# Multipurpose sensors with Alexa **URL:** \ **Category:** Connected Things\ **Created:** [June 10, 2018, 6:07pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/multipurpose-sensors-with-alexa/128253 "2018-06-10T18:07:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ekim1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/779978/32.png) [@ekim1](https://community.smartthings.com/u/ekim1)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2018, 6:07pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/multipurpose-sensors-with-alexa/128253/1 "2018-06-10T18:07:28Z")
I couldn’t find a definitive answer on this one… I integrated my Smartthings with Alexa recently and found the multi-purpose sensor does not come through. I was wanting to be able to ask Alexa for temperature info from the multi-purpose sensor. Any ideas? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Automated\_House](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/automated_house/32/99641_2.png) [@Automated\_House](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Automated_House)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2018, 6:26pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/multipurpose-sensors-with-alexa/128253/2 "2018-06-10T18:26:26Z")
Can’t do it out of the box. Ask Alexa can do it. ---
**Author:** ![rontalley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e47774/32.png) [@rontalley](https://community.smartthings.com/u/rontalley)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2018, 7:48pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/multipurpose-sensors-with-alexa/128253/3 "2018-06-10T19:48:50Z")
I use this app. You basically tie the sensor to the Virtual Thermostat and then enable the Virtual Thermostat in the Alexa App. From there, you can ask what the temperature is. Pretty simple. > [@\[OBSOLETE\] New Virtual Thermostat With Device](https://community.smartthings.com/t/new-virtual-thermostat-with-device/112838): > > SmartThings Virtual Thermostat With Virtual Device This smart app will create 1 or more Virtual thermostats by combining 1 or more temperature sensors and 1 or more outlet switches. A contact sensor can also be added to automagically turn off the heating if the door is left open etc. Features: Only single Temperature sensor and smart switch required Google Home and Alexa Support for setting/getting Temperature and Mode Manager app included to manage multiple different virtual thermostats Contact sensor enabled to automagically disable heating when a door is left open etc Multiple temperature sensors enabled for average temperature Heating on time visible in device for today and yesterday Link: [https://github.com/eliotstocker/SmartThings-VirtualThermostat-WithDTH](https://github.com/eliotstocker/SmartThings-VirtualThermostat-WithDTH) Github Integration: … ---
**Author:** ![ekim1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/779978/32.png) [@ekim1](https://community.smartthings.com/u/ekim1)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 3:04am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/multipurpose-sensors-with-alexa/128253/4 "2018-06-15T03:04:38Z")
Hi, I created a “virtual thermostat by Smartthings” with the ‘built in’ SmartApp (under “Climate control”) within the Smartthings app. I used a Multipurpose sensor as the temperature device. Once i had created it I tried to let Alexa know about it through the Alex smartapp within Smartthings. It does not show up as an option under Thermostats. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![singularity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@singularity](https://community.smartthings.com/u/singularity)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2020, 1:55am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/multipurpose-sensors-with-alexa/128253/5 "2020-06-23T01:55:07Z")
Is that a skill? What is “Ask Alexa”? ---
**Author:** ![singularity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@singularity](https://community.smartthings.com/u/singularity)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2020, 1:56am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/multipurpose-sensors-with-alexa/128253/6 "2020-06-23T01:56:12Z")
What is virtual thermostat? Is this summer code you have to create? I’m a little new here, but not scared to get nerdy if I need to. ---
**Author:** ![JDRoberts](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/jdroberts/32/56577_2.png) [@JDRoberts](https://community.smartthings.com/u/JDRoberts)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2020, 2:48am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/multipurpose-sensors-with-alexa/128253/7 "2020-06-23T02:48:51Z")
> [@singularity](#): > > Is that a skill? What is “Ask Alexa”? You are responding to a thread which is two years old, and a lot has changed in that time. 🕶 In particular, Alexa does many more things out of the box with smartthings sensors than it used to. So now you may not need to Use AskAlexa depending on exactly what you want to do. That said, AskAlexa is a community-developed project that uses an Amazon developers account to get you access to many additional features. They have a detailed article in the community – created wiki that explains everything. Very powerful, but set up is also fairly complicated, so you might want to just check and see if what you want to do is already available through the official features. [https://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=Ask\_Alexa](https://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=Ask_Alexa)