I came up with a work around to get Alexa to turn on Samsung Smart TVs. I believe this should work with 2016+ models. First we are going to create an app that will let us turn the tv on through wake-on-lan.
Next we are going to create a virtual switch through Smartthings. In the same tab already open do the following:
Select My Devices
Select +New Device
Under Name type “Turn TV On” without the quotation marks
Under Device Network id put whatever you want as log as it isn’t in use by another device. I put “12345678” without the quotation marks
Under type select “Momentary Button Tile”
Under location select “Home” or whatever is applicable to you
Under hub select “Home Hub” or whatever is applicable to you
Select create
Now we are going to setup the Simulated Switch that Alexa will use to turn the TV on and off.
Next open Smartthings Classic on your phone/tablet (MAKE SURE YOU ARE USING THE SMARTTHINGS CLASSIC APP AND NOT THE NEW SMARTTHINGS APP TO SET THIS UP!)
Select Automation
Select SmartApps
Select Computer Power Control with Wake on LAN
Under Switch select “Turn TV On”
Hit Done
Under Computer IP address enter the IP address of your tv. To find it do the following on your TV:
Hit home button on remote
Go to Settings
Go to Network
Select Network Status
Select IP Settings. You will find your IP address on this screen. Enter this into the app on your phone/tablet. I highly recommend settings up a static ip address on your router for your tv. This number may change over time.
Under Webserver port enter 8001
Now we need to find the MAC address for your tv. Select home button on TV remote.
Go to settings
Go to Support
Go to Contact Samsung
Scroll down and you will find two MAC addresses for Wired internet and for Wireless internet. Copy down wireless if you are on wifi or wired if your TV is connected to the internet with an ethernet cable.
Back on your phone/tablet enter the MAC address under “Computer MAC Address without” Make sure you leave all of the colons “:” from the MAC address
Select Save
Now we need to setup voice triggers on the Alexa app. Go ahead and open the Amazon Alexa app on your phone or tablet
Go to Routines
Select +
Select + Under “When this happens”
Select Voice
type “Turn TV on”
Select Save
Select + Under “Add action”
Select “Smart Home”
Select “Control device”
Select “Turn TV On”
Select “NEXT”
Select “ADD”
Select “Create”
Now your tv will turn on when you tell Alexa “Turn TV On”. I repeated the last section and added “Turn On TV”, “Turn On the TV”, and “Turn the TV On” for voice triggers in the Alexa app. I’d recommend doing this as well so Alexa can turn on the TV using these voice triggers.
That sounds like a lot of work that I’m too lazy to do, so my workaround was buying a Sony Bravia. Of course, that was a bit more expensive than your workaround.
I guess this is a good solution if you don’t have Harmony as well. But if you have Harmony, you can use voice commands to start various harmony activities already.
I’m unfamiliar with Google Home Mini / Assistant. I believe you need to purchase chromecast if you want to turn your TV on and off with it. Additional information can be found here: https://support.google.com/googlehome/answer/7498991?hl=en
hm a i cannot even turn on TV with smart things app with you instructions. BTW did you know that you can control volume and channel up/down with ARTIK - IFTTT - Google Assistat / Alexa?
Turning on the TV via the Smartthings app is currently broken. Samsung messed something up when pushing firmware updates to their TVs. The workaround I created is only for SmartThings. This is a forum dedicated to SmartThings and not other smart hubs.
I mean in SmartThings there appear button Turn TV on and when i push that it wrotes, that it cannot connect to TV and i did everything from your instructions. Only thing is that i dod not fill HUB while making virtual switch. IP of TV is good, MAC is good, i coppied text to my app and it still not working
@sapman I am stuck at making the virtual switch. I opened smartthings on my phone and went to the automation tab. But I dont see smartapps anywhere…am I doing something wrong ??
Have Samsung Smartthings Hub and 2016 Samsung Smart TV. Followed all instructions. TV does not turn on. virtual switch appeared in smart things app and on alexa app. Confirmed from Smartthings App that signal is being received from Alexa when told to “Turn TV On”. How does the App we created actually turn the tv on through “wake up lan”? Seems to be the sticking point in this process for me.
Hi Justin,
Everything was great till step:
“Now we are going to setup the Simulated Switch that Alexa will use to turn the TV on and off.
Next open Smartthings on your phone/tablet
Select Automation
Select SmartApps”
The problem is that there is no SmartApps option under Automation.
Anything I can set differently?
Thanks!
Grayr
with you instructions. BTW did you know that you can control volume and channel up/down with ARTIK - IFTTT - Google Assistat / Alexa?