SmartThings Multipurpose Sensor + Alexa Routines problem?

Hi, I have just purchased the Smarthings Hub + Multipurpose Sensor to alert me when my front door is open or when someone is knocking on the door with the vibration sensor.

Following the instructions I coupled up the sensor within the smarthings app to the hub without any problems at all, I then went into my Alexa app on my phone & added new device & it picked up the sensor fine. when i open & close my door it shows in the Alexa app as open & closed, So everything seems to work fine. BUT this is where it goes wrong, I have setup a new routine for when the sesor is open to announce to all my alexas in my home that front door is open, but it does not work. I can play the routine in the alexa app and it works fine, it announces to all my alexas in my home. but when i open the door i get nothing. even though in the smartthings app & alexa app on my phone its picking up the sensor as open…

i have setup quite a few routines without any problems until now.
can anyone please help.?
thanks in advance.

I am using a similar setup with several multipurpose sensors and Alexa.

My Alexa routine is setup as follows:

When: Living Room Door opens <-- Living Room Door is my sensor name

Suppress for 10 mins <-- This keeps the routine from running again if I’m entering/exiting several times

Alexa WILL: Announce “Front Door Open”

It’s pretty simple and runs flawlessly. This is purely anecdotal, but I feel like sometimes routines that rely on sensors that ONLY do one thing don’t always fire consistently. My routine does two things: Suppress for 10 mins AND make the announcement

1 Like

I’ve finally got it to work how i wanted it to do BUT, I’ve had to make a virtual switch within my SmartThings hub for this to work.

so my multipurpose door sensor (when open) now triggers the (virtual switch) to open. I’ve then setup a routine in Alexa app > when virtual switch - open >> announce - Front porch door is now open.

its the only way i could get it to work. surly i didn’t expect to have to do this & to be honest wonder how other people go on with setting this up as it wasn’t easy & im usualy quite good with tech stuff.

this is the link i used to get it to work, please advise if there is an easier way around this because if for some reason i ever have to reset my Hub im guessing i will have to re do it all over again…

thanks

2 Likes

Thanks for the link!

Currently my sensors are working without the need for a virtual switch, BUT… it’s always good to know how to do it this way and it’s a method that can be used – as the article states – with any Alexa enabled device.

There is an FAQ in this forum on the same topic:

FAQ: Can I trigger an Echo Action without Speaking to It?