Amazon Alexa and Echo FAQ

wally79 · 16-07-2020 8:06pm

TCP/IP wrote: »

Yes just add the Newstalk skill and away you go mine is perfect.

Does Alexa always go through the intro to the skill or so there a way around that

TCP/IP · 16-07-2020 8:12pm

wally79 wrote: »

Does Alexa always go through the intro to the skill or so there a way around that

Mine goes straight and plays Newstalk apart from Alexa saying playing newstalk

bidiots · 19-07-2020 9:07pm

clintondaly wrote: »

Same here,I keep getting Fox News Radio whenever I ask for Newstalk

Thought I was going mad, sane happened to me. Had to add the skill which works but the old habit is still there and it keeps pushing poxy ðŸ¦Š news!

Dr. Nick · 20-07-2020 10:10am

bidiots wrote: »

Thought I was going mad, sane happened to me. Had to add the skill which works but the old habit is still there and it keeps pushing poxy &#55358;&#56714; news!

Also, more annoyingly, I cannot set an alarm for Newstalk anymore. Worked since I got the device a couple of years ago, now it's Fox Newstalk or some Jamaican lads!

jarvis · 20-07-2020 10:29am

Dr. Nick wrote: »

Also, more annoyingly, I cannot set an alarm for Newstalk anymore. Worked since I got the device a couple of years ago, now it's Fox Newstalk or some Jamaican lads!

What about manually setting up a routine? I wonder would that work. In the Alexa app go to routines and add new.
When I say ‘wake up’ ....... then see if the response to that voice trigger allows you play Newstalk at a specified time.

Dr. Nick · 22-07-2020 3:46pm

Well now my Echo Dot has stopped working, well it can't find wifi. PIOAPIIA doesn't work. All other wifi gadgets working fine. She must of got sick of me shouting at her and her about her newstalk shortcomings

Any ideas?

Clareman · 22-07-2020 3:55pm

Dr. Nick wrote: »

Well now my Echo Dot has stopped working, well it can't find wifi. PIOAPIIA doesn't work. All other wifi gadgets working fine. She must of got sick of me shouting at her and her about her newstalk shortcomings

Any ideas?

Have you done a factory reset on it? Outside of that there isn't a whole lot to do, I've heard that Amazon are very forgiving with any issues so if you get onto their support they'll probably do a replacement for you.

ILikeBoats · 23-07-2020 9:03am

Today FM constantly dropping today

Edit: it's actually happening on today fm's own live stream not echo/tunein

babelfish1990 · 23-07-2020 9:21am

ILikeBoats wrote: »

Today FM constantly dropping today

Edit: it's actually happening on today fm's own live stream not echo/tunein

Newstalk FM also dropping frequently today. Not just on Echo, but also streaming via their own website.

Dr. Nick · 23-07-2020 6:30pm

Clareman wrote: »

Have you done a factory reset on it? Outside of that there isn't a whole lot to do, I've heard that Amazon are very forgiving with any issues so if you get onto their support they'll probably do a replacement for you.

Reset worked thanks. Still no joy on setting as alarm unfortunately

bidiots · 24-07-2020 3:47pm

Not sure if anyone else has this issue but worth asking.
I have a Firestick(4K) on the TV. I have a few Shows and dots around the place too.
One of the Dots is in the baby’s room and is handy for putting on White Noise when trying to get her to sleep during the day.

But, if the TV is powered on, when I ask the Dot to play White Noise, it tells me it is ‘retrieving from the Firestick’ and tries to play it on the TV.
I’ve no idea why it does this and it often leads to the Dot getting thrown against the wall in frustration:o

Any suggestions apart from making sure TV is turned off?

Davy · 24-07-2020 5:54pm

bidiots wrote: »

Not sure if anyone else has this issue but worth asking.
I have a Firestick(4K) on the TV. I have a few Shows and dots around the place too.
One of the Dots is in the baby’s room and is handy for putting on White Noise when trying to get her to sleep during the day.

But, if the TV is powered on, when I ask the Dot to play White Noise, it tells me it is ‘retrieving from the Firestick’ and tries to play it on the TV.
I’ve no idea why it does this and it often leads to the Dot getting thrown against the wall in frustration:o

Any suggestions apart from making sure TV is turned off?

Not sure what the issue is, but you could get around it by setting up a 'nap time routine'

tipperaryboy · 27-07-2020 12:30am

Have got firestick linked to dot, renamed stick TV thinking this would simplify power commands. Alex a does not recognise "TV". Not sure what the issue is? Have reset both

OffalyMedic · 21-08-2020 7:43pm

Got a new phone and when I signed into my alexa none of my devices or skills are there. Surly I don't have to start from scratch??

Dr. Nick · 21-08-2020 8:57pm

Dr. Nick wrote: »

Reset worked thanks. Still no joy on setting as alarm unfortunately

Resolved by saying News (space) Talk. Then once one alarm appears in app choose M-F or whatever you want

Raoul · 27-08-2020 9:53am

My alexa has gone to sh1te lately. Just randomly stops working with things. It doesn't work with any of my ikea stuff and now it has stopped working with my smart life things.

. Fed up of it lately to be honest.

jmBuildExt · 31-08-2020 9:51am

Raoul wrote: »

My alexa has gone to sh1te lately. Just randomly stops working with things. It doesn't work with any of my ikea stuff and now it has stopped working with my smart life things. . Fed up of it lately to be honest.

happened me about a year ago re ikea stuff. Everything worked from ikea end and a hack i had for switching on hall lights hooked up to raspberry pi and a sensor worked... so i knew it was alexa/amazon issue.
Anyway i did nothing and it started working again about 2 months ago. Doesnt really help you in any sense - but i feel your pain

Raoul · 31-08-2020 9:56am

jmBuildExt wrote: »

happened me about a year ago re ikea stuff. Everything worked from ikea end and a hack i had for switching on hall lights hooked up to raspberry pi and a sensor worked... so i knew it was alexa/amazon issue.
Anyway i did nothing and it started working again about 2 months ago. Doesnt really help you in any sense - but i feel your pain

Tempted to stick the echo dots up on adverts and try out the google products.

youcancallmeal · 31-08-2020 10:58am

This is the problem with Alexa, inconsistent for no apparent reason. I've had trouble on and off for a couple of years asking Alexa to operate smart plugs and switches. Sometimes it won't work properly for a couple of days then be fine for weeks. I wonder if the google stuff would fare any better

scamalert · 02-09-2020 2:56pm

ive issue with alexa auto devices searches, for years been using alexa to control lights in my home philipps hue, a while back family member bought a house and few dozen hue lights and used same amazon account to setup themes etc, so id say few months back alexa automatically searches for new devices and of course finds dozens new, but furthermore it replaces ones in my existing groups, say i have room with 3 hue lights names room 1-2-3, but day later after setting up group deleting all the lights etc, it returns to smth like hue spot 6, spot 2, spot 3.

Now tried it on another family members amazon account in same house to setup new group- and somehow even on their account it pickups random light names and changes group with those lights rendering it useless.

seems very common issue and amazon dont give a fck, as far as search for new devices is rooted into alexa api to run it by default imagine either daily or when phone tablet is charged.

As thought running it on different account it would solve issue but seems persistent which makes no sense, as one group of lights seem to be affected, and no group name change nor deleting devices resolves the issue.

anyone with similar experience or steps to take, as dont really want to hard reset 3 dots in the house, to setup everything from scratch.

and whats even stupid if using hue app or switch i turn on lights alexa wont pickup that yet if saying alexa set room to 40% it will dim the lights , even thou it cant recognize to turn em on,off and wrong ones are assigned

:cool:

I suspect on top of running automatic new device discovery it also caches old devices which creates duplicates at first setup, as seems theres a bit of repeated devices that could of resulted in them being saved in cloud and then on top it treats renamed devices as new on top.

Raoul · 03-09-2020 10:24am

I have a similar issue. I had an IKEA plug called TV and one called lamp...suddenly it stops working on Alexa (works on home assistant). I could never get it back working on Alexa. So I put in a tuya plug for TV instead and I deleted the other plug from Alexa and from the IKEA app and it now sits in a drawer. Now every couple of days it shows up in newly discovered devices so when I want to turn on the other plug it won't work.

And the lamp ikea plug just won't work either.

I would love to know a solution. It is becoming very frustrating especially when my wife is trying to turn on the TV and is giving out that it isn't working.

scamalert · 04-09-2020 12:21am

oh well i just ****ing give up on amazon its soon will be usefull as a door stops at best, dummer each day. as said issue about having trouble with lights in one room seems every room is affected in house, it still works with one wifi plug adapter for my table lamp but seems to scramble other groups with those stupid auto search for new devices every day- as whats the actual purpose to even have inbuilt function to constantly look for new devices and scramble the groups is beyond my logic, theres a search button when adding new device only thing one needs really.

prob will use Philips remote for lights as still often habit is to reach for switch anyway, then trying to speak to dumb found device and repeating command until it picks it up.

safe bet that future is still secure as functionality goes seems to be downgrading on the so called smart devices really.

Tweaky · 14-09-2020 12:11pm

Looking for some guidance. We have electric gates with a gsm dialler that enables us to open them by dialling a mobile number.
I would love to be able to set up a routine where I could ask Alexa to open the gates and she would dial the mobile number. I have tried to set it up but having no joy. Thought I could use the skype calling but doesn't seem to work. Maybe another geo restricted function. Does anyone have anything similar set up ?

clintondaly · 14-09-2020 12:13pm

Have you looked at IfTTT

https://ifttt.com/

14-09-2020 12:20pm

Tweaky wrote: »

Looking for some guidance. We have electric gates with a gsm dialler that enables us to open them by dialling a mobile number.
I would love to be able to set up a routine where I could ask Alexa to open the gates and she would dial the mobile number. I have tried to set it up but having no joy. Thought I could use the skype calling but doesn't seem to work. Maybe another geo restricted function. Does anyone have anything similar set up ?

Try this: https://ifttt.com/applets/BmAbwi3X-press-a-button-to-initiate-a-phone-call-to-someone

degsie · 14-09-2020 10:25pm

Any reliable Irish news outlets to add to flash briefings? RTE news tends to be DAYS behind!

jogdish · 24-09-2020 10:19am

Alex play Rte Radio 1
Okay playing 'program name'

Then silence, anyone else?

paulski999 · 24-09-2020 10:26am

jogdish wrote: »

Alex play Rte Radio 1
Okay playing 'program name'

Then silence, anyone else?

No seems to work fine for me..

20/20 · 26-09-2020 2:24am

jogdish wrote: »

Alex play Rte Radio 1

Then silence,

Maybe she doesnt like been called Alex.

I say Alexa tunein RTE radio 1. So its then using the tunein app.

Davy · 26-09-2020 12:55pm

jogdish wrote: »

Alex play Rte Radio 1
Okay playing 'program name'

Then silence, anyone else?

Did you try disabling the skill?

Other option you can do is setup a new routine

Name: RTE Radio 1
When: Voice; Alexa, RTE Radio
Action: Music; Provider 'Tune-in'

Grumpypants · 01-10-2020 4:17pm

I just got this battery base for my Echo Show 5. It always seems daft that it didn't have a built-in battery so you couldn't move the Echo Show. Now I can have the recipes right in front of my when I'm cooking on the island.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001291481741.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.71054c4dmvwXfq

Zulu · 05-10-2020 10:56am

My daughter wants "to play music" for a christmas pressie.
I was considering an Alexa Dot.
With Spotify Family, can she listen to Spotify on the dot with her account, while I listen to my Spotify on the Alexa in the kitchen?
Thanks.

Searching online seems to suggest different alexa accounts are needed (https://community.spotify.com/t5/Premium-for-Family/FAMILY-AND-ECHO-ALEXA/m-p/4884935#M26048). So I guess the question becomes, can you have different alexa accounts on the dot and the echo?

Marlow · 06-10-2020 6:31pm

Zulu wrote: »

My daughter wants "to play music" for a christmas pressie.
I was considering an Alexa Dot.
With Spotify Family, can she listen to Spotify on the dot with her account, while I listen to my Spotify on the Alexa in the kitchen?
Thanks.

Searching online seems to suggest different alexa accounts are needed (https://community.spotify.com/t5/Premium-for-Family/FAMILY-AND-ECHO-ALEXA/m-p/4884935#M26048). So I guess the question becomes, can you have different alexa accounts on the dot and the echo?

You can have different accounts on Alexa, but it's a pain to set up.

Everyone will need to create their own Amazon account, then you join them together in a household account. After that, you can say to Alexa, who's account should be used for said device before starting your music.

/M

donegal. · 10-10-2020 7:39pm

jogdish wrote: »

Alex play Rte Radio 1
Okay playing 'program name'

Then silence, anyone else?

Yeah happened to me. I disconnected the power supply for 5 minutes. Worked fine then.

jogdish · 12-10-2020 11:48am

donegal. wrote: »

Yeah happened to me. I disconnected the power supply for 5 minutes. Worked fine then.

Happens all the time to me, like above a reset seems to 'fix' it but it's basically a lottery at this stage if it's going to work or not.

caddy16 · 12-10-2020 8:20pm

Hey folks,

I have an open plan area with an echo show in one corner and standard echo in another corner. I can't get them to sync. If I get a 2nd small echo show is it right to say that they can be paired?

Thanks

Davy · 12-10-2020 8:23pm

caddy16 wrote: »

Hey folks,

I have an open plan area with an echo show in one corner and standard echo in another corner. I can't get them to sync. If I get a 2nd small echo show is it right to say that they can be paired?

Thanks

What are you trying to do with them?

caddy16 · 12-10-2020 8:27pm

Davy wrote: »

What are you trying to do with them?

For pairing to play music.

Use the show for camera, album etc

Davy · 12-10-2020 8:53pm

caddy16 wrote: »

For pairing to play music.

Use the show for camera, album etc

You don't pair them to each other but yes if you have 4 echos they can play the same song at the same time.

In the app you setup a multi room group and give it a name ABC. Then ask any of the echo devices to play song X on the ABC group.

App > Devices > + > Set-up Multi-Room Music

Irish Gunner · 12-10-2020 9:08pm

Ok trying to figure this out

Have Alexa in the kitchen and Echo in the front room. I have skills like pause tv and also use it for timers amongst other things. Doors in between the kitchen and front room

However when I say something like set timer for 10 minutes it sets timer on both. Or if I say pause TV one pauses it and other one starts it. So both picking up requests

Trying to locate how to reduce sensitivity of mic but not sure if possible so if
I am in kitchen Alexa will only pick it up and if in front room Echo will only pick it up

Anyone any ideas? First world problems :rolleyes:

limnam · 12-10-2020 11:02pm

Irish Gunner wrote: »

Ok trying to figure this out

Have Alexa in the kitchen and Echo in the front room. I have skills like pause tv and also use it for timers amongst other things. Doors in between the kitchen and front room

However when I say something like set timer for 10 minutes it sets timer on both. Or if I say pause TV one pauses it and other one starts it. So both picking up requests

Trying to locate how to reduce sensitivity of mic but not sure if possible so if
I am in kitchen Alexa will only pick it up and if in front room Echo will only pick it up

Anyone any ideas? First world problems :rolleyes:

Give them different wake up words?

Marlow · 13-10-2020 5:44pm

I did the same, as we have a fairly large kitchen/diningroom.

There is an echo dot near the dining table and a Sonos Move in the kitchen.

As the Sonos Move can't be changed, I set the echo dot to react to "Echo".

We also set them up, to control different portions of the light (Kitchen/Dining).

Again .. the same in other places of the house. Livingroom "Alexa" ... Hallways "Echo". So you don't trigger things on 2 of them, when a door is open.

Works a treat.

/M

caddy16 · 19-10-2020 3:57pm

Hey folks,

Got hue bulbs & bridge last week and they work fine with the Halloween Hue apps on my phone. Is there anyway of getting the sound through echo devices. I've an echo show & standard echos.

Thanks.

donalh087 · 19-10-2020 4:08pm

Apologies if this has been asked a million times already (I suspect it has but can't find it).

I am blue in the face trying to get Alexa to play podcasts from RTE. Easy for BBC podcasts but, surprise surprise, RTE don't appear to have addressed that yet. Am I wrong?

degsie · 23-10-2020 10:00pm

donalh087 wrote: »

Apologies if this has been asked a million times already (I suspect it has but can't find it).

I am blue in the face trying to get Alexa to play podcasts from RTE. Easy for BBC podcasts but, surprise surprise, RTE don't appear to have addressed that yet. Am I wrong?

Not wrong, we are akin to the dog looking for scraps from the UK/US table.

zinzan · 28-10-2020 12:30am

Is anyone else having issues with Audible? Echo Show 5 has been unable to find some books that are there in audible app on phone, and I can play them on Echo Show 5 via Alexa app on phone. It's also not remembering 'where you left off' between audible app on phone and the echo show 5.
Have restarted everything, checked all enabled ok and nothing.Very frustrating.

paulski999 · 31-10-2020 1:59pm

zinzan wrote: »

Is anyone else having issues with Audible? Echo Show 5 has been unable to find some books that are there in audible app on phone, and I can play them on Echo Show 5 via Alexa app on phone. It's also not remembering 'where you left off' between audible app on phone and the echo show 5.
Have restarted everything, checked all enabled ok and nothing.Very frustrating.

Usual advise, have you done an update on the Echo 5? I did one only recently. Not saying it will fix your issue but worth a shot

Pete123456 · 31-10-2020 10:20pm

Is anybody planning on getting the 2020 echo or echo dot? Just came across them today

zinzan · 01-11-2020 1:03am

paulski999 wrote: »

Usual advise, have you done an update on the Echo 5? I did one only recently. Not saying it will fix your issue but worth a shot

Running latest version - I think it was an update that caused the erratic behaviour to b honest.. hopefully they'll patch it out of it.

Gumbo · 02-11-2020 12:06am

Pete123456 wrote: »

Is anybody planning on getting the 2020 echo or echo dot? Just came across them today

It looks different but doesn’t add much else according to reviews.
Unless you get it at a good price, or want the latest, the 3rd edition is fine and should be on offer on Black Friday.

Although I’m still waiting on my 2nd from prime day to arrive in the next 2 weeks.

Amazon Alexa and Echo FAQ

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