I am hoping that someone can help answer this question before I take the plunge back in to ST.
When adding devices (such as a Fibaro light dimmer) to a ST controller (v3) that is integrated with Alexa, how do those devices appear in the Alexa app? On my Zipato hub they just appear under as ‘generic’ devices under the ‘All Devices’ section in the app.
The issue here is that while you can control them with the Alexa app on phone/tablet - you cannot control them through the touchscreen on an Echo Show device. For them to appear on the Show device they need to be devices that appear in one of the named categories - ie lights, thermostats etc. The Ikea Tradfri lights appear under the ‘Lights’ device heading in the Alexa app and can be controlled via the Echo Show touch screen controls (voice control is not always feasible/optimal)
Does anyone have ST integrated with Alexa and use an Echo Show for control who can answer this?(please!)
Unless devices are sensors, they show up as either ‘Switch’ or ‘Light’ and YES you can change that type in teh Alexa UI. The differentiator being whether or not you want the device to be affected by the ‘turn on/off the lights’ utterance for the room you’re talking about.
On show/spot, you can touch activate the device - IF it’s active on the screen, but there’s no UI to get there by default. It will only popup when the device is being manipulated. (Design choice by AMZ - they’re voice first, remember) So you will very much want a dashboard like ActionTiles or SharpTools if you’re looking for a touch interface.
On my Show devices I can get to the touch controls by swiping from the right and selecting Smart Home - all the devices that are in ‘Lights’ ,‘Plugs’, ‘Cameras’, ‘Thermostat’s’ etc can be controlled via the touch screen. Nothing in ‘All Devices’ can be. I can even jump to ‘Groups’ of devices in other rooms and control them from the screen as well.
I did read somewhere you could change the types in the Alexa App - but I have not been able to do so for any device that defaults to the ‘All Devices’ list (I think this is a more basic integration type for what I can tell)
If Smartthings utilises the full Amazon API that allows type setting then I am going to be a very happy boy!
Dangit I forgot about that one. - good call - and shows you how much I ACTUALLY use it.)
You should be able to change it in the alexa app on your mobile device, in the settings menu for the device itself. But again ONLY for any device that comes through as an actuator (Switch, Light) Now in my experience this includes my botvacs, dimmers, fan controls (also come in as dimmers), shades (again, also come in as dimmers), and of course lights or any virtual device that shows as one of these…
I don’t think ANYBODY uses the full API… But it apparently understands enough to get by.
If your Smartthings devices are appearing by default in the categories they have implemented the ‘Display Categories’ in the API. Zipato have not which is why I am now swapping to ST (that and it has been sooooo unstable recently)
But it apparently understands enough to get by.