To do the same on newer Echo devices, just press and hold the microphone button and volume down buttons for 20 seconds. Alternatively, you can dig up any Echo device in the Alexa app and simply deregister it from your account. Alexa troubleshooting: What does the ring mean? The third-generation Fire TV Cube also has a few new Alexa commands, like "Alexa, watch ESPN on cable" so that you don't have to manually change inputs on your TV, and if you have a compatible webcam that you can connect into the Fire TV Cube, you can say something like "Alexa, call dad" to video call friends and family on your TV. Donate money to your favorite charity by saying "Alexa, make a donation to American Cancer Institute Inc." or any number of approved charities. Your other option is to completely reset your Echo. If you have a first-gen Echo or Echo Dot, there's a pin-hole at the bottom with a reset button; poke something in there, hold it down, and it'll restart like new. Unfortunately for cord-cutters, Alexa can’t switch to live channels from an antenna. At best, you can switch to the antenna input, then reach for the TV remote if you need to change channels. DVR controls Jared Newman/TechHive

Presuming you're using something with a built-in speaker, you'll also want to keep the volume a little lower if you expect yourself to be heard while there's music playing. That's not science, it's common sense. Keeping the Alexa microphones away from sources of other noise, like open windows or moving air from a fan, can also help. To connect your TV box, open the Alexa app, hit the menu button in the top-left corner, select Music, Video, & Books, and then choose your provider from the list. Select “Enable skill,” and follow the on-screen instructions. Step 2: Open the Alexa app on your iOS or Android device. Open the Settings menu and head to Skills. Search for the SmartThings skill, and make sure it’s enabled. Create a shopping list: "Alexa, add eggs to my shopping list" or, "Alexa, I need to buy laundry detergent."Step 2: Sony menus can differ a little here, but you will want to look for an option that says Apps or Your Apps. Select it. Step 1: Once the TV is set up, use the remote control and press the Home button (if you are not already at the Home screen).

The Echo Show devices and Echo Spot are the only Echo speakers with touchscreen displays. This means you can tell them to show you things. For all other models (Echo Studio only has an input option) Plug one end of your audio cable in to your speaker's Aux In connection and the other end into the Echo's Aux Out connection, right next to the power cable's connection. On standard Echo units, call out your wake word (usually "Alexa", as long as you've not changed it to one of the other options) and the brightest part of the blue ring will point toward the direction in which Alexa heard its name called. If it's not pointing to you, that's a hint that something's still not right. Grab some compressed air and gently clear the microphone ports on top; don't start poking pins in there, because you are not a savage. Plus, this speaker's designed to communicate with other smart devices in your Sonos home ecosystem, which is cool. Spread audio throughout your house or a larger room for an improved sound. You can pair it with a compatible Sonos soundbar for enhanced surround sound. Since the speaker supports Dolby Atmos, it can bring a more immersive feel to Dolby Atmos Music found on different streaming platforms like Apple Music. If you don't need all these extra bells and whistles, you may prefer one of the more affordable models on our list, but if you want the best of the best, this speaker's the way to go. Some set-top boxes, such as the TiVo Roamio shown here, can be controlled with Alexa voice commands.Certain televisions have their own built-in Alexa support, letting you control volume, power, and inputs using voice commands, even without a Fire TV. Sony Step 4: In the search bar, search for your cable provider (e.g., DirecTV, Fios, Frontier, Dish Network). Kids can ask Alexa to play parent-approved music and stories with the Echo Dot Kids Edition. Julie Snyder Alexa commands for help with definitions and spelling Step 4: Open the Alexa app, go to Settings and select Skills. Search for the Sony’s TV skill and enable it.

Alexa, switch inputs” or “Alexa, switch to HDMI one.” (The latter command might not work with all televisions.) Open the Alexa app on your phone, hit the menu button in the top-left corner, and select Music, Video, and Books. Step 7: Provide Alexa with any required login information to complete the process. Connecting Alexa to a generic smart TVThis speaker offers an impressive voice assistant performance for hands-free control, and it supports many of the same integration features as its more premium cousins if you want to pair it up with other Sonos devices. That said, you'll want to monitor the battery level while listening. It only lasts around five hours off a single charge over a Bluetooth connection, which limits how much time you can spend outside. Still, if you plan ahead, you can make the most of this versatile Alexa speaker.

To turn on notifications, open the Alexa app and select to Settings, then Notifications, then Shopping Notifications and toggle it on. Your Echo speakers will light up yellow when you have new notifications. While we're on the subject, we'd absolutely recommend you disable Alexa voice purchasing if you live in a multi-person household or ever have mischevious visitors. Sure, this can be pin-protected, but that's a pin you recite with your voice, which is fundamentally stupid. Just switch it off in Settings > Account Settings > Voice Purchasing and leave it off forever. Alexa troubleshooting: Multi room madness Activate a scene (limited to Control4, Insteon, Lutron Caséta Wireless, Philips Hue, SmartThings and Wink): "Alexa, turn on Movie Time" or, "Alexa, turn on Bedtime." A purple light means Alexa has failed to connect to your Wi-Fi network. Either it has the wrong credentials, or your network is down. Try restarting the Alexa device, unless everything else in your house has lost connectivity, in which case it's time to fiddle with your router.Step 5: Select the appropriate app on your Sony TV to continue. Follow the on-screen instructions. You may have to sign in with your Google Account at this time. Continue to follow the on-screen instructions until Alexa has discovered the TV and connected to it. Connecting a set-top box This means one of two things. If you've just plugged in a new Alexa device, or reset one to factory defaults, an orange light indicates that the device is in setup mode. If not, Alexa's orange ring tells you you're connecting to the network. Next step is to head into the app, find any multi room groups you might have previously created, and delete them. If you haven't yet created any, that's OK - but we've found that misfiring multi room always needs a fresh start if you've used it before.