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Use another’s Alexa enabled devices on your account

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Cruiser1977

Use another’s Alexa enabled devices on your account
« on: July 13, 2020, 10:40:28 pm »
Hello. I couldn’t find this answered in a search, although I’m sure this has been asked: am I able to use Alexa enabled devices from another account on my account? We put all of our Alexa enabled devices on my wife’s account before we got married. Now that we’re married and live together, I’d like to be able to use our devices on my account. Is this possible. Thank you for any help!

Offline jwlv

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Re: Use another’s Alexa enabled devices on your account
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2020, 02:14:45 am »
Just de-register the Echo/Alexa devices from your wife's account. Make sure you are logged into your wife's account or you may de-register the wrong devices.
https://www.amazon.com/hz/mycd/digital-console/alldevices

If the devices are on and connected to the internet when you de-register them, they will automatically go into setup mode as a new device. If not, then you have to manually reset them. Then all you gotta do is use the Alexa app on your account to set up the new devices.

Cruiser1977

Re: Use another’s Alexa enabled devices on your account
« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2020, 02:23:51 am »
Thank you for responding. I considered that, but my question really is can we both use them from our accounts. She likes to turn the lights on before she gets home from her account, and I would like to control certain devices when I’m away from home. Forgive me for not explaining what end result we were after. Thanks again, community.

Offline jwlv

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Re: Use another’s Alexa enabled devices on your account
« Reply #3 on: July 14, 2020, 02:34:27 am »
The Verge has a good writeup about how you can do this by setting up Alexa Household.
https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/19/20970798/amazon-echo-alexa-household-accounts-adults-kids-how-to-add-use

It is also helpful to train Alexa to recognize you and your wife's voices. After training, you could say, "What's on my calendar" and Alexa will read only your calendar to you. To verify who Alexa thinks is speaking, you can say, "Who am I?"

Cruiser1977

Re: Use another’s Alexa enabled devices on your account
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2020, 02:39:59 am »
Forgive my ignorance, but we did this and it appears we’re only able to share prime, music, not actual enabled devices such as a light bulb. I did not read the article yet, as I’m working right now and just on a break and don’t have time. If you can, please tell me if the article tells me how to do this jwlv? If not, I thank you for the time you’ve already provided and shall respond after work. Thanks again!

Offline jwlv

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Re: Use another’s Alexa enabled devices on your account
« Reply #5 on: July 15, 2020, 03:01:03 pm »
Smart devices should be set up on one Alexa account. That way any person in the house can just say "turn on xxx light" and it will work.

It is possible to share a smart device (e.g. light bulb) by using the manufacturer's app and sharing feature (if it has one). For example, the Wyze app allows the account owner to share a Wyze Light Bulb with another user. Using the Wyze app, you can send an invite to another person. Once that person accepts the invitation, they can control the Wyze Light Bulb that is shared with them. After it is shared, they have app control. But that does not necessarily mean that it is visible through Alexa. That's another layer which may or may not be available to you depending on the device and the manufacturer's implementation. This is different for every smart device manufacturer and some might not have sharing at all.

This is way too complex to do such a simple thing as turning on/off a light bulb. Easiest way is to just set up all smart devices on one account. Giving that the other user is your wife, why does it matter who owns that device and what account it belongs to? If you want to turn on the bathroom lights, it shouldn't matter if that bathroom light device is on your account or on her account. Just put it all on one account and say "Alexa, turn on bathroom lights."