Smartthings routine not working with alexa

SmartApps & Automations
1

ive had a LIGHTS OFF routine with Smartthings that worked flawlessly with Alexa. Nothing fancy with the routine and all it does is turn-off lights whenever its movie time or time to go to bed.

used to be as simple as “Alexa, lights off” and we are to good to go. Right now its not working, nothing happens. ive tested the same routine with Action Tiles and the routine works as it should.

so, im running out of ideas… i prefer having Alexa running the routine. what else should i try to do?

thank you in advance.

2

I am really struggling with this as well. I want to caveat, I am a new smart home user.

I have a ST Multi Purpose Sensor on my door. I have a routine in Alexa that follows "when the door opens, Amazon Dots will say the door is open. This routine has worked well the last two days and today it stopped working. I have no idea why. History shows switch open and close.

What am I am missing here???

Hardware Version: Hub v3 US
Firmware Version: 32.00010

3

I have several ST motion sensors with Alexa routines to turn on/off lights based on motion/no-motion.

Twice over the past week ALL of the routines stopped working, and then started working again by the next morning, with no action on my part.

While the routines are not working, all components appear to be functioning as normal, but the routine does not run on its own.

*Light switches work physically and via Alexa app

  • Motion sensor reports motion (even when viewed in Alexa app)
  • Routine runs correctly when triggered manually via Alex app

The only issue is that when motion is detected/not detected the on/off routines do not run.

Has anyone else experienced this come-and-go issue?

Any thoughts as to why this happens or how to avoid or fix?

Thanks!

Jason

4

I noticed that last night. I had to disable\enable the skill in Alexa and things went back to normal. Alexa could see me sensors working but in the case of my garage door, it usually announces that the door has been opened or closed and that stopped. I have one for my front door too and again it noticed the sensor but would not make the announcement. The disable\enable skill fixed it but it appears there are some other issues with Smartthings going on.

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5

Pete - interesting! I did not try disabling/re-enabling the skill, but will try that next time.

I find it curious, too, that each time this has happened to me, it has resolved on its own.

6

If Just rediscovering the device will fix it, smartthings runs an automatic discovery every 12 hours, so that’s why it can fix itself eventually.

7

I have noticed that whenever I add a new sensor that I want Alexa to perform an “announcement” for that I have to disable\enable the skill. It will see the sensor and such from the start but it will never say “Door open” until I do that. I do know that at times I won’t hear Alexa and it does seem to fix itself. But with all that has been going on I just jumped straight to it.

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8

Good to know - thanks!

I still don’t get why rediscovering the device should be needed or why it would work. If the device disappeared, that would make sense, but literally everything else about it works; only triggering the routine is failing.

9

I have been able to add new sensors without having to disable/re-enable the skill. I haven’t set up any voice response, though; just light on/off for when someone walks in the room (and inevitably leaves without turning the light back off).

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