Should I select an Alexa-enabled device?

[Mebejedi]

Just curious to know what difference it makes to add an Alexa-enabled device to a group of devices to be controlled by Alexa. Is there some advantage or limitation it creates?

[Mebejedi]

No ideas?

Interesting...

[asianrocker]

This is for multi room feature and drop in, so it is true that the tap has no multi room function then, huh. That's the greyed out one right?

[Mebejedi]

I don't have a Tap. Just two Dots and an Echo.

How does this help for drop-in? And why is it showing up when I'm seeing up a group?

[kevb]

It looks like your Living Room Echo is already in the group "Living Room", so it is grayed out. If you add a device to your new group (or room) then you can "drop in" to the Living Room, and the device you are talking to will drop in on the living room echo. I haven't used it, but I believe having a device in a group can control those lights preferentially, i.e. if in the living room, you could tell the Living Room Echo to "turn off the lights" and only those lights in the group would turn off.

See this link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201749250

[mike27oct]

An Alexa enabled device is a device that is activated by a voice command to Alexa. For example, a TP smart plug will turn on a light if one says, Alexa, turn on living room.  It has nothing to do with groups, exclusively.

[Mebejedi]

Well, I had drop-in before this, so I don't think that's related. And after selecting Master just to see what happened, now it's greyed out as well. Each one had to be selected by me each time, so you can definitely specify which one goes with which. Unfortunately, I can't unselect Master, so I guess I'll have to delete and redo the group.

An Alexa enabled device is a device that is activated by a voice command to Alexa. For example, a TP smart plug will turn on a light if one says, Alexa, turn on living room.  It has nothing to do with groups, exclusively.

Well, these are for Hues Philips lights, but I did notice that Alexa is now listed as a Smartapp under my Smartthings app. Maybe those are related?

[Mebejedi]

Ok, when I tell Alexa to "turn off lights", the Living Room and Master echos both turn off the living room lights, but the Julie echo doesn't, so it just makes the command room-specific. That's good to know!

I'll have to redo the Couch Light group, but this is a nice feature to have.

[EDIT] OK, it's something related to Smarthings. When I created a new Couch Light group, Living Room and Master were still greyed-out (selected). I just recently added the Smarththings skill. I don't know if I should uninstall and reinstall it to see if these settings reset or not.

[EDIT] Both the Living Room (enabled) and Julie (not enabled) echos will turn off the Couch Light group, so I'm still confused as to what this setting does.

[EDIT] Maybe it's specific to Smartthings (Z wave) devices, rather than the Philips Hue lights.

[Mebejedi]

Ok, figured it out. In my son's room, I have a group called "Derek Light". Because his Echo dot is enabled in his room, I only have to say "Alexa, turn off light" instead of "Alexa, turn off Derek Light".

In any other room, I would have to say, "Alexa, turn off Derek Light".

Also, you can only enable each Alexa to a single group.

[scottrods]

This sounds very much like so many people want their Devices to work... I wonder how echo's hearing from another room will react. My Father-in-law activates almost all of the echos in the house when he addresses Alexa... he's loud because he's likely getting hard of hearing. 80 something will do that... I will be sitting next to my living room Echo dot and he calls to the den echo dot and the one in the living room (At least 20 yards away and in another room separated by a wall with w door on th far end from both echos (and a kitchen even)... still hears him. 

I like that I could set them up per room though... so the same command will do simple things instead of having to remember so many commands. old people like simpler stuff.

[Mebejedi]

Yes, but again...only for one group. I'm debating if I want it to turn on the regular lights, or the nightlight.