Best Buy - Geek Squad, Full Service Tech Support for any Tech Device

Best Buy's Geek Squad is well known for helping customers get up to speed with purchases made by the company. And last year, the brand extended that service to any smart home product, even if it wasn't purchased through Best Buy.

Installing some devices, like smart thermostats, can take some time and some comfort with the electrical system. Others, like smart assistants, however, are quite simple, involving little more than plugging a speaker or display into an outlet, downloading an app to a smartphone, and linking the two through Wi-Fi. A tech expert may not be necessary.

But if complete hand-holding is requested, customers can select an installation service — even without buying a product — and purchase that through the website. Best Buy installs several products — from smart thermostats to smart door locks — and will ensure the items are connected to Wi-Fi before they leave.

Sign Up - Geek Squad

People can also sign up for voice assistant training and help with installing a smart speaker or connecting to a wireless network. The service will give lessons on how to control other connected products. With a membership to Smart Home Services, customers pay just $39.99 to speak with a tech expert for each install. According to the company's website, tech support later down the road is not included for smart devices.

Customers can also pay for a single installation — starting at $99.99 for each device — but remember that may be more than the product cost. Smart speakers, like the Echo Dot, can be picked up for as little as $29.99. So before you decide you want to pay someone to plug in a speaker, you can also find simple installation guides, like GearBrain's How to Get Started with Amazon Alexa or How to Install a Second Amazon Echo

The company has a new subscription service called Totaltech, which includes Geek Squad and more. See below.

Pocket Geek Home Protects and Services Smart Devices

Besides helping you with installation, some services also protect your smart devices. Pocket Geek Home is a new service we are testing. It is owned by Assurant, a Fortune 500 company, and offers unlimited tech support and protection for all your smart home devices. Their monthly plan covers setup, connection, troubleshooting, and repairs for your TVs, laptops, tablets, gaming systems, Bluetooth headphones, and more. The smart devices covered are Wi-Fi routers, External hard drives, hubs, light dimmers, Door Locks, Thermostats, Smoke detectors, Video doorbells, and Home security cameras. Their plan also covers mobile devices such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, and smart speakers but doesn't cover smartphone repairs.

Pocket Geek Home has a monthly cost for unlimited remote usage and coverage of your devices. Whether it's setting up surround sound or a smart thermostat, it costs only $24.99 per month with no long-term contract. The company does offer In-Home service repairs by professional installers, but this is an incremental cost.

The Pocket Geek Home service also comes with Pocket Geek ID program membership. This security program has an email alias, password, and tracker manager. It also has a Wi-Fi speed checker. All programs can keep your devices safe and secure from unwanted guests.

Lastly, Pocket Geek Home also has a unique app that you can use to show your Pocket Geek Home Pro your problem. Many home repair services usually text your smartphone, asking for access to your smartphone's camera. It's not a very secure way to operate, in our opinion. With Pocket Geek Home, there is no need to download a special app or open up a camera share window on your smartphone. The Pocket Geek Home app provides a secure connection for you and your Pocket Geek Home Pro to see and fix your problems.

(Note: GearBrain will update this portion of the article after we complete our testing of Pocket Geek Home service.)

Best Buy's New Totaltech versus Geek Squad - Which is better?

Best Buy's Totaltech is a new subscription service launched in 2021. It includes many features in Best Buy Total Tech Support, Best Buy Beta, and Geek Squad support, like free delivery and standard installation services.

The cost of this new membership is $179.99 a year. It includes free Geek Squad support 24/7/365, 24 months of product protection with active membership, free delivery and installation services on devices purchased at Best Buy, VIP access to dedicated phone and chat teams, free 2-day shipping on Best Buy purchases, extended 60-day return and exchange window, access to special Totaltech member pricing and savings on repairs and advanced services.

Best Buy Totaltech does include Apple Care+ protection on your Apple products with an active membership. You can get all services with Geek Squad, too.

Sign up for Best Buy Totaltech

So, what is the difference between these two services? Not much. Both services can help you with in-home installs and repairs. Both offer protection plans for your smart devices and cost the same ($199.99 per year). One difference is how these two services assist you with your problems. Totaltech experts are available via phone and chat support, while Geek Squad experts can be found in Best Buy stores and online and can come to your home.

So, it all depends on the support you need in your home. For users who need help connecting devices, setting up a Wi-Fi 6 router, or installing a new DIY smart home security system bought at Best Buy, a Totaltech subscription is a good choice. But if you plan to install new appliances or need help with your computer and appliances, you might want to go with Geek Squad. Their plan includes protection but offers more services that will fit your needs, and you can speak to someone.

Puls, The Smart Home Tech Team that Makes House Calls

Puls is a nationwide smart home tech team that's reachable online — but makes house calls. The company handles a lot of tech, from repairing garage doors to fixing a smartphone's screen. But smart home installation is also available, and you pay per device, with prices dropping as you add more products to your installation.

Membership tiers start at $79 a year and go up to $499 yearly. All offer some kind of discount on installation, on devices from August Smart Lock, Philips Hue lights, Wemo smart plug, Honeywell thermostat and the entire Amazon Echo line, and Wink Hubs and Samsung SmartThings Smart Home Hub. (They don't play favorites.)

The company makes it easy to book online, and the service is available in hundreds of cities, with a team of more than 4,000 techs, Puls says. They don't have a list online, but typing in a zip code will determine which services are available.

Handy Offers Installation Help for Google Nest Products

You can probably find help for nearly any home need on Handy, let alone installing an outdoor Nest camera — but you can get someone to do that, too.

The company has a specific Smart Home section, where people can book directly from the site at any time, connecting to Handy's network of techs. Testing the signup process, we could find appointments as early as the next day.

Handy is focused on the smart home space. Handy co-founder and now Angi CEO Oisin Hanrahan (Angi and Handy are owned by the same company) talked with GearBrain about smart devices and the need to support customers who are interested in these gadgets but aren't entirely sure how to get them working in their home.

Handy doesn't offer flat fees for smart home installation, but you can get a price quote before you agree to a service, view other customers' requests, and see how many hours their specific installation took. Customers are charged by Handy, which handles payments to techs doing the job.

On its site, the company highlights installations for smart locks, thermostats, hubs, video doorbells, and smart security cameras. Wi-Fi routers are also covered, and there's a separate link where you can describe the device if it's not mentioned — smart blinds or maybe an outdoor smart sprinkler system — to get a quote on those as well.

Handy has partnerships with Nest and Google Home, operates in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, and every city where they have tech available is listed clearly on the website. (And yes, Kona, they've got you covered.)

GearBrain Helps You Find Compatible Devices

HelloTech Provides Smart Device Installation Help Online and On Site

HelloTechHelloTech works both on-site and online — meaning you might be able to get the help you need even if someone doesn't come to your home.

Customers can reach someone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But at-home visits are only made between 9 am and 9 pm every day of the week. Pricing is per installation, but the company does have two monthly service plans that start at $49.99 a year, which includes phone and online support, with discounts on in-home visits, according to its site. The two plans are HelloTech Lite ($49.99 billed annually or $4.99 billed monthly) and HelloTech Home ($199 billed annually or $19.99 billed monthly.)

Sign Up for HelloTech

Some smart home installs HelloTech supports are Ring doorbells, August smart locks, and Nest thermostats for $99. Installing an Amazon Echo device costs $79, which includes connecting three additional smart home products to the smart speaker. HelloTech charges the same price for setting up a Google Home speaker and connecting it to your Wi-Fi but won't link additional products.

Again, remember you can buy a Google Home Mini for as little as $29, and GearBrain can help you install these on your own. You can check out GearBrain's YouTube channel and the video on What you need to know about Google Assistant Devices or read our detailed guides on how to change Google Assistant's voice, create routines, control lights, or even make phone calls.

Angi (formerly Angie's List) Does Offer Smart Home Support

Founded in 1995, Angi, formerly known as Angie's List, was around long before anyone talked about building a smart home. That doesn't mean the company doesn't offer some smart home support, connecting customers to professionals installing smart devices for them.

You do need to have an idea of what kind of service you need when scrolling through Angi. This is the place to come to for opossum control or some Feng Shui advice, but finding smart home techs takes a bit more digging. We found support for installing Nest thermostats and Wi-Fi routers but little else dedicated to smart devices. That's not to say that a Commercial locksmith couldn't install a Yale smart lock, but you'd need to ask.

Angi doesn't make the appointment or act as a middleman. Instead, it's honestly a list of service providers who can do a specific job. You can see how many ratings a specific company has had from Angi members, and you can request a quote directly through the site.

The site is available across the U.S. in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and once you're a member (joining at the basic level is free), you can find which services are in your area.