devices are seen by some as highly technical gadgets designed for geeks , a recent poll commissioned by Google Nest shows that most users are able to figure out how to use their new devices quite quickly.

The survey, conducted by OnePoll, looked into the habits of Americans who own smart home devices, surveying 2,000 adults. The results show that 85% of respondents rapidly adopted their new devices.

“When people think of smart homes, many think these devices are for a really technical homeowner,” says Director of Product at Google Nest Karen Yao. “In reality, with new protocols like Matter, smart homes are more customisable and require less analysis to determine the best starting place or ecosystem for you.”

Over a third of those surveyed (37%) said they were confident in their expertise and 41% agreed that homes could only be “smart” if users know how to use their devices to automate their homes.

Users say they are “experts” within a week | Credit: Unsplash

Quick learners and slower adopters

The poll showed generational adoption differences with baby boomers coming out ahead as the fastest adopters of smart home tech. Two thirds, 66%, of those surveyed in that age group said they started using their devices on a daily basis right away. Surprisingly, the slowest age group to pick up the use of their new devices was Gen Z. In that group, 46% said it took them at least four days to get used to their devices.

Gen Z users did, however, have the least amount of opposition to owning these new gadgets, at 63%, while millennials had the most initial opposition, at 25%.

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