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Alexa doesn't turn on lights

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ultramizer

Alexa doesn't turn on lights
« on: January 13, 2019, 04:57:14 pm »
Hi

So i have the IKEA Tradfri bulbs and i can turn them on and off just fine in Apple Homekit and in the Alexa app.
However, there is a bug which i can't seem to find out how to get around.

If i say "Alexa, turn on/off the lights", she responds with, "sorry, i didn't find a device named lights". However, if i say "Alexa, turn  on/off ALL the lights", it works just fine! Also, if i tell her a group name like "livingroom" or "bedroom" or "office" it works just fine, such as: "Alexa, turn the lights on/off in the livingroom".
The only thing that just doesn't work is "Alexa turn on/off the lights" which for me should be just the same as i say "all the lights". But i don't always feel like saying "all" the whole time, and i don't understand why she says "she can't find a device named lights" when clearly all the other commands regarding the lights work just fine...

Anyone an idea why and how i can fix that? Cheers!

asianrocker

Re: Alexa doesn't turn on lights
« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2019, 07:25:04 am »
The word light is Alexa's weakness. My echo says a few share that name excuse.

Meanwhile, the cheaper Alexa enabled speaker has no problem understanding  turn on/off the lights commands and yes I did not have to add the word all in there. It turns off all lights with that command.

That's AI lifestyle for you.

buffaloquinn

Re: Alexa doesn't turn on lights
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2019, 05:22:39 pm »
The reason it works when you include "ALL" is that the word "ALL" is a default group in Alexa. "LIGHT" or "LIGHTS" without a modifier is a generic term for a device or devices. Alexa doesn't know which ones you mean.

Laurel

Re: Alexa doesn't turn on lights
« Reply #3 on: January 14, 2019, 06:08:48 pm »
We never use the word "lights" so it is Alexa turn off back porch, Alexa turn off front porch. Just what we learned by trial and error and hair pulling out. lol

dragon123

Re: Alexa doesn't turn on lights
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2019, 08:35:31 am »
If i say "Alexa, turn on/off the lights", she responds with, "sorry, i didn't find a device named lights".

Did you make a smartgroup?
That specific command 'the lights' only works in for lights in a specific room when you speak to a specific echo and you included both in a smartgroup.

"All the lights' means literally that: all lights alexa knows about, through the whole house.

I have a number of echos and placed them all in smartgroups. So when I'm in a room where there's an echo, she knows exactly where I am and which lights I mean.