Control 433 MHz devices via Amazon Alexa with Homey
433 MHz devices don’t connect directly to Amazon Alexa. Most 433 MHz devices, such as simple remote-controlled plugs, switches, blinds, or doorbells, are not smart by themselves and can’t communicate with Alexa.
To control 433 MHz devices using Alexa, you need a smart home hub that can send 433 MHz radio signals and make those actions available to Amazon’s platform.
Homey acts as that bridge, exposing 433 MHz controls to Amazon Alexa.
Homey stays in control of sending radio commands. Amazon Alexa becomes an additional way to trigger those actions using voice or simple routines.
What is the difference between 433 MHz and 434 MHz?
In smart home contexts, “433 MHz” is commonly used as a shorthand term for a wider radio frequency range known as the 433–434 MHz ISM band. This band is used by many low-power, short-range devices such as remote controls, wireless switches, doorbells, and simple sensors.
Some manufacturers or retailers refer to their products as 434 MHz devices, but in practice these devices usually operate within the same 433–434 MHz frequency range and use the same underlying radio technology. The difference is typically one of naming, not functionality.
For smart home users, this means:
- Devices labeled 433 MHz and 434 MHz usually work in the same way
- They are controlled using the same type of radio signals
- They are supported identically by hubs like Homey
In short, 433 MHz and 434 MHz are not competing standards. They describe slightly different parts of the same radio band, and in everyday smart home use they can be treated as the same category of devices.
What you need
To control 433 MHz devices via Amazon Alexa, you need:
- A Homey Pro with built-in 433 MHz support or a Homey Bridge, in combination with Homey Pro mini, Homey Cloud or Homey Self-Hosted Server.
- One or more 433 MHz devices configured in Homey
- An Amazon account and the Alexa app
433 MHz devices are set up in Homey by learning or selecting the correct radio signals.
What “exposing devices” means for 433 MHz
When Homey exposes a 433 MHz device to Amazon Alexa, it does not expose a real device with live communication.
Instead, Homey exposes the 433 MHz-controlled product as a smart home device in Alexa. The controls of that device trigger radio commands.
This means:
- Homey sends 433 MHz radio commands on your behalf
- The 433 MHz device does not report its status
- Amazon Alexa cannot verify whether a command succeeded
Alexa sends a command to Homey, and Homey sends the radio signal.
A simple way to think about it is that Homey represents 433 MHz-controlled products as smart devices in Alexa, where their controls trigger radio commands.
How to expose 433 MHz devices to Amazon Alexa with Homey
433 MHz devices don’t connect directly to Amazon Alexa. Instead, Homey controls 433 MHz devices locally and exposes them to Alexa through the Amazon Alexa integration.
433 MHz devices are exposed as complete devices, not as individual actions.
The process works like this:
1. Set up the 433 MHz device in Homey
Install the appropriate 433 MHz app and add the device in Homey. During setup, Homey creates a device that represents the radio-controlled product and can send the required 433 MHz commands to control it.
Once added, the device is fully controlled by Homey.
2. Connect Homey to Amazon Alexa
In the Homey app, enable the Amazon Alexa integration and sign in with your Amazon account to link Homey to Alexa.
3. Discover devices in the Alexa app
Open the Alexa app and start device discovery. Alexa discovers devices exposed through the Homey skill during device discovery and adds them to your smart home.
After this, the 433 MHz devices appear in the Alexa app as full devices. You can control them using Alexa voice commands or routines. The devices remain paired only with Homey, and all 433 MHz communication is handled by Homey.
How the connection works
Behind the scenes, the setup works like this:
- Alexa receives a command
This can be a voice command or an action in the Alexa app. - Homey receives the command
Homey interprets the request as a 433 MHz action. - Homey sends a radio signal
The 433 MHz device receives the command but does not send feedback.
What you can do with Amazon Alexa
Once exposed, 433 MHz devices typically appear as simple controls, such as:
- On and off actions
- Open and close commands
- Basic trigger actions
You can:
- Use Alexa voice commands
- Trigger actions in the Alexa app
- Include 433 MHz actions in Alexa routines
What to keep in mind
A few important points:
- 433 MHz devices do not report their current state
- Alexa cannot verify whether a command worked
- If someone uses the original remote, Homey won’t know
- Advanced logic and assumed state handling stay in Homey
Use Amazon Alexa to trigger actions and Homey to manage logic and consistency.
In short
433 MHz devices can’t connect directly to Amazon Alexa and don’t report their status.
Homey exposes 433 MHz actions by sending radio commands on your behalf and making them available to Amazon Alexa.
Homey stays in control of the radio signals and Amazon Alexa becomes an easy way to trigger them.
Discover more about Homey by connecting additional devices through the Homey App Store. Control them with the Homey App and create your own automations with Flows and Advanced Flows. Monitor your smart home using Dashboards, and gain deeper understanding with Homey Energy and Insights.
Smart home technologies and platforms supported by Homey
Smart homes often use multiple wireless technologies and platforms. As a powerful smart home hub, Homey supports a wide range of communication standards, including Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter, Thread, KNX, 433 MHz, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Infrared.
Homey also integrates with popular smart home platforms such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple Home. By combining multiple technologies and platforms in one system, Homey allows devices from different ecosystems to work together in one flexible smart home setup.
