Yes, you can add multiple actions to one Alexa routine.
Amazon made sure this was possible, as the goal of the routine was to automate tasks.
Today, we will talk about how to add more than one customer action to a single Alexa routine.
This should help you minimize the routines you make for several functions.
We will also attempt to answer sever of the most commonly asked questions about routines.
How do I add custom actions to Alexa?
To add custom actions to a routine, follow the steps below:
- Tap the Alexa app on your phone
- Tap on MORE
- Tap ROUTINES
- Tap the plus sign to create a new routine; you will find this at the upper-right corner of the screen
- Tap WHEN THIS HAPPENS
- Now, choose who you want to trigger the routine
- Once done, tap ADD ACTION
This part is where you add the custom action that Alexa will do.
There are so many options here. Below are some examples:
- News
- Music
- TV
- Appliances
- Text, email, chat
- Traffic Report
It is up to you which one you want Alexa to execute.
Once you have selected that, you have just accomplished creating a routine or a custom action.
Keep in mind that in the WHEN THIS HAPPENS area, it is where you type the command that you want to say. For example, you can type “Open lights.”
Now, Alexa knows that when you say, “open lights,” it has to turn on the lights.
But what lights will Alexa turn on? This is the program or command that you have to do in the ADD ACTION area.
Can Alexa perform multiple tasks with one command?
Yes, Alexa can perform several tasks under one command.
In the previous example, let us change the trigger to “TV Time.”
To add more actions to turn the lights on, you must go back to the Alexa app and tap the specific routine you made.
Once you are there, look for the ADD ACTIONS link and tap it.
You can add more actions from here. If you want to add more, you can tap on ADD NEW at the top of that command area, and then you can keep on adding more things to do for Alexa.
Here are some things you can add:
- Dim the lights
- Turn on the TV
- Reduce the temperature of the thermostat
Keep in mind that since you added all these actions in one routine, Alexa will execute them based on a single trigger.
After programming it this way, what will happen?
Once you say, “Alexa, TV time,” Alexa will turn on the lights, dim them, turn on the TV, and also reduce the thermostat temperature according to the settings you selected.
As you can see, you can play around with the routines and create several of them.
For example, you can add a bedtime routine where Alexa will shut off the lights in some areas and only leave one of your choices.
Do I have to say Alexa before every command?
No, not really. By voice, yes, it always has to start with Alexa.
However, there is a follow-up mode that you can use, so you only have to say “Alexa” once.
If you enable the follow-up mode, you only have to say “Alexa” once, but the system will keep on listening to you.
As such, you can say a sequence of commands, and Alexa will do them.
To activate the follow-up mode, follow these steps:
- Open the menu of the Alexa app
- Go to SETTINGS
- Select an Alexa device
- Tap on FOLLOW-UP MODE
- Move the slider to ENABLE
Once the follow-up mode is active, the device will stay active for five seconds to listen to you.
in addition, you must enable the follow-up mode for each device if you have several of them.
Can you trigger routines without saying Alexa?
Yes, you can trigger routines without saying a word.
Alexa has several ways to recognize a trigger, which you will find in WHEN THIS HAPPENS area.
The triggers are:
- Voice
- Schedule
- Device
- Arrive or Leave
The voice refers to your verbal command.
For schedule, you will trigger the routine based on time and date, the same way you would trigger an alarm in a digital alarm clock.
For the device, you can trigger the routine based on the action of a device.
For example, if you have a smart door, you can trigger a routine to happen AFTER closing the smart door.
To make this work, the smart door should be connected to Alexa.
For arriving and leaving, you can set the distance of Alexa (your phone) from your Echo device at home.
Once that distance is met, the routine will trigger.
For example, you can set Alexa to do a routine of turning the thermostat when your phone is around 100 meters away from your Alexa device a home.
This will only work if your phone is connected to WiFi.
The two systems use GPS to determine their distance from one another.
Can Alexa listen to your conversations?
Yes, Alexa can listen to conversations. Alexa, however, does not actively record conversations.
What it listens for is the word “Alexa” because it is the wake mode.
Once you say that word, everything that you say is recorded on the cloud.
Although this is worrisome, you can simply toggle the settings so you can delete all the recorded conversations.
The sad thing about technology is that it is not perfect.
Sometimes, Alexa can even send your conversations to other people.
The bottom line is that Alexa hears everything. It is up to you now to delete all these regularly.
Summary
Alexa can do many things in one command, not just one.
However, you need to add them manually to the same routine to let the system know that it has to execute multiple tasks at the same time based on one trigger.
You also do not have to say “Alexa” all the time because there is a follow-up mode that you can enable.
In addition, the trigger for routine is not only based on voice but also on some actions.