Smart Home Control Preferences & Default Settings Study

Welcome to this research study on smart home experiences. We are interested in how homeowners interact with connected devices and manage comfort settings in their homes. This survey takes approximately 8 minutes to complete. Your participation is entirely voluntary, and you may stop at any time. All responses are confidential, anonymized, and reported only in aggregate for internal product research purposes. There are no right or wrong answers—we are simply interested in your honest opinions and experiences. Please answer all questions based on your primary residence.

Which best describes your current housing situation?

• Own this home
• Rent or lease
• Living with family/others (not the owner)
• Prefer not to say

What type of home do you live in?

• Single-family house
• Townhouse / Rowhouse
• Apartment / Condo
• Mobile / Manufactured home
• Other (please specify)

Overall, how comfortable has your home been in the last 7 days?

When it comes to controlling your smart home devices, where does your preference fall?

Thinking about the most recent smart device you set up, what did you do with its default settings?

• Left defaults as they were
• Changed a few key settings
• Customized many settings
• Tried changes, then reverted to defaults
• I haven't set up a device recently
• I'm not sure / don't remember

Based on your responses in this survey, please share any additional thoughts or experiences about controlling your smart home devices or dealing with default settings.

We'd love to learn more about your experience. An AI moderator will ask you a couple of follow-up questions about how you manage comfort and control in your smart home.

What is your age?

• 18–24
• 25–34
• 35–44
• 45–54
• 55–64
• 65 or older
• Prefer not to say

Thank you for completing this survey. Your responses have been recorded and will help improve smart home experiences. You may now close this window.

Which of the following connected or "smart" devices are currently in your home? (Select all that apply)

• Smart thermostat or connected HVAC
• Smart lighting (bulbs/switches)
• Smart speaker / voice assistant
• Security system or cameras
• Robot vacuum or floor care
• Connected large appliances (e.g., washer, fridge, oven)
• Smart plugs or outlets
• Home energy monitor
• None of the above

How satisfied are you with the level of control you have over temperature and climate in your home?

For managing your home's temperature and climate, how much automation do you prefer?

I trust that manufacturer default settings are appropriate for most households.

How do you describe your gender?

• Man
• Woman
• Non-binary
• Prefer not to say

How satisfied are you with the level of control you have over lighting in your home?

For managing your home's lighting, how much automation do you prefer?

When setting up a new smart home device, rank the following by how important they are to you (drag to reorder, 1 = most important).

1. Quick setup with clear guidance
2. Clear explanations of what defaults do
3. Recommended presets that work well out of the box
4. Advanced options available for later customization
5. One place to manage all device settings

Which country do you currently live in?

• United States
• United Kingdom
• Canada
• Australia
• Germany
• France
• India
• Japan
• Other

How satisfied are you with the level of control you have over home security?

For managing your home's security, how much automation do you prefer?

What is the highest level of education you have completed?

• Less than high school
• High school or equivalent
• Some college, no degree
• Associate / 2-year degree
• Bachelor's / 4-year degree
• Postgraduate or professional degree
• Prefer not to say

Rank the following ways of controlling your smart home devices by how often you would ideally use each one (drag to reorder, 1 = most used).

1. Automatic / scheduled controls
2. Physical switches or manual controls
3. Preset scenes or routines
4. Voice commands
5. Smartphone app controls