# \[APP\]\[Pro\] Alexa - Control your Amazon devices from Homey **URL:** \ **Category:** Apps\ **Created:** [January 31, 2019, 8:04am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356 "2019-01-31T08:04:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jamie](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/jamie/32/5274_2.png) [@Jamie](https://community.homey.app/u/Jamie)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 8:04am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356/1 "2019-01-31T08:04:01Z")
# Amazon Alexa _This is NOT the Athom Alexa Skill which allows Alexa to talk to Homey_ With this app you can allow Homey to talk to Alexa, literally and figuratively. > **[Alexa | Homey](https://homey.app/en-us/app/com.amazon.alexa/Alexa/)** > > Control your amazon devices from Homey. Alexa Text to Speech, (60 other voices to do text to speech with), Alexa Announcements, Alexa Whisper Weather, News, Traffic, Good Morning/Night reports, Trigger Alexa routines, play music, play sounds, add alexa smart home devices to homey ## [Donate](https://PayPal.Me/peakej) [Help me buy a homey to create this and other apps on.](https://PayPal.Me/peakej) ## Version 5 The app has been re-written to work on the new SDK in version 5, this means that many fundamentals have changed, however you should see a “the same or better” experience. # Features ## Servers - Amazon US server - Amazon EU server - Amazon Far East server ## Devices #### Echo - Echo Gen1 - Echo Gen2 - Echo Gen3 - Echo Dot Gen1 - Echo Dot Gen2 - Echo Dot Gen3 - Echo Plus Gen1 - Echo Plus Gen2 - Echo Spot Gen1 - Echo Show Gen1 - Echo Show Gen2 #### Fire - ~~Fire Tablet HD10.7~~ #### Third Party - Ecobee - Sonos One - Sonos Beam - Netgear Orbi Voice ## Smart Home _See FAQ for known issue_ - Add Alexa smart home plugs as devices to Homey - Add Alexa smart home lights as devices to Homey ## Capabilities #### Reports - Weather - Traffic - News - Stop #### Media - Volume - Play - Pause - Previous/Next - Track - Artist - Album - Playing - Random - duration - repeat ## Flows ### Triggers _Account_ - When Account Connects - When Account Authorized - When Account Disconnects - When Account Unauthorized ### Actions _Reports_ - Good Morning - Good Night - Weather - Traffic - News - Good News _Voice_ - Alexa Says {something} - Alexa Announces {something} - Alexa Whispers {something} - Simon Says {something} on Alexa Device \* _Homeys voice is “Brian”_ - ~~Simon Announces {something} on Alexa Device~~ - Simon Whispers {something} on Alexa Device \* \*_Echo devices only_ - Choose from 60 other voices to say or whisper {something} \*\*\* _Not all voices can whisper_ _Calendar_ - Alexa says todays calendar - Alexa says tomorrows calendar - Alexa say the next calendar entry _Fun_ - Alexa tell a story - Alexa sing a song - Alexa give a fun fact - Alexa say a joke - Alexa help clean up _Phrases_ - Alexa Confirm - Alexa Compliment - Alexa I’m Home - Alexa Goodbye - Alexa Birthday _Sounds_ - Play one of inbuilt sounds on an alexa device _Music_ - Play music from spotify based upon text sentence to an alexa device - Play music from amazon music based upon text sentence to an alexa device - Play music from I Heart Radio based upon text sentence to an alexa device - Play music from TuneIn based upon text sentence to an alexa device _DND_ - Turn on/off do not disturb mode ## App Languages - English (AU) * * * You can create a flow which can send ‘text’ to any Alexa enabled device and ‘she’ will then repeat that text, including any tags then there is a quite bit more that can be done. ## Status ### Latest State Testing whether the app stays connected the alexa and TTS continues working with out app/homey restarts. ### Supports ![CB459506241](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/2X/d/d60b6a89273f3d048017f877b2d7f43351beaf9a.jpeg) ### Notes Please note that this app now only supports v7. Currently only limited testing has been done upon ‘alexa mutli room music groups’ ie “everywhere” this may or may not be supported. ## Using 1. After installing, to add a new Device, click + (add) upon the devices tab select “Amazon Alexa Device”. 2. Likely a popup will open asking for you to log into your amazon alexa account. 3. You will receive a message stating its now ok to close the popup, and a loading screen will show. 4. The loading screen may stay for up to a minute, but once completed your alexa devices will be shown. 5. Click on which devices you would like to add to Homey. ## Possible Uses Possible Uses is hard as there is so much you could do with it. It is all about integrating Alexa into your smart home. (Rather than your smart home into alexa). - Anything from Create a flow so that any time homey speaks - it also gets said upon all echo devices, so the entire house can hear it. - Through to if it s a weekday before midday and your presence is detected in the bathroom, turn on the light and exhaust fan and play today weather on alexa. - After which if when the vibration sensor is triggered on the stairs, play todays news flash briefing. - When the contact sensor on the mail box is triggered create a reminder at 7pm that night to all devices “Please check the mail box”. - When owntracks presence tracks me leaving the office and its after 5pm and alexa Text to speech say ‘Jamie has left the office, with current traffic he will be home in 50 minutes’ , then play ride of the Valkyries on all devices. - When the bedroom light is turned off and everyone is in bed , if a perimeter window is not closed have Alexa announce through the spot alarm clock that the ‘house is not secure’. - When ever homey speaks, have the same voice repeated across all your amazon enabled devices - Control/Add devices to homey which may have an alexa skill but not a Homey app. For me personally, I have only one Homey where has I have half a dozen alexa devices in most rooms and they can speak, let me know the traffic, weather, news, etc alarms or reminders, announcements or notices, whats on my calendar. And now I can have any of these features with in a flow. ## Other Otherwise everything else is as advertised in the post, hit me up on Slack (@jamie) if you have any questions or issues. Items show in this post (and only this post) are confirmed to work. ## Bugs - When adding multiple Dot (gen3) the app errors ‘unable to add as device already exists’ - Clicking stop when weather is being reported will not stop the weather on all devices. ie. Dot (gen2) - works for Echo Plus (gen1) - Smart devices are not currently working ## Known Issues - Smart devices added to homey will not sync there state, ie. they not show whether they are on/off correctly. - Likely involves polling once every 5 minutes to sync - Media/Speaker capabilities will not work if a music group has been used with the speaker. - If you don’t select the correct server to connect to, many features will not work or will be delayed. - IF you have MFA turned on, and your connecting the app may show a ‘page not found’ error page. **Solution: you must go into your Amazon account via web browser and enable 2 factor authentication. Then use an authenticator such as Google Authenticator, problem solved. Use the code that comes through the authenticator app, not the one that Amazon texts to you. Hope this helps.** ## Images |Step 1|Step 2|Step 3|Step 4|Step 5|Profit|| |—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—| | ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/2X/7/7011286e1b4fc1533bed6260fe409cd31728f3c2.png)| ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/2X/0/01d2322e445fa19b2644459e7a00b2523287b510.jpeg)| ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/2X/c/c1daf345125f60a5dace813831ef090e647ca947.png)| ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/2X/5/522f821d6289be72b69f8c7d0ccb15a42eaeffb8.png)| ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/2X/c/cac54180d62de33de8cb015b6ac42d0b1c1c144f.png)| ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/2X/5/5b07f52902bcf96e3000029ff4388afa58f98fa0.png)|…||| * * * ---
**Author:** ![Jamie](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/jamie/32/5274_2.png) [@Jamie](https://community.homey.app/u/Jamie)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 8:05am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356/2 "2019-01-31T08:05:14Z")
## Frequently asked questions (FAQ) **Why doesn’t alexa voice work?** You are connected to the wrong ‘server’, you can go to the settings, disconnect and try one of the other servers (US,EU,AU). Just because you live in a geo location, doesn’t mean that where you first signed up your devices. (Originally only the US server existed). **Can I add a new alexa device?** Most devices will automatically be supported when they are released, not all devices which show up will work. Let me know if I device doesnt work and ill block it so others dont get confused. **Will there be support for X?** See above **Whats next?** - More smart home device types, perhaps thermostat. - Poll Alexa for changes to a smart home device and Sync the ‘state’ with Homey. - Ability to trigger alexa scenes from with in a flow. - Investigate homey reset causing loss of TTS - Add Flow trigger, when alexa hears a specific set of words. - Arm/Disarm alexa guard. **Can you add feature X or Y** Long Answer : If you cant do it through the alexa website [alexa.amazon.com](http://alexa.amazon.com) or worse case the alexa phone app. Then no I can not add it. If you can do it through the app, check out whether its in “whats next” list above. If its not, the I doubt it, but you can ask. Short Answer : I Doubt it. **Why don’t my routines show in the flow action** For a routine to show, it must be given a name with in the alexa app. **Why does the app stop working?** There could be a couple of reasons for this, the most common is that you have set homey to restart nightly/weekly and this is causing the app to not reconnect. ---
**Author:** ![autolycos](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/autolycos/32/39277_2.png) [@autolycos](https://community.homey.app/u/autolycos)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 1:44pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356/3 "2019-01-19T13:44:54Z")
Interesting to say the least. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Conny\_Svitzer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/conny_svitzer/32/9645_2.png) [@Conny\_Svitzer](https://community.homey.app/u/Conny_Svitzer)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 7:35pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356/4 "2019-01-19T19:35:28Z")
Are we there yet? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![JB2K](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/jb2k/32/134070_2.png) [@JB2K](https://community.homey.app/u/JB2K)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 10:44pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356/5 "2019-01-19T22:44:43Z")
Haha oh wow, that must have been creepy 😂 ---
**Author:** ![Jamie](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/jamie/32/5274_2.png) [@Jamie](https://community.homey.app/u/Jamie)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 12:57am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356/6 "2019-01-21T00:57:41Z")
No so much for me, as I understood the message immediately and what was going on, my wife no so much 😛 Im still trying to figure out what caused the delay, (delay makes it a pretty useless app). Ill let you know. ---
**Author:** ![autolycos](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/autolycos/32/39277_2.png) [@autolycos](https://community.homey.app/u/autolycos)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 2:58pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356/7 "2019-01-21T14:58:32Z")
If you need any help with testing/TS or similar, I’m game. I don’t mind getting the random/delayed response while getting things right. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![JB2K](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/jb2k/32/134070_2.png) [@JB2K](https://community.homey.app/u/JB2K)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 10:20pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356/8 "2019-01-21T22:20:27Z")
By the way, This skill is maybe a better option ? > **[How to trigger custom Alexa notifications from a smart home event - Stacey on...](https://staceyoniot.com/how-to-trigger-custom-alexa-notifications-from-a-smart-home-event/)** > > On this week’s IoT Podcast, we got a great voicemail question from Keith. He wants to know if an Amazon Echo can notify him of external events based on other smart devices in his home. For example, if a webcam sees movement, can Alexa tell him?... It’s a bridge between the notification api and user input ---
**Author:** ![Jamie](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/jamie/32/5274_2.png) [@Jamie](https://community.homey.app/u/Jamie)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 11:43pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356/9 "2019-01-21T23:43:54Z")
I think what I am doing at the moment is a better solution, but thank you for the link - it also said this > And there’s one more thing you should know. Regardless of what smart home device you use as a trigger event, Amazon limits the Notification API: Trigger events can only create notifications up to five times in a five minute period. After that, Amazon puts you in a bit of a time-out. Which explains some things. ---
**Author:** ![HarriedeGroot](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/harriedegroot/32/56160_2.png) [@HarriedeGroot](https://community.homey.app/u/HarriedeGroot)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 11:44pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356/10 "2019-01-21T23:44:07Z")
Or use Node RED: [https://flows.nodered.org/node/node-red-contrib-alexa-local](https://flows.nodered.org/node/node-red-contrib-alexa-local)? ---
**Author:** ![Jamie](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/jamie/32/5274_2.png) [@Jamie](https://community.homey.app/u/Jamie)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 11:46pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356/11 "2019-01-21T23:46:19Z")
That (node RED) app only replicates the current behavior we already have … ---
**Author:** ![HarriedeGroot](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/harriedegroot/32/56160_2.png) [@HarriedeGroot](https://community.homey.app/u/HarriedeGroot)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 11:50pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356/12 "2019-01-21T23:50:18Z")
To be honest, I didn’t looked at it thoroughly. But thought I read somewhere you could use your own texts & of course trigger Homey flows via mqtt (i.s.o devices known by Alexa). But maybe I’m wrong or it was another Node red extension. ---
**Author:** ![autolycos](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/autolycos/32/39277_2.png) [@autolycos](https://community.homey.app/u/autolycos)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 7:03am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356/13 "2019-01-24T07:03:06Z")
How’s it going Jamie? Extremely eager to hear. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Jamie](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/jamie/32/5274_2.png) [@Jamie](https://community.homey.app/u/Jamie)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 4:02pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356/14 "2019-01-24T16:02:26Z")
I pushed at an update to the beta channel of “[group](https://apps.athom.com/app/com.swttt.devicegroups)” which took a little longer than anticipated, back on this project now. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jamie](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/jamie/32/5274_2.png) [@Jamie](https://community.homey.app/u/Jamie)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 6:21am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356/15 "2019-01-26T06:21:14Z")
Cookie, Device, Text to speech all working, below you can see the work in progress… Ill update with some more images later - but right now It Australia day and I need to get my Aussie On. Thanks ![Image%20from%20iOS%20(3)](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/2X/9/9bca262a691a93827d8a9252bbd4340600d386fa.png) ![Image%20from%20iOS%20(4)](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/2X/5/522f821d6289be72b69f8c7d0ccb15a42eaeffb8.png) ![Image%20from%20iOS%20(6)](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/2X/1/10ca9c9bf91f9c6aec9092090b412caffd4622f7.png) ![Image%20from%20iOS%20(5)](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/2X/c/cac54180d62de33de8cb015b6ac42d0b1c1c144f.png) ![Image%20from%20iOS%20(7)](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/2X/5/5b07f52902bcf96e3000029ff4388afa58f98fa0.png) ---
**Author:** ![autolycos](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/autolycos/32/39277_2.png) [@autolycos](https://community.homey.app/u/autolycos)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 6:32am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356/16 "2019-01-26T06:32:54Z")
FANTASTIC! Where do I donate?! ---
**Author:** ![PhilS](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/phils/32/12941_2.png) [@PhilS](https://community.homey.app/u/PhilS)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 8:34am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356/17 "2019-01-26T08:34:28Z")
Wow @Jamie!!! Can you give me examples how this app would work? Can I use then my dots for speech output? And what else can we do? I will donate as soon as possible! Thank you ---
**Author:** ![Jamie](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/jamie/32/5274_2.png) [@Jamie](https://community.homey.app/u/Jamie)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 2:37pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356/18 "2019-01-26T14:37:45Z")
Hmm Examples, it a hard one because there is so much you _could_ do with it. It is all about integrating Alexa into your smart home. (Rather than your smart home into alexa). - Anything from Create a flow so that any time homey speaks - it also gets said upon all echo devices, so the entire house can hear it. - through to if it s a weekday before midday and your presence is detected in the bathroom, turn on the light and exhaust fan and play today weather on alexa. - After which if when the vibration sensor is triggered on the stairs, play todays news flash briefing. - When the contact sensor on the mail box is triggered create a reminder at 7pm that night to all devices “Please check the mail box”. - When owntracks presence tracks me leaving the office and its after 5pm and alexa Text to speech say ‘Jamie has left the office, with current traffic he will be home in 50 minutes’ , then play ride of the Valkyries on all devices. - When the bedroom light is turned off and everyone is in bed , if a perimeter window is not closed have alexa announce through the spot alarm clock that the ‘house is not secure’. For me personally, I have only one Homey where has I have half a dozen alexa devices in most rooms and they can speak, let me know the traffic, weather, news, etc alarms or reminders, announcements or notices, whats on my calendar. And now I can have any of these features with in a flow. ---
**Author:** ![PhilS](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/phils/32/12941_2.png) [@PhilS](https://community.homey.app/u/PhilS)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 2:49pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356/19 "2019-01-26T14:49:53Z")
Wow! A dream comes true. Yes that is also my setting: one homey and 6 echos. So that will be the non plus ultra! And all Google Assistant User will be sad. Really curious about the tease of your app then! And please set a donation button then. ---
**Author:** ![autolycos](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/autolycos/32/39277_2.png) [@autolycos](https://community.homey.app/u/autolycos)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 2:49pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356/20 "2019-01-26T14:49:58Z")
Marvellous! When will you publish it, and once again - where do I donate for this “must have”-app? 😁 [Next page](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-alexa-control-your-amazon-devices-from-homey/8356.md?page=2)