Contextual awareness, AI, and machine learning are among the innovations elevating user experiences in the smart home device space by moving the market beyond scripted, pre-programmed automation scenes. These improvements can deliver a more streamlined onboarding process, interoperability between more devices, multi-modal access, and granular personalization that adapts to multiple lifestyles in the household. This session opens with a Consumer Perspective presenting first-hand consumer narratives about smart home user experiences from the valuable to the frustrating.