You press the button, Smartlighting automation turns on the zebra switch which then makes the zebra contact sensor open, Alexa recognizes that it opened and runs the routine that plays the dog barking audio. JD Roberts, Free shipping for many products! The echo remote is more intuitive for wifey. Its really just software. Now lets think about using a SmartThings button to control the volume on an echo. When you factory reset your Alexa device, all data and custom settings will be deleted. I lowered the security to allow all packets WAN to LAN. Usually, an app crashes if it runs into some software bugs. How can I do it myself?. Ensure that Alexa is working in the Amazon Alexa app. Unfortunately, Im still not feeling very well today, so Im only going be able to help you a piece at a time and if anybody else wants to jump in, please do. If not, disconnect from the WiFi. * in compliance with the License. Check to see if you are able to communicate with the device using Alexa. Alexa depends on the Amazon Alexa app. You can resolve the problem by reconnecting your Alexa device to your WiFi network. See the License Its not going to be elegant. Whether a device is physical or virtual, it still needs a device type handler or smartthings cant communicate with it. Hence, before jumping to any conclusions, check that the button is turned on. If all else fails, you can still try a factory reset of the device Alexa is trying to connect to. You can get rid of some of these errors and speed up your device by upgrading its firmware. The ST button natively supports those 3 conditions. First things, first make sure the device is plugged in! But if its crashing or lagging, your new routine may not be saved. This cloud reliance is a major risk with smart home devices, which is why there is a push towards local-only home automation. ONLY ONE BUTTON DEVICE IS IN THE ST WEB LIST OF DEVICES. , I tried one last time w/ the SmartThings button. THE WEB PAGE IN SMARTTHINGS FOR My Devices DOESNT TELL ME WHICH DTH IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ONE (NOT TWO) BUTTON DEVICES. Depending on the issue, troubleshooting an unresponsive Alexa device is no sweat! B) ILL SCRUTINIZE WHAT TWO DTHS I USE. WiFi routers and most smart devices have a 2.4 GHz frequency band. And indeed that virtual device is just an on/off switch and an open/close sensor. As a result, the smart device will fail to connect with your Alexa device as well. When these devices with the same band get in contact, they can malfunction. Unless you mistakenly changed the DTH for the physical button to the virtual device, rather than leaving the physical button alone and creating a brand new virtual device which will use the virtual DTH. I bet its still under warranty (which is longer than you might think) so contact the company that made it. You might think that Alexa is not talking back to you. Trying to get two devices from different manufacturers to talk to each other can be very frustrating. Your internet service provider (ISP) sets a monthly data limit to your plan. It is excellent advice! From there, you can go about fixing the unit yourself, and it should come easy to you. So, you have to be really close to the device to hear its response. My device is already set up, and it is powered on. From there youll need to re-add the device from the manufacturer's app. it will automatically select the correct device type handler. I have an Alex Echo, Smartthings hub, and various devices. Or turn on a WiFi light switch that works with Alexa. Alexa reports of the button: The device is unresponsive. : /. These devices are supposed to communicate via WiFi. The warranty on this device is not bad, and you will only complicate the situation by going to the fixes on your own. The process is quite simple and has a high probability of fixing the given error. Alexa no longer controls any of my smart things devices. Just do this, @Fastb. To check or change the WiFi network, first, go to the app setting. Heres the FAQ for how you create a virtual device in smartthings: A Device type handler, on the other hand, is just a little bit of code which is used to tell smartthings how to format messages coming to or from a device. Both the apps work fine. Im open to any suggestions you may have. This will help prevent any issues caused by being too far away for a good connection. Thanks for that long post. ME TOO! If you want to stop Alexa from whispering, disable the whisper mode. It says server unavailable. Same here. Have you been using your Alexa device for a long time now? To check this there are a variety of Wi-Fi signal checker apps you can install on your phone. Its very much appreciated! As in point 3, Ive previously restarted both the device as well as closing and re-opening the app which sometimes works. . Or it can be virtual, which is more like a widget on a phone. One of my echo devices always tells me that the device is not responding whe I ask it to be turned on/off. I thought it would be a nice novelty to be able to control them with my Alexa, but this is way too frustrating. If your SmartThings devices cant connect to a stable network, then they will show up as unresponsive on your mobile app. Sometimes Skills can mysteriously become Disabled, which can be due to new permissions or new terms of service that need to be agreed. As you can tell, its a useful technique for all kinds of devices. Meaning, your Alexa device can become unresponsive once your internet slows down. You will have to engage the unit from scratch, and that might just help you get a better response from the unit. So, be sure to ask the assistant to learn your voice. Then you must be familiar with the wake word.. So it seems there is something up with the device health in smartthings. Much like any other software, device firmware is not always perfect, and can be prone to bugs and other system errors. Is the latter fully plugged into the socket? Dont give me that silent treatment!. I gave you an eBay link for one. On the other hand, if you cant find any hardware issues with the unit, then a reset is imminent. Other times Ive had to delete the manufacturer's app from my phone and set the device back up again. If someone turns the light switch off, no power is getting to the bulb. Power cycled several times With my ST Button approach, it was gonna be: So, you might run into responsiveness issues. Or at least in the same room. Unless you mistakenly changed the DTH for the physical button to the virtual device, rather than leaving the physical button alone and creating a brand new virtual device which will use the virtual DTH. Any suggestions? Review your user manual and see if skill-enabling is necessary for the smart device to work. It is inexpensive, which is why the majority of customers choose this automation hub. Never undertake a task you are not competent in performing and if in any doubt, we recommend you utilize the services of an insured professional. So, a good method to narrow down the problem to the programming side of things is to power cycle the unit. Thanks so much for the lengthy, tailored and specific response. Forget everything you thought about code for this problem before you started this thread. So if youve gotten through this section, you should have a better idea of the difference between a virtual device, a physical device, and a device type handler. So there you are. But Im subscribed to an unlimited WiFi plan!. I have an Alex Echo, Smartthings hub, and various devices. This meant Alexa could see the devices but couldnt communicate over the net to operate them. (eg: Zwave moisture sensors, Zwave door sensors, WiFi & Zwave plugs, zigbee switch actuator, zwave switch relay, etc.). I just added a SmartThings button to my system. Under the Reset Settings menu, select the Factory Reset option and select the selected option. Hi All, I have a Stelpro Ki Thermastat that works great with smartthings, but alexa is not recognizing it. What it should find is the virtual device. Well, hopefully that clears up some of the confusion. Once its back to factory default, Alexas wake word changes back to Alexa.. So, if your smart hub is not Alexa-registered, then Alexa wont respond to any of your queries. Power went off and now she wont turn back on. Since Alexa only works with WiFi, your new smart device has to be connected to the WiFi too. you say it found the physical button, but as far as I know, thats impossible. Alexa does not recognize that device class. I succeeded in having the button show up in Alexa, but it wouldnt function. All that you need to do here is to remove all of the power from the unit and then power it up one more time. Here are some things you can do to prevent power connectivity issues: Further reading: Does Alexa Have To Be Plugged In To Work? This leads to the connected device is not responding message. Ive checked to see if the manufacturers app is fully up to date and if not, updated it. So, only do this as your last resort. Once the plug reboots, it will connect to Wi-Fi again and will check for updates automatically. If your actual Alexa device, such as an Echo speaker or display, is not answering you, check out our other troubleshooting guide here. At all. You can refer to their respective user manuals for that. They can help you with a ton of troubleshooting methods that increase the probability of customers fixing their issues. In this case, these devices can be much more susceptible to interference from other radio signals, or even physical obstructions like closed doors. After that, log into your Amazon account and try using SmartThings devices. Are you sure that Alexa is the problem and not your guest room lights? Perhaps your device got disconnected from your internet. If your Alexa device is unresponsive, check its power adapter. Id recommend reading up on Hubitat or Home Assistant if you are interested in deploying a local-only smart home network (with no cloud service dependencies). Interferences, excessive noise, and dampening materials around the unit can create a ton of issues in the long run. With a Bachelor of Science (Hons) Degree in Computing and IT from The Open University, his 15 years experience as a software engineer is what initially inspired him to play around with home automation platforms. To check the Alexa compatibility of your smart hub: If your smart hub model didnt show up, then your device is not Alexa-registered. However, if your plug is unresponsive, there are two ways that you can use to update the firmware on these plugs. 12 steps to troubleshoot your connected devices, Its a total pain when you ask Alexa to turn on or off a device, and she tells you the connected device is not responding!. metadata { One step closer. A simple restart may fix Alexa and the Echo's Wi-Fi connectivity issues. As you can see above, updating the app version usually doesn't require you to set up the device again -whereas this approach will. AND IN THE ST APP, AND ALEXA APP, ONLY ONE BUTTON SHOWS UP. So, if your WiFi is unstable, expect your Alexa device to lag or become unresponsive. It works very smoothly. After clicking Disable Skill, look for your device in the My Skills section. The virtual device uses the virtual DTH.. Your Alexa device is unresponsive because the WiFi connection is unstable or has low bandwidth. Alexa routines can only be triggered by time of day, voice command, or some kind of sensors. Select "Settings" from the menu options. #2 CONTROL A SwitchBot Smart Switch Button Pusher TO TURN ON THE EXISTING COFFEE MACHINE THAT MY WIFE LOVES. Controlling these security settings is bit out of the scope of this article so I recommend you research fully before making any permanent changes. They work very well. Prevent WiFi interference by moving certain devices away from your WiFi router. Its what you call Alexa to wake it up. These bugs can cause the apps system to freeze and prevent receiving new data. Once youve reached this limit, your ISP will throttle your internet. Now that you can control the device using the manufacturers app again, go to the Alexa App, search and enable the Skill to voice control it. Turn off the toggle switch that allows Alexa access to all devices. All items are connected and can be controlled by smart things app. Do all the steps there in exactly the order listed even if you think you have already done some of them before. . But Alexa remains unresponsive. Alexa . Well, have you changed your WiFi password? Brand-new devices that are unregistered are considered non-existent. Or you could have a really old version of the Amazon Alexa app, which could be causing you problems. I have an Alexa that I have had for several years. Can we just back up for a minute and can you describe in detail exactly what you were trying to accomplish just from a use case standpoint? bjpierron/SmartThings-Alexa/blob/master/devicetypes/bjpierron/simulated-alexa-switch.src/simulated-alexa-switch.groovy You need to look on a different page, the page which is the list of your devices, and see which DTH is associated with the physical button you hold in your hand and which DTH is associated with the virtual device that you created. Regardless of whether your new device is an extra pair or not, it must be set up first. It cycles through the blinking and the colors but refuses to pair with Alexa. I thought Alexa devices update automatically. Check your app store if theres an available update for your Amazon Alexa app. Onlyits not the SmartThings button. 3. Alexa does not recognize the device. If a device Alexa is connected to is unresponsive, start by checking your home Wi-Fi. So, make sure that youre using WiFi with a 2.4 GHz frequency band. The most common use case of this type is when you want to have SmartThings turn on a light which doesnt work with smartthings but does work with Alexa. Make sure to restart the device before re-enabling the skill after disabling it, to flush all cached settings. Disclaimer: You are responsible for your own safety. In that case, youre going to have to go to the beginning and start all over because thats not what youre trying to do. Not ST buttons. Typically, the app is named after the devices brand name. After about two hours of uninstalling and re-discovering each of them, they worked for about 24 hours before it happened again. And thats why you sometimes experience slow internet speed, usually on the 3rd or 4th week of the month. I reset the hub (pulled the plug and 1 battery) when it came back on, the device was OK again. My wife will have an easier time using it. @JDRoberts, When you do that, your WiFI will disconnect from every device. See below. The device can be physical, that is something you could actually hold in your hand. Gosund Mini Smart Plug Functions 1 11 3 Work with Alexa, Google Assistant Step 1: Set your . Alexa routines can be triggered by sensors. (but I may be wrong) To prevent this from happening again, inform your house guests about your smart home. You will be able to turn the virtual switch part on and off just with the official smart lighting feature. SORRY ABOUT THAT! You could even set it up so that a single click set the volume to setting 3 and a double click set the volume to setting 5. You may be able to tap it on your phone to turn it on and off, but that just means that there is an app somewhere that recognizes it and will note that its state has changed. Uninstalling and reinstalling the app delete temporary data on the apps system. I already created a ticket for this but I wanted to see if anyone else is having the issue that the Amazon echo will not control any Smartthings devices. The app allows you to control the large library of SmartThing-compatible devices. Hello. Everything worked perfectly for about a year and now every week or so random bulbs are unresponsive. TRIED TO SET IT UP. Before you go ahead and reinstall the application, we suggest that you first try force-closing the application from the app settings. This allows Alexa to receive update notifications. Or at least 30 seconds. I have tried to delete the app out of smartthings and removed the smartthings skill from the echo and also deleted all the devices and added them back but when I try to control anything it says the device isn't responding. You can do that by navigating the smart device companion app. This involves clicking on the device, clicking the gear icon and then the bin icon. You dont have a louder and softer choice. My Sony Smart TV had a responsive alexa for 18 month One day she stopped responding. If you often change the wake word, then that may be the reason why your Alexa device is unresponsive. The Hunter Fan Team. ILL DELETE THE BUTTON FROM THE ST APP, DELETE BOTH DTH FROM THE ST IDE WEBPAGE, AND DELETE THE BUTTON FROM ALEXA. On Android you can do this by holding the app icon and hitting Uninstall. SmartThings works with Alexa, Google Assistant, Phillips . Why is Alexa not responding after I renamed my device? Check your user manual to see what app you should download. /** Your two use cases are very different, so lets just start with the first one, changing the volume on echo. While the issue can be related to the roughness of the delivery process or simply improper installation, you need to check for cracks and other damage. For issues related to the SmartThings Skill or connected Samsung products, contact Samsung Support. You must first open the Alexa application. You will need to provide permission to link again. First, check on which WiFi network your new device is connected to. On iOS, hold the app icon and hit Remove App and then Delete App. But only those that are registered on its system. You will not have to rely on any extensive routines, and setting up the system will mostly be simple. ** . But maybe you want to press a smartthings button and have your lights come on and echo start playing a recording of dogs barking. Many things cause your WiFi connection to become unstable, including: Fortunately, fixing an unstable internet connection is easy. SO MY WIFE CAN RAISE OR LOWER VOLUME WITHOUT TALKING TO ALEXA WHILE ON THE PHONE. Does anyone in your home use Alexas Whisper mode? As a smart home is never "finished", he's continuing to find more ways to automate and improve his home, as new devices are released and technology evolves. (Before we start this, I just like to put in another plug for just buying a $15 Amazon remote off of eBay. Disable the SIMPLEconnect skill from the Alexa app, then enable it again. This includes smart bulbs and plugs from different manufacturers. Are your smart devices already set up and switched on? I set up a ST Virtual Device, so that that Alexa will recognize button events. If you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Can you reach out to the company itself? But we cant Use a smartthings button as the trigger. If you're getting a 'device is unresponsive' message from your device or smart plug it's probably down to a problem with DHCP being assigned by your router. Have you enabled their Alexa skills already? I experienced the same problem. * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0 And your smart device also depends on its manufacturer app. You use it for a completely separate virtual device. You couldve done it yourself and just forgotten about it! Alexa says "Server is Unresponsive" on Smart Home Devices. Test the Wi-Fi password on another device, and if necessary, change it and try connecting Alexa again. When I turn the device health off I then can control the devices that were unavailable, however they are still unavailable through alexa.