Apologies if there’s already a thread for this but I’m new to it all. My set up is 3 harmony hubs and 3 Alexa devices and a smartthings hub. Basically I want to be able to use any of the Alexa devices to switch various parts of my home theatre systems on and off e.g. I want to be able to switch the cable box, tv and amp on in one room using one command and the tv, amp and PlayStation 3 in another using a different command. Please could someone who understands this better please advise how I go about it or link to where I can get the information to set it up from. I’ve already downloaded both the Smartthings apps to my phone and got some of the Harmony activities I set up showing up but at least one of them is missing. Thanks for any help.
The Harmony Activities show up in SmartThings as Switches. These Switches can be selected to show up in the Alexa App. Alexa doesn’t care what Harmony Hub the Activity is assigned to.
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i have a smartthings hub but did similar just using logitech harmony hubs and alexa but had to use the logitech secondary hub skill for a routine for the other room.
probably a better way out there.
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Thanks, I’ve now got all my devices as harmony scenes, however when I ask Alexa to watch anything which isn’t on the harmony hub that I selected when I ask Alexa to e.g. Play PS3 which is on a different hub it says I’ve no skill enabled. Have I missed something out. I’ve got both the Smartthings and the harmony skill enabled.
There are 2 different approaches that you need to unpack.
Approach 1. Integration with Smartthings: Activities show up as switches. It would be the same as saying, “Alexa, turn on the light”…You are trying to say, “Alexa, Play the Kitchen Light”. She doesn’t understand those type of commands for Switches. Just on and off for the Harmony Activities. Now what you can do is create an Alexa Routine in the Alexa App: When I speak, “Alexa Play PS3” then Alexa turns on the related SmartThings Switch that is associated with the Harmony Activity. Play PS3 [Harmony Activity].
Approach 2. Leave SmartThings out of the equation altogether and do as @diademz suggested:
I use Approach 1 and have 4 Harmony Hubs. However, I am also heavily invested in the Amazon family of devices. I have an Echo and Fire TV for each Harmony Hub. So the integration is much more fluid.
Finally, if you go the ST route, which I highly recommend as you can actually integrate both approaches, then make sure you follow this tutorial to get instant updates when you start an Activity outside of ST.
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Thank you so much for your help. I’ve created a couple of routines that seem to be working so I’ll carry on down that route and stop pulling my hair me out trying to get it all working with voice control.
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Yeah, it becomes much easier when you simplify the voice commands using an Alexa Routine!
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I do the same thing @rontalley does. One thing to note if you go that route…
Harmony activity naming matters.
I have all activities on the living room hub prefixed by Living Room, living room TV, Living Room Fire TV, Living room Xbox, etc. Then I also have master Bedroom TV, Master Bedroom Xbox, etc.
Otherwise you get unpredictable results.
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Absolutely 100% agree! Not only for the Harmony Activities but for SmartThings in general. Day Room Light, Living Room Fan, Upstairs Bathroom Door, Downstairs Hallway Motions, etc… Also, I found that it is also feasible to keep the [Harmony Activity] that SmartThings puts behind each Switch name. When working with webCoRE, ActionTiles, etc., you can type “Harmony” and all of your Activities will show up.
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Thanks. I’ve just found that out. The parents are watching cable TV downstairs and I wanted to watch a movie upstairs. I wasn’t in their best books when I turned their cable off and switched the DVD player on instead.
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I have this similar scenario. I have 4 Harmony hubs, Amazon Echo/Alexa devices in every room as well as obviously, a SmartThings hub. I have the Harmony service connected to SmartThings and within SmartThings I see the activities as switches, as well as all the Harmony Hubs in their appropriate rooms. They are controllable in the SmartThings apps (old and new). In the SmartThings web interface, I can look at the Alexa service and see all the activities listed as service there. However, when I follow the next step of discovering new devices in Alexa, it finds none of them and as such they are not available for voice control or routines. Has anyone seen this variant?
Have you opened the Alexa App in SmartThings and selected the Harmony (Switches) as authorized devices?
Are you saying, “Alexa, turn on watch a movie” or “Alexa, watch a movie” ?
You could also try logging out of the Alexa App and then back in.
The activities themselves are not discovered in the Alexa app. When I say Alexa, turn on watch kitchen tv, Alexa responds I could not find a device or group called kitchen tv in Barry’s profile. I also did log out of my Alexa app and back in as well.
Were you able to resolve this, I am having the same issue?