Sending commands to Alexa(dot) via iPhone app

[Bob52]

Hello All, I have a question and hope someone can help. Just got my 2 dot(s) and use them primarily for Amazon Prime Music along with a couple of UE Wonderboom BT speakers. Although I have created some nice playlists that can satisfy for hours, there came times when I had to  request another playlist. This meant that I had to come back into the house to ask Alexa to Stop and then provide the new request. Well, as you know she lets you know whether  the command was successful or not, but the speakers are outside and you cannot hear her. The first time I did this LOL I thought she was broken until I realized that she's echoing on the bluetooth Speaker. This little setback (I know I am spoiled), is just part of it. What I really want to do is to be able to give alexa my music request command through my iPhone so I don't have to leave my chair     Does anyone know if there is an app or a way to do this? I thought of setting up a wireless intercom, and setting one intercom speaker right next to my Dot, but doing something like that would really show how addicted I am to my new Echo. So...............your help would be very much appreciated.

Regards
Bob

[mike27oct]

You are new at this you say, so you need to spend more time exploring the Alexa app, and also learn where Help is located at amazon.com.  It is a tab near top of page labeled Help.  Click there and look in Device Support, find your device and look in that link.

Meanwhile, maybe this info can help with the app:

In app, go into Music,Videos etc,  Find your Alexa device, such as the Dot you are using and select it.  Go into Amazon My Music, Notice Playlists label.  If you have made any they should be listed there, so select one to play.

[jwlv]

Why not just get another Dot and put it outside near the speakers? Dots are dirt cheap, especially when Amazon has a sale. And it appears that Amazon is trying to unload some of their old stock right now with the newer models coming in Nov/Dec.

I know dirt cheap isn't the same for everyone. But when you consider that many people spend $600 or $800 on a new iPhone, an Echo Dot for $45 *IS* dirt cheap.

[Bob52]

You are new at this you say, so you need to spend more time exploring the Alexa app, and also learn where Help is located at amazon.com.  It is a tab near top of page labeled Help.  Click there and look in Device Support, find your device and look in that link.

Meanwhile, maybe this info can help with the app:

In app, go into Music,Videos etc,  Find your Alexa device, such as the Dot you are using and select it.  Go into Amazon My Music, Notice Playlists label.  If you have made any they should be listed there, so select one to play.

Hi,
I think possibly you missed my point here. I do appreciate you taking the time though to chime in.  Let me shorten this a little bit.  Is there an app that can force the dot to play a song while connected to blue tooth without actually issuing the voice command to the dot? In other words an app that can communicate with the dot without voice but issue a command from another app? I looked around in IFTTT and other app sources but could not find any app capable. Yes I know I have the Alexa app on my iphone but that cannot issue a command to the dot remotely and ask it to play a song. Unless I am missing something, I don't quite understand what you are saying.

Thanks Much
Bob

[Bob52]

Why not just get another Dot and put it outside near the speakers? Dots are dirt cheap, especially when Amazon has a sale. And it appears that Amazon is trying to unload some of their old stock right now with the newer models coming in Nov/Dec.

I know dirt cheap isn't the same for everyone. But when you consider that many people spend $600 or $800 on a new iPhone, an Echo Dot for $45 *IS* dirt cheap.

Hi, thanks for the feedback. Yes, that was my first idea but I would have to string  a power cord around by the pool. Too much trouble. I can just use my phone but it just eats up the battery. I think MasterMind is working on the same issue but they will not be able to release any support for the iphone until early 2018.

Thanks Much
Bob

[mike27oct]

@Bob

Yea, I did not get that you wanted to inject a track request into Alexa while it is playing from a playlist.

I can easily do this, but not with Amazon music which I rarely use.  I have a large digital music collection which I can access via an iPad app that allows me to select 10 random tracks (for a quickie playlist) to get things started, and after each track plays another random track gets added, OR I can select a track myself from any album I have,and have it jump to the top of the queue for immediate playing. Music playing on iPad (or iPhone) can be sent to either Bluetooth devices like Alexa units or cast to Google devices like Home and Chromecast. I have all of these devices, so app gets a lot of use. It is my "jukebox" device.

It is a most cool app for playing from large collections stored on a drive or home server.  It is called Music Streamer.  It is an iOS-only app for Apple devices.  My older iPad has been dedicated to using this app for the past few months now since I got a new iPad.  I love it (the app, and the new iPad.).

[Bob52]

@Bob

Yea, I did not get that you wanted to inject a track request into Alexa while it is playing from a playlist.

I can easily do this, but not with Amazon music which I rarely use.  I have a large digital music collection which I can access via an iPad app that allows me to select 10 random tracks (for a quickie playlist) to get things started, and after each track plays another random track gets added, OR I can select a track myself from any album I have,and have it jump to the top of the queue for immediate playing. Music playing on iPad (or iPhone) can be sent to either Bluetooth devices like Alexa units or cast to Google devices like Home and Chromecast. I have all of these devices, so app gets a lot of use. It is my "jukebox" device.

It is a most cool app for playing from large collections stored on a drive or home server.  It is called Music Streamer.  It is an iOS-only app for Apple devices.  My older iPad has been dedicated to using this app for the past few months now since I got a new iPad.  I love it (the app, and the new iPad.).

Hey, sounds like you got it going they way you want. Yes I need something that can control my dot remotely. So maybe I will use the infamous intercom method or maybe my walkie talkies we use when on vacation.
Thanks for your time, I appreciate it

Bob

[Bob52]

OK, I found something that works and apparently based on reviews it works well.  Its called the "Alexa Voice Remote for Echo" It's $30 bucks but I am buying.

https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B01E9AHU8Q/ref=acr_dpx_hist_5?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=five_star&reviewerType=avp_only_reviews&showViewpoints=0

Bob

[malliekm]

Great!  Much better than a walkie talkie! LOL

[Bob52]

Great!  Much better than a walkie talkie! LOL

Yes and there's no squelch tone LOL!

Bob

[garyyoung]

OK, I found something that works and apparently based on reviews it works well.  Its called the "Alexa Voice Remote for Echo" It's $30 bucks but I am buying.

https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B01E9AHU8Q/ref=acr_dpx_hist_5?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=five_star&reviewerType=avp_only_reviews&showViewpoints=0

It's possible I'm misunderstanding exactly what you're trying to do, but I don't see why you can't do with your phone everything that the remote would allow. For instance, just now, sitting in my living room, I used my android phone to start playing a radio station upstairs in my bedroom. The trick is to use the Amazon or Amazon Shopping apps, not the Alexa app. Click on the microphone symbol at the top and speak the command. For instance: "Play <radio station> on my echo dot." Perhaps the apple version of the amazon apps is lacking this feature?

As someone else pointed out, there are ways within the Alexa app to control what albums are playing. Go to "Music, Video, and Books" on the menu.

[malliekm]

I've never had the need to do what the OP is wanting to do but I just tried the Music Video and Books option in the Alexa app and he's right, it works!  You can also change the volume in the Alexa app (Android)

[mike27oct]

Yea, Bob, I saw your other post about the remote control.  I have one but hardly use it.  Sounds like you found a good use for it.  The one that came free with my Echo was paired only to Echo.  Guess it can be paired with any Alexa device now.

[Bob52]

OK, I found something that works and apparently based on reviews it works well.  Its called the "Alexa Voice Remote for Echo" It's $30 bucks but I am buying.

https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B01E9AHU8Q/ref=acr_dpx_hist_5?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=five_star&reviewerType=avp_only_reviews&showViewpoints=0

It's possible I'm misunderstanding exactly what you're trying to do, but I don't see why you can't do with your phone everything that the remote would allow. For instance, just now, sitting in my living room, I used my android phone to start playing a radio station upstairs in my bedroom. The trick is to use the Amazon or Amazon Shopping apps, not the Alexa app. Click on the microphone symbol at the top and speak the command. For instance: "Play <radio station> on my echo dot." Perhaps the apple version of the amazon apps is lacking this feature?

As someone else pointed out, there are ways within the Alexa app to control what albums are playing. Go to "Music, Video, and Books" on the menu.

I tried it and no luck. Used "Living Room" which is my device name. Alexa has no idea what that is.  You would think that if it was possible with the iPhone to communicate from an app that the Alexa App itself would have a microphone, but it does not.   Hmmmm tech support might know.

Bob

[Bob52]

Yea, Bob, I saw your other post about the remote control.  I have one byt hardly use it.  Sounds like you found a good use for it.  The one that cam free with my Echo was paired only to Echo.  Guess it can be paired with any Alexa device now.

Yes the Alexa app has an option in Settings I think to "pair Remote" I think it's called.