[NO LONGER SUPPORTED] Ask Alexa

Perfect thanks! Will up the timeout.

Ok, I’m sure I’m missing something very simple. I cannot find/see the Ask Alexa App in the “Skills” area of the Alexa App. I have configured the Developer and Lamda areas. I can actually control my devices using the Service Simulator in the developer console. I feel like I’m just missing a simple checkbox, or something. Or maybe it takes some time to show up as a skill? I am using the same email address for my lamda, developer and amazon accounts. This looks so great, cant wait to get to the last part. :slight_smile:

Towards the top, do you see ‘Your Skills’? Click that and see if it shows up there. You might be in the ‘All Skills’ group, and I don’t think you will see it there.

Also, while it isn’t mentioned, it seems like you must use the same user name AND password for your developer account
See if that works.

That was it. Did not see the “your Skills” area. Thanks!

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I finally got big talker and LaNnouncer working just as it should. The community was very helpful. After much frustration I u installed everything and started over step by step and was successful. So my next project is to learn and use ask alexa by Michael struck which u installed awhile ago but have never been able to make it function or I just don’t know how. So I figured I would delete the app and start over nice and clean. It say I’m unable because it’s installed by other users. When I try and open settings or about ask alexa it gives me a red error bar.

Bottom photo is when I go into settings or about. It pops up the red error bar

You’ll get your quickest answer if you just add your question to the end of the author thread for the smartapp. The author will automatically be notified of the new post, and other people who are using that smart app will also see it and may be able to help.

There is a certain order of uninstall that I should probably document. Normally, the remove button SHOULD work, but if it doesn’t, do the following:

  • Go through and delete every scenario from the app
not the app itself but the scenarios within the main app
  • Go through your IDE and delete EVERY switch that was created with Alexa Helper. These will be virtual switches. If you use these switches in ANY other application you will need to replace those with other virtual devices if you wish to delete Alexa Helper
  • From there, the remove button in the main app should work.

Sorry for the issues that you are encountering
unfortunately, apps that have this level of integration also take a bit more effort to uninstall.

Let me know if this works for you and I will document it in the wiki.

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thank you. it’s been my weekend projects but I know I can figure it out. like I was saying with big talker and laNnouncer it took me to where just starting over made sense. I will work to un integrate everything and remove then reinstall. I’m still a little confused as to what this will do for me and how to use it. What is the phrase to ask alexa the status of a devise or switch? Could you give a couple simple senerios of its use in practical daily form.

I assume you are referring to Ask Alexa? For a stauts, you simply say “Alexa, Ask SmartThings about < < Device Name > >”. If it is a switch, you will get something like “The device is currently on”. For multi function devices you might get a whole slew of attributes of the device, including batter levels if you want.

Here is how I use mine in a normal day:

When I am curious about the temperature outside of my house (and not just a generic temperature reading, I say “Alexa, Ask Smarthings about the back patio”.

When grocery shopping and it is dark in the house and my hands are full I say “Alexa, tell SmartThings to turn on the kitchen”. While I can do this with the stock integration, this command sets certain colored lights to a specific color and brightness.

When I go to bed I say “Alexa, tell SmartThings good night” and this performs a complex routine where it sets the condition of the house depending on the day (weekend or weekday) which in turn sets certain alarm functions in the morning and finally gives me a report of any windows or doors that I may have inadvertently left open. For things like locks and garage doors it locks and closes them all with this one command.

Fun stuff


Yes it is. Thank you for the information. I am currently doing similar things but through basic integrations and I like what your talking about. A little more involved. I did go through every devise in ide and confirmed nothing is in use by ask alexa and still unable to delete. Alexa is still involved but not ask alexa. Am I correct though in the fact that I can’t go into about ask alexa or settings that I do in fact have an issue. I’ve never deleted all my devises before am I going to have to set up all my routines and other functions that there involved with too. Oh boy it’s Sunday I need to call in sick tomorrow


haha
while Ask Alexa is separate from Alexa Helper you should clean up your apps just for your own sanity
Let me know specifically the errors you are getting and how you are getting these and I can get this deleted.


That’s all I have plus lanouncer. I have one virtual switch github to control my goodnight routine with security features. I know nothing of alexa helper or if I ever used it some how. I did have echo sistant but removed that just before I ran into this. I have about 50 different “things” from various brands but I’ve stuck with mostly basic integrations and a few newly learned ide/github apps.

OK I just noticed something that might be the issue. Upon first getting into ide and learning it’s functions I wound up with the nao1 url. I learned I needed to log back into the na02 url via location bla bla bla we all know that story by now. I just know realized I’m noticing two different url,s while adjusting these apps. Do you think that’s why it’s saying installed by another user. My address bar seems to be using both 1 and 2. How do I go about deleting the first one I logged into which was wrong and now seems to be playing some effect on my user ability to delete.

So this is Ask Alexa and NOT Alexa Helper? Not sure why I thought it was the latter
Does this app show up in your mobile app? I recommend removing the app from your mobile device, but if you have multiple mobile devices you should log out of ALL of them except one and then remove all macros and then remove the main app


Let me know if that works.

Yes ask alexa not helper. I do have multiple phones and one tablet. My phone and my tablet are what I do most of my app installs with so I think your right in that it has something to do with multiple log ins while deleting. I will take all 4 devises tonight and log out or un install what I can and try again with one main devise. I’ll give you an update later this evening. Thanks again sometimes it’s just a matter of talking and walking through the problem so I appreciate your time to respond.

No problem
Log out of all of them, then log into one and see if the remove function works then.

Did you get this resolved?

I just got all my phones and tabs logged off logged back in with my tab and still the same error. I’m going to start deleting things and possibly start over. I’m 4 months and over 2k deep in home automation, I’ve learned a lot and i might just need to reboot and build my structure over again with the apps and routines I’ve learned. But in regards to this thread I will continue to post updates to my uninstall problems and report application user benefits. I really do want to check your app out though. Couple more weekends and we’ll see