Amazon Alexa and Echo FAQ

McMurphy · 17-01-2020 9:05am

Day 1 Alexa play life in technicolour by Coldplay.
Playing Coldplay, Coldplay by the ilslandoors (some kind of obscure steel band outfit)

. X repeat by 15 times.

Day 2 Alexa play life in technicolour by Coldplay, ok playing life in technicolour ii by Coldplay.

Day 3 Alexa play life in technicolour by Coldplay, you want me to play Coldplay music right?

Day 4, go back to day 1 and repeat.

Not very consistent.

jarvis · 17-01-2020 9:49am

I’ve never tried to play that specific album myself but in seeing your post I tried. “Alexa, play Life in Technicolour”.
She says “Life in technicolor by Coldplay on Spotify” album plays.

Worked first time.

Are you using Spotify and have you got it set as your default music player in the Alexa app?

McMurphy · 17-01-2020 11:33am

jarvis wrote: »

I’ve never tried to play that specific album myself but in seeing your post I tried. “Alexa, play Life in Technicolour”.
She says “Life in technicolor by Coldplay on Spotify” album plays.

Worked first time.

Are you using Spotify and have you got it set as your default music player in the Alexa app?

Using Deezer, and as a hands up on my part......

I think I may have omitted to say the word "play" sometimes, because I was testing it out this morning in the office with play life in technicolour, and it got it every time.

I have Google home also, and you don't seem to have to prefix the word play beforehand, so prob force of habit on my part.

Not whinging about Alexa, I honestly couldn't choose between Google and Alexa if I was forced to.

jarvis · 17-01-2020 12:31pm

McMurphy wrote: »

Using Deezer, and as a hands up on my part......

I think I may have omitted to say the word "play" sometimes, because I was testing it out this morning in the office with play life in technicolour, and it got it every time.

I have Google home also, and you don't seem to have to prefix the word play beforehand, so prob force of habit on my part.

Not whinging about Alexa, I honestly couldn't choose between Google and Alexa if I was forced to.

It’s usually one or the other that people get invested in. I’m all in on Alexa so never even contemplated google but I’m sure there’s plenty of people the exact opposite.

ablelocks · 17-01-2020 3:43pm

i chose alexa originally because the mini's had aux out ports and the google / nest mini's don't, so i can connect echo dots to existing stereo systems that i've had for years.

Shefwedfan · 17-01-2020 9:45pm

I got a message up earlier on Fire TV stick and Alexa update and home??? did anyone see anything?

Grumpypants · 17-01-2020 10:11pm

I noticed lots more options in Routines section of the app. IFTTT, skills and more can be included.

jarvis · 17-01-2020 10:44pm

Grumpypants wrote: »

I noticed lots more options in Routines section of the app. IFTTT, skills and more can be included.

I noted those sections ages ago. They weren’t added today.

danois · 20-01-2020 4:47pm

I have climote and it works perfectly with the echo dot. Have just bought echo flex and for some reason it won’t work with climote at all. I tried disabling the skill and re-enabling it and still nothing. Has anyone had any similar issues?

Thanks

_Whimsical_ · 23-01-2020 12:21am

Can we use amazon music as part of a prime subscription?
Is there a way around the currect restriction on it being used by Irish subscribers?

Grumpypants · 23-01-2020 12:35am

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

Can we use amazon music as part of a prime subscription?
Is there a way around the currect restriction on it being used by Irish subscribers?

Yeah add a uk address to your amazon account (i used address pal), set it as your default, then get onto chat and say your prime video and music is not working and you think it isnt set to UK.

alanhiggyno1 · 25-01-2020 9:30am

Anyone notice alot of UK stations are gone from tune in.saying unavailable last few weeks

flangemeistro · 25-01-2020 4:34pm

alanhiggyno1 wrote: »

Anyone notice alot of UK stations are gone from tune in.saying unavailable last few weeks

RTE 2fm isn't working on tune in on my Echo but is working on the tune in app and is working on tune in on my bose soundtouch?????

wally79 · 25-01-2020 4:51pm

alanhiggyno1 wrote: »

Anyone notice alot of UK stations are gone from tune in.saying unavailable last few weeks

Are they BBC stations. I remember reading that they were removing their channels from tunein for uk users.

alanhiggyno1 · 25-01-2020 7:27pm

wally79 wrote: »

Are they BBC stations. I remember reading that they were removing their channels from tunein for uk users.

BBC work but alot of other UK like capital fm don't play anymore but its not the end of the world lol

duffer247 · 26-01-2020 2:27pm

Hi all
My Echo Show isn't playing spotify or tunein all of a sudden. It acknowledges the request i.e. 'now playing...' but nothing happens.
I have a number of dots around the house and an Echo which all work fine.
Appreciate any help

tinner777 · 26-01-2020 2:31pm

lads,

is there anyway to get my dot to go straight to the radio when i turn it on? Morning time, turn it on trying to say alexa play radio x whilst brushing teeth is not great. :pac:

wally79 · 26-01-2020 3:22pm

tinner777 wrote: »

lads,

is there anyway to get my dot to go straight to the radio when i turn it on? Morning time, turn it on trying to say alexa play radio x whilst brushing teeth is not great. :pac:

Set up a routine.

tinner777 · 27-01-2020 5:33pm

wally79 wrote: »

Set up a routine.

Would that work on a battery powered spot. In bathroom see.

webpal · 29-01-2020 10:43pm

duffer247 wrote: »

Hi all
My Echo Show isn't playing spotify or tunein all of a sudden. It acknowledges the request i.e. 'now playing...' but nothing happens.
I have a number of dots around the house and an Echo which all work fine.
Appreciate any help

Happened to me and a quick reboot did the job, no problems since.

webpal · 29-01-2020 10:54pm

After 27 years my clock radio is on its last legs and tbh morning radio (7am) has me head melted. Have a couple of dots around the house. For those of you who use it as a wake up call, what do wake up to? Music, radio, podcast, alarm clock, news and weather etc?

Would probably listen for 15 minutes and after that it's just on the background, that said if there was anything of interest I could continue listening on the commute.

Bummer1234 · 30-01-2020 9:38am

webpal wrote: »

After 27 years my clock radio is on its last legs and tbh morning radio (7am) has me head melted. Have a couple of dots around the house. For those of you who use it as a wake up call, what do wake up to? Music, radio, podcast, alarm clock, news and weather etc?

Would probably listen for 15 minutes and after that it's just on the background, that said if there was anything of interest I could continue listening on the commute.

I listen to the radio (2FM) on wake up at 7am myself, It has the news,Sport and traffic at the top of the hour so that suits me but everyones different.

duffer247 · 03-02-2020 3:56pm

webpal wrote: »

Happened to me and a quick reboot did the job, no problems since.

Thanks, go onto Alexa support thru app who got back super quick, few steps to follow but yeah a reboot is in order
Thanks for response

whiz · 11-02-2020 10:50pm

Hi Guys I have the Tune in app installed and when I requested Alexa to play Newstalk it worked perfectly well, however recently it's playing Newstalk the Australian station, what can I do to fix this ?

Any responses appreciated

11-02-2020 11:22pm

Do you think its Amazon's or spotify's issue that has alexa play random covers/versions of songs rather than the original?

webpal · 11-02-2020 11:23pm

whiz wrote: »

Hi Guys I have the Tune in app installed and when I requested Alexa to play Newstalk it worked perfectly well, however recently it's playing Newstalk the Australian station, what can I do to fix this ?

Any responses appreciated

Try newstalk Ireland, had a similar issue with Christmas fm

ciaran76 · 12-02-2020 11:21am

Not sure if this will help but just in case someone looking for it in the future.
Amazon Storytime sometimes doesnt play a story, if this happens I found if you say "Alexa pause" and then "Alexa play" the story starts normally.

scamalert · 16-02-2020 4:42pm

anyone know if possible to setup alexa to execute following routine for one particular, ex: have alarm set usually each day for 5am, after i say alexa stop, then i usually have to say alexa turn on desk light, now desk light is on kasa wifi plug, but have Philips go light besides, found that routine can be set on hue light but one day after turning it off early routine stopped.

So short story id like to tie when alarm is triggered that light would be switched on, as seems from programming perspective should be easy function, but aint sure if possible, as can see stuff like timers tying in with it and being a trigger, just looking for input from others, as know i can use kasa app, or Philips hue routine, but id like it to stick to alarm clock and its time, rather then change the few in different apps if decide to sleep in 10mins.

Grumpypants · 17-02-2020 6:09pm

I've set a scene set on my Hue to do a sunrise starting at 7:30. Then I add a step to activate that scene in Alexa.

Routine is at 7:30 Alexa starts with the Hue Sunrise
7:45 Alexa reads the news headlines, Sports headlines, Calender appointments.
Then plays music until I tell it stop.

If you have the Turn on the wifi plug as part of the rotuine then telling her to stop prob stops the routine.

Maybe you could set up a new routine around saying Alexa, Stop Alarm. And add steps to turn off the alarm and turn on the light.

Euphoriasean · 24-02-2020 9:31pm

Is it possible to edit the alexa voice commands. For example if I want to switch to HDMI 1 on my Sony TV, I'd Sat the command "switch to HDMI 1" whereas I'd prefer to say switch to Sky and Xbox instead of HDMI 2.

Amazon Alexa and Echo FAQ

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