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4 Reasons Your Smart Plug Turns On By Itself + Tips (2023)

Why Does Your Smart Plug Turn On By Itself

Smart plugs are an excellent investment to bring your smart home to fruition.

You can use them to turn even the most basic appliance into an advanced piece of technology.

However, it can be stressful when your smart plug turns on by itself for no apparent reason.

Your smart plug turns on by itself due to an unstable connection. It could also be due to a faulty plug, if the socket it’s plugged into is defective, or the server is updating. You might also have accidentally set an incorrect timer. Identifying and fixing these problems is straightforward.

The rest of this article will explain what affects your smart plug’s functioning.

I will also cover the methods you can use to make your smart plug stop turning on by itself.


4 reasons why your smart plug turns on by itself


In the introduction, I mentioned some possible causes for your smart plug turning on by itself.

This section will discuss these causes in more detail so that you can determine what’s causing your smart plug to turn on by itself: 

#1: The internet connection isn’t stable

To work correctly, a smart plug requires a stable WiFi connection. Without it, any appliances plugged into it may not work via the app.

If your plug loses connection, you may notice it shutting off and turning itself back on when the connection is re-established. 

An easy way to check for a faulty connection is to look for the network symbol on the plug.

If it’s lit up, another problem is causing your plug to turn itself on.

Several causes can be behind a network problem with your smart plug. These include the following:

  • A weak WiFi signal.
  • Too many devices on one network.
  • Wireless interference caused by other smart devices.
  • An incorrect configuration in the device’s set-up process.

You may also want to know: 10 Reasons Why Smart Life Is Offline + How To Fix It

#2: The plug or socket is faulty

Another problem causing your smart plug to power itself on is a faulty plug or socket.

You can troubleshoot these issues in several ways to see if either is the problem.

You’ll need to validate that you have the most up-to-date software, reboot your router, and factory reset your smart plug as a last-ditch effort.

A factory reset should only be done in extreme cases as it will cause you to go through the enrollment and setup process again.

You most likely have a faulty smart plug if it’s still not performing correctly after all these steps.

While checking the smart plug’s status, check the physical outlet.

If something looks wrong or there is an obvious defect, it could send inconsistent power to the plug, causing it to turn itself on and off.

#3: The server is updating

Smart technology relies on servers to connect your devices to your app on your mobile device.

Periodically, those servers will need to go down for updates, or there can even be instances when they crash for unknown reasons and for unknown time periods.

The only thing you can do in these instances is to wait it out.

#4: User error 

In a study by Lei Wang for the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, smart plugs were identified as being used for automatically turning on appliances during off-peak times to save on electricity through timers.

That being said, one final factor you can check is whether you have accidentally set an incorrect timer that is making it appear that your plug is turning on by itself. 


How to stop your smart plug from turning itself on (4 tips)


Now that I’ve explained why your smart plug might be turning on by itself, I can discuss how to fix the issue. 

Thankfully, it’s simple to fix the problem yourself. There are several ways, as we shall see below: 

#1: Fix your network connection

Fix Your Network Connection

If you’ve established that you have a network connectivity issue, you’ll need to find the source of the problem. 

Start at the modem or router to check for any unplugged cables.

Nothing will have access if this vital piece of equipment is no longer plugged into the network.

Once you have confirmed that it is still connected, you’ll need to check with your internet service provider to see if there’s a local outage.

Also, your smart plug may be too far from the modem if your network is up and running.

If possible, move your modem to a centralized location in the home so the signal will reach farther throughout the building. 

#2: Test your outlet or move your smart plug to a different one

Several methods can be used to check an outlet.

These include using a voltmeter or simply plugging another appliance into the outlet to see if it receives power.

For more information on testing an outlet, you can watch this YouTube video:

Alternatively, you can move your smart plug to another outlet to see if that fixes the problem.

If it does not, chances are your plug is faulty and needs to be replaced.

#3: Ensure your software is up to date

According to Forbes, smart plugs require routine updating of their firmware.

These updates prevent security flaws and ensure that your device will have the proper connectivity to the network and operate smoothly.

Additionally, if you update your app, it may no longer function with your smart plug until it has also been updated.

This is due to compatibility issues between the software versions.

#4: Verify that all timers are set appropriately

It’s a straightforward fix if you identified incorrectly set timers during your troubleshooting.

You’ll simply need to go into your app and adjust the settings when you want the smart plug to power on and off by itself, but this time, make sure that you program the correct settings.

Further reading: Do Smart Plugs Save Energy? 7 Ways To Cut Expenses

Conclusion

Smart plugs can make life much simpler by allowing us to set timers for appliances to be turned on or off.

However, when those plugs turn on and off by themselves, it can become a serious problem.

By troubleshooting, identifying, and fixing the issue, you’ll be back to using your smart plug the way you want in no time.