Important new Alexa APP improvement

[mike27oct]

Finally, after many years the Alexa APP has a big improvement with the new update -- it can now do most of what the devices do and listen and respond to your Alexa commands such as, "What's the weather?"

Easy setup, in updated app you will see the new blue Alexa Button you press to give commands without using wake word.  Press it to set up two things and you are ready to use it. It even works on cell data if wi-fi is not available to you.

[Laurel]

Finally, after many years the Alexa APP has a big improvement with the new update -- it can now do most of what the devices do and listen and respond to your Alexa commands such as, "What's the weather?"

Easy setup, in updated app you will see the new blue Alexa Button you press to give commands without using wake word.  Press it to set up two things and you are ready to use it. It even works on cell data if wi-fi is not available to you.

Great news! Thanks.

[mike27oct]

Yes, it took long enough for Amazon to enact this fearure, and since I have Siri and Google Assistant on my iPhone, It duplicates some of their features. So far, I have accessed weather , shopping list, controlled smart plugs -- and since I keep no music stored on my phone (I stream my own music with apps). I have accessed the free Amazon Music playlists which I could not do until now with Alexa app.   It pauses after each song and I have to unpause and hit play again.  Not good.  Although I can ask Alexa to ask Plex to play music from my home server, but it does not work using Alexa app new feature, but it goes through the motions by announcing it will play but never starts playing.

[mike27oct]

I have found a way to get around the iPhone stopping after each song in playlist described above.  Most music apps will continue playing music in Playlists, but the Alexa app is not keeping the iPhone "alive" using the Alexa app to play music via app.  If it isn't doing this, the iPhone has an Auto-Lock feature to lock the phone after a max of 5 minutes, UNLESS  I set auto lock to Never.  I did that, and the Alexa app will play continually.  Just have to remember to reset my auto lock back to one minute  when done so I don't run down the battery at the Never setting, needlessly.

Not an ideal situation, and I will ask Customer Support to make the Alexa app do what other music playing apps can do!