As a quad, I am dependent on voice control for a lot of things. So I use a whole bunch of different voice control options, including hey Siri and the Amazon echo.
For what it’s worth, I personally already use Amazon to turn on a light and then use the smartthings smartapp “the big switch” or one of its variations to follow the light that Amazon controls, and from there it’s off to the races: I can do Mode changes and control many types of devices. My problem is that the smartthings status of the master switch sometimes takes quite a while to update. Or doesn’t update at all. So if the first domino doesn’t fall then nothing else happens.
So if a new direct smartthings/Amazon integration does nothing except turn on and off a virtual switch that will reliably and quickly trigger the big switch smartapp, there will be a whole lot you can do with it. Even if it has to be a physical switch, again, once that first domino falls you’ve got voice control of a lot of different things.
So back when Amazon echo came out I signed up for the invite and got my unit, and ever since then I have been waiting for this integration to happen. I go in and out of the forums from time to time to see if it actually has happened and nothing. I now see that wink has already done it last month and ST has yet to do this. A hub that was given a way free has this capabilities and a hub that I paid $100 is not even close to having it. What is going on here?? No I see that a 2.0 hub is being released so I am thinking that this is why ST is waiting to have integration on both hubs, but at least be loyal to the people that got you where you are and paid the money for this thing. If I don’t see anything any time soon I will take off all of my devices off of this hub, sell it on ebay and use this free wink hub that was given to me when I purchased bulbs I’m sure it will work just as well as this if not better.
tgauchat
(ActionTiles.com co-founder Terry @ActionTiles; GitHub: @cosmicpuppy)
409
Go for it.
You will likely find that the Wink Hub is a poor substitute for SmartThings, though. And they certainly don’t have as helpful and clever a Community for you to reach out to for recommendations and often, solutions.
Do a search on the Community Forum here and you’ll find 2 integrations with Amazon Echo already written and available for you to try.
And from the hints that have been dropped, I have confidence SmartThings is working on official integration… It’s just that they’ve been understandably busy getting the new version of the Hub launched, and SmartThings will not promise dates for products and features until they are ready.
(In other words; “threatening” to leave for a competitor is not really the best way to get help here and certainly won’t make the SmartThings - Echo integration go any faster. It is not a particularly polite approach, don’t you think?).
I don’t know if it’s SmartThings or Amazon’s fault, but the slow “official” integration is hurting both of them. I have both in my house now and would love it if they worked together. In fact, I would actually by one or two more Echos and some more SmartThings components too. They both need to get it together soon.
I wonder if threatening to buy more stuff from them is rude too?
There is at least one “Skill” supporting ST, and the unofficial hack(s) are in the forum - and ST has dropped their usual numerous evasive hints about upcoming integration.
Given that Amazon and Samsung aren’t exactly frenemies and that the Echo team only picked a handful of UPNP-enabled IoT platforms to integrate directly with in their first round (ie, the very low hanging fruit) it’s not shocking that it’s taking a while for the ST integration to happen.
Just today the smartthings official blog announced an official echo integration, but unfortunately as of the time of this writing the link to the set up instructions is broken. Very frustrating.
Meanwhile, many people, including me, have various work around integrations going. Please see the existing echo integration faq for details:
hopefully this isn’t indicative of the general level of quality control and testing being done at ST… how hard is it to click on the video or instructions links to see if they work???
Amazon updated the Echo app today. They also changed the app name/logo to Alexa. Mainly seems to be bug fixes and an improvement in the Flash Briefings. No changes to the connected options as well as no change on web access.
on the Community Forum here and you’ll find 2 integrations with Amazon Echo already written and available for you to try.
