question

mikeybs avatar image
mikeybs asked

send announcement to Alexa

I am not sure if this question belongs here or in the Alexa Skills Kit forum... I would like to be able to send an announcement to an Alexa device (in my case the Echo). I want to be able to send a string to one or more Alexa devices and have them all read the announcement. I will primarily be using this for smart home functions.
alexa voice service
10 |5000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 2 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 512.0 KiB each and 1.0 MiB total.

7 Answers

elstryan@Amazon avatar image
elstryan@Amazon answered
Hi mikeybs, Unfortunately this is not a supported feature. We're listening to your feedback and I've reported this as a feature request. Thanks for your interest in ASK/AVS Message was edited by: elstryan@Amazon
1 comment
10 |5000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 2 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 512.0 KiB each and 1.0 MiB total.

Adam Toth avatar image Adam Toth commented ·

Adding another vote for this feature. Would be nice to push announcements to the echo from a custom skill. For example, maybe a skill has a long running process, and it would be nice to send an announcement to all Echo devices when that process completes.

Or after finishing a transaction of some sort, to alert everyone in the house in each room about the transaction.

For example being able to order a pizza from a skill, and then being asked, "would you like to announce this order to the household?" and then broadcast that to all the Echo devices in all the rooms of the house so everyone is aware, "Good news everyone, pizza is on the way! Time to turn off your devices and come help set the table.".

Lots of possibilities here - and could be just another permission similar to notifications ("Allow this skill to send announcements to all my echo devices").

1 Like 1 ·
mikeybs avatar image
mikeybs answered
10 |5000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 2 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 512.0 KiB each and 1.0 MiB total.

ronswaine avatar image
ronswaine answered
You could have your skill service have a long-polling endpoint / websocket / open TCP, that your non-echo devices can watch for events. When the skill has been processed, you can just fire the event to all those listening / enqueue it to be done on their next poll. Essentially registering them to a push-type of notification, that you've predefined.
10 |5000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 2 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 512.0 KiB each and 1.0 MiB total.

Amazon Customer avatar image
Amazon Customer answered

I'd be very interested in this sort of feature. I'd like to have an Alexa Alerts API that would allow my IoT device to voice alarms using Alexa. For example "Excuse me, but there's someone at the front door." or (in response to the front door opening) "Be careful, it's icy outside!". There's a whole universe of functionality that would be opened up if messages could be pushed to the Echo. I'm working on a bath filling sensor and wanted to have Alexa voice, "Careful, your bath is almost full!" Once I have the faucets internet connected I'd be able to say, "Alexa, turn off the bath water."

10 |5000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 2 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 512.0 KiB each and 1.0 MiB total.

newuser-445a691e-71b7-4a32-b25b-d7375131553b avatar image
newuser-445a691e-71b7-4a32-b25b-d7375131553b answered

You could have your skill service have a long-polling endpoint / websocket / open TCP, that your non-echo devices can watch for events. When the skill has been processed, you can just fire the event to all those listening / enqueue it to be done on their next poll.

10 |5000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 2 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 512.0 KiB each and 1.0 MiB total.

ScottSmith23 avatar image
ScottSmith23 answered

Hi

Im a newbie with Alexa developer. I too would like to send a message to Alexa. We are a design company and have our own wifi products for in the house, which communicates with our servers . We also have written our own server applications so have the ability to receive tcp/ip messages. What I would like to do some how is have one of our devices tell Alexa device to say a message. Is there any links on how to do this?


Many Thanks

Scott

10 |5000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 2 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 512.0 KiB each and 1.0 MiB total.

Scott R Hanson avatar image
Scott R Hanson answered

Please please, add this functionality. I've already tacked on to the formal request - https://alexa.uservoice.com/forums/906892-alexa-skills-developer-voice-and-vote/suggestions/40613512-rest-api-that-can-send-an-alexa-announcement

I'd appreciate if everyone could upvote that idea! ....

My comments "PLEASE PLEASE Add this! .... I have a super simple lambda function that is invoked from an AWS IoT button that I use for my 94 year old mother in law. Currently it sends a text message and I know to go check on her. Ideally I would like the lambda function to also send an announcement to ALL my Alexa devices in the house that simply says, "Check on mom" ..... Not a Notification, where I have to notice the blue ring and ask it to play my notifications. I've already accomplished this using the Notify Me skill."

10 |5000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 2 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 512.0 KiB each and 1.0 MiB total.