Echo & Alexa Forums

alexa stopped confirming requests to turn on/off lights

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icemanfred

alexa stopped confirming requests to turn on/off lights
« on: March 09, 2016, 06:54:14 pm »
alexa used to say "Okay" after a command to turn on/off lights.

she doesn't do that anymore.
not sure what or how it changed .
but i would like to change it back.

George Jetson

Re: alexa stopped confirming requests to turn on/off lights
« Reply #1 on: March 09, 2016, 07:54:47 pm »
This happened to me as well.  Now after the command she just beeps vs saying OK.

I kind of liked her saying "OK"  wish I could turn it back on.  Any ideas

George Jetson

Re: alexa stopped confirming requests to turn on/off lights
« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2016, 08:11:40 pm »
More information regarding this new "feature"  When you ask her to turn ON the lights you will hear 2 Tones. (Low Tone and High Tone)  When you ask her to turn OFF the lights you will hear 2 tones (High Tone and Low Tone)  very subtle.  I guess I'm OK with it but question why Echo developers changed it to tones vs verbal confirmation.  The echo's core feature is that she talks to you.  Having tones to me seems silly I too wish I could turn verbal confirmations back on.  Wish there was a list of "enhancements" as they come in vs having to discover these on our own.  Glad that this forum is here to help discover the "enhancements"
« Last Edit: March 09, 2016, 08:29:41 pm by George Jetson »

icemanfred

Re: alexa stopped confirming requests to turn on/off lights
« Reply #3 on: March 10, 2016, 06:34:04 am »
you are correct George jetson. part of the charm of interacting with echo is that you are having a conversation with it.

if anything I would rather her speak a variety of phrases to enhance this aspect like....Okay , im on it,. you got it... etc etc.

unintelligible tones is a definite step backwards and detracts from the experience.

they really need to turn it back on or allow the user to choose this  method of interaction.




Deane Johnson

Re: alexa stopped confirming requests to turn on/off lights
« Reply #4 on: March 10, 2016, 02:11:51 pm »
I'd like to see them make it selectable, either tones or voice.

icemanfred's suggestion for a variety of responses in addition to "OK" would be really cool.   She does it with "Alexa, Thank You", so it's likely it could be done.

Re: alexa stopped confirming requests to turn on/off lights
« Reply #5 on: March 10, 2016, 02:19:31 pm »
The chime is harder to hear when across the room when there is other sound.  Everyone who dont like it should go to alexa feedback and tell them what you think of the new chime.  I personally hate it too but I know some wanted it.  I would like to see a choice. 

JohninCT

Re: alexa stopped confirming requests to turn on/off lights
« Reply #6 on: March 10, 2016, 06:52:19 pm »
For lights, the chime is OK because I see the lights go on or off but for other commands, the OK would be better. So is the OK gone for everything? Would be nice if Amazon emailed us about updates to the Echo OS.

Also, where can you go to see these changes? Are they on some Amazon website?

Offline jwlv

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Re: alexa stopped confirming requests to turn on/off lights
« Reply #7 on: March 10, 2016, 10:43:54 pm »
I don't like it. Quite often I am in another room and I tell Alexa to turn something on or off. A cryptic low or high pitched sound doesn't tell me much, unless I'm paying attention. An "OK" or "I cannot find that device" would be much more helpful.

Re: alexa stopped confirming requests to turn on/off lights
« Reply #8 on: March 11, 2016, 11:09:57 pm »
what amazon forgets when the echo says "okay" it could be a conversation starter and a possible sale if someone hears it and asks.  A chime is nothing, just about everything chimes these days so another person would not give it a second thought.  Oh well, my microwave just chimed so my dinner is ready....gotta go

GadgetGirl

Re: alexa stopped confirming requests to turn on/off lights
« Reply #9 on: March 13, 2016, 12:21:50 pm »
Another vote for "ok"!

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


spotlizard

Re: alexa stopped confirming requests to turn on/off lights
« Reply #10 on: March 14, 2016, 12:19:36 pm »
+1 for "OK". As others have noted, the tones are almost inaudible beyond a certain distance. The verbal confirmation was useful for these functions.

Re: alexa stopped confirming requests to turn on/off lights
« Reply #11 on: March 14, 2016, 05:01:08 pm »
I hope everyone who wants the ok back send feedback through the app asking for it back. 

icemanfred

Re: alexa stopped confirming requests to turn on/off lights
« Reply #12 on: March 15, 2016, 05:20:55 am »
renegade600 is correct, please leave feedback via the alexa app. maybe they will bring back this feature.

corztoy1

Re: alexa stopped confirming requests to turn on/off lights
« Reply #13 on: March 15, 2016, 05:26:24 pm »
 :(  Really the neatest thing about the echo and they changed it. Just good back from vacation and asked Alexa to turn on my lights and I didn't hear it say anything. Thought it was broke till I realized my lights were on. Then I spent a lot oif time trying to see what setting might have been changed so I could change it back.  I WANT "OK" BACK!!!

DParker

Re: alexa stopped confirming requests to turn on/off lights
« Reply #14 on: March 18, 2016, 07:02:00 pm »
For lights, the chime is OK because I see the lights go on or off but for other commands, the OK would be better.

Sometimes it's preferable for lights as well.  We have a 2-story house with 1 Echo downstairs in the family room and the other upstairs in the master bedroom.  When my wife is the last to come upstairs at night she prefers to use the MB Echo to turn off all the downstairs lights (6 of them, which are grouped so they're addressable via a single command) so that the lights don't go out while she's still downstairs.  If I have the bedroom TV on something else is making noise then the "OK" is much easier to hear.