Location routines

[jackm1249]

Has anyone gotten the Location routines working?

I have them on my app, but I guess maybe not on Alexa yet?

I have 3 location routines set up but they don't run.

thanks.
jack

[buffaloquinn]

Not sure what's going on with those. I suspect they are getting ready for the release of the Echo Auto (Car) device. I tried with my phone as the device that triggers a routine, but no luck.

[renegade600]

Not sure what's going on with those. I suspect they are getting ready for the release of the Echo Auto (Car) device. I tried with my phone as the device that triggers a routine, but no luck.

last I read, the car device has been delayed again.  as far as the location routines, I would not trust them at this time.   never know when it will act up.   I have a lot of problems with locations on my security cams and other devices.  all the time having to turn them on/off manually instead of it using locations like it supposed to. 

[buffaloquinn]

I set up a routine last night and it worked when I got home today so it seems the functionality is there.

[glennl122]

Mine have been working since day one.  From the Alexa app on each of our iPhones I've set up a routine to announce that "xxx is home"  to play on the Echo in the house.  As long as we're carrying our phones when leaving the house the message will play on return to the location/house.  It may play even before the garage door goes up depending on the car's speed so the arriving person won't hear it as the area covered by the location is pretty large.  But this does imply that setting up a message to "Turn on the oven when I get home" probably won't be heard by the arriving user.  I can't see where there's the ability to limit the diameter of the location.

So depending on what you want to do in the routine...

Hope this makes sense.

[jackm1249]

I have 3 that have not worked.
In the morning ( between the hours of 6-7:30am m/f):
when I am leaving
1 turn off outside lights
2 turn off inside lights
3 adjust the thermostat

arriving:  ( between the hours of 5PM-7pm m/f):
Same as above but turn on:

Arriving at work:
reminders for a few things.

none of them so far are working.

[glennl122]

What device are you setting these routines up on?

I set mine up on my iPhone and the routine definition shows "WHEN THIS DEVICE..."  arrives at the location.  I messed up initially when I attempted to set up the routine using my Fire tablet and it never leaves home so the routine never ran.

So maybe...

[jackm1249]

I set them up on my Android phone.
According to history on the App,  it hasn't run.
I have just set up another for when I arrive home.
We will see.

thanks.
j~

[buffaloquinn]

I have 3 that have not worked.
In the morning ( between the hours of 6-7:30am m/f):
when I am leaving
1 turn off outside lights
2 turn off inside lights
3 adjust the thermostat

arriving:  ( between the hours of 5PM-7pm m/f):
Same as above but turn on:

Arriving at work:
reminders for a few things.

none of them so far are working.

My first attempt did not work because I did not set the time frame right. Well actually I thought I had but it turned out the time frame hadn't saved correctly.
Also, what do you mean by reminders? The Alexa app doesn't do reminders like the Echo devices do.

[jackm1249]

I have 3 that have not worked.
In the morning ( between the hours of 6-7:30am m/f):
when I am leaving
1 turn off outside lights
2 turn off inside lights
3 adjust the thermostat

arriving:  ( between the hours of 5PM-7pm m/f):
Same as above but turn on:

Arriving at work:
reminders for a few things.

none of them so far are working.

My first attempt did not work because I did not set the time frame right. Well actually I thought I had but it turned out the time frame hadn't saved correctly.
Also, what do you mean by reminders? The Alexa app doesn't do reminders like the Echo devices do.

Hi,
well not reminders in "reminders" sense of the word, she tells me stuff that I need to be reminded of:  GRIN.

None of the 3 worked today.
I thought it might be because I have the app on my tablet, and another phone that stays at the house, but I deleted both apps yesterday.

Strange,  I go into the app on my phone, and all location reminders are giving me
"There was an error loading this routine. You can pull to refresh ( does nothing) or try again later.


When I go to add a new location routine, my home and address are no longer saved.
when I try to enter address  I get:
ERROR  we weren't able to add this location please try again. OR any address.

Ok, this is just too flaky for me,  should not be this hard,  I will stick to IFTTT.

[buffaloquinn]

I have 3 that have not worked.
In the morning ( between the hours of 6-7:30am m/f):
when I am leaving
1 turn off outside lights
2 turn off inside lights
3 adjust the thermostat

arriving:  ( between the hours of 5PM-7pm m/f):
Same as above but turn on:

Arriving at work:
reminders for a few things.

none of them so far are working.

My first attempt did not work because I did not set the time frame right. Well actually I thought I had but it turned out the time frame hadn't saved correctly.
Also, what do you mean by reminders? The Alexa app doesn't do reminders like the Echo devices do.

Hi,
well not reminders in "reminders" sense of the word, she tells me stuff that I need to be reminded of:  GRIN.

None of the 3 worked today.
I thought it might be because I have the app on my tablet, and another phone that stays at the house, but I deleted both apps yesterday.

Strange,  I go into the app on my phone, and all location reminders are giving me
"There was an error loading this routine. You can pull to refresh ( does nothing) or try again later.


When I go to add a new location routine, my home and address are no longer saved.
when I try to enter address  I get:
ERROR  we weren't able to add this location please try again. OR any address.

Ok, this is just too flaky for me,  should not be this hard,  I will stick to IFTTT.

I think Alexa does not have a perfect relationship with the GPS devices on phones/tablets. Since that is the trigger for the routines, if location is iffy, routines will be iffy. I suspect this is one of the things that is hanging up the release of Echo Auto.
In Alexa's defense, even Google has issues with location on my phone.

[jackm1249]

I have 3 that have not worked.
In the morning ( between the hours of 6-7:30am m/f):
when I am leaving
1 turn off outside lights
2 turn off inside lights
3 adjust the thermostat

arriving:  ( between the hours of 5PM-7pm m/f):
Same as above but turn on:

Arriving at work:
reminders for a few things.

none of them so far are working.

My first attempt did not work because I did not set the time frame right. Well actually I thought I had but it turned out the time frame hadn't saved correctly.
Also, what do you mean by reminders? The Alexa app doesn't do reminders like the Echo devices do.

Hi,
well not reminders in "reminders" sense of the word, she tells me stuff that I need to be reminded of:  GRIN.

None of the 3 worked today.
I thought it might be because I have the app on my tablet, and another phone that stays at the house, but I deleted both apps yesterday.

Strange,  I go into the app on my phone, and all location reminders are giving me
"There was an error loading this routine. You can pull to refresh ( does nothing) or try again later.


When I go to add a new location routine, my home and address are no longer saved.
when I try to enter address  I get:
ERROR  we weren't able to add this location please try again. OR any address.

Ok, this is just too flaky for me,  should not be this hard,  I will stick to IFTTT.

I think Alexa does not have a perfect relationship with the GPS devices on phones/tablets. Since that is the trigger for the routines, if location is iffy, routines will be iffy. I suspect this is one of the things that is hanging up the release of Echo Auto.
In Alexa's defense, even Google has issues with location on my phone.

Ok sorry this may be long, but I wanted it out there in case anyone else was having issue.

My locations are working now, but it was a comedy of errors getting it to run.

1st-  I have my phone, (Android)it's new about 12 months, I still have my old phone  ( not usable as a phone, but does work for wifi etc...)   That had the Alexa app on it first, so I figured, ok, it's talking to it via wifi so that is why my locations don't indicate that I left.  I deleted the app from that old phone, and powered off,  and still locations  wouldn't work.
And when I opened my routines on my phone, it now says  "When someone else leaves" this will happen..
Ok,  I did create on this phone... but whatever..
So I deleted/reinstalled app on my phone, but now it wouldn't let me add my location for Home or Work, giving me an error.   It would not let me edit my locations routines ( said, I can't edit a routine created by someone else??, but would let me delete them, which I did).  I again deleted my app from my phone, this time tho,  i first cleared the data..    Reinstalled the app, and it allowed me to add my Home and work locations, it also let me add a location routine, so I just set up one for now. ( When I leave turn on bedroom, set for anytime...)   I left house, drove about 2 miles away, came back, and my bedroom light was on.
I don't need the app on the other device so I will just leave it off.
now to recreate all the location routines again.
~happy~

[buffaloquinn]

Glad you're making some progress. I went backwards. The one routine I had set up only worked ONCE then apparently self-destructed and has never worked again. I'm now wondering if its because I have the Alexa app running on multiple devices too. I use the app on my tablet to do most of my routines because its easier than doing it on the phone screen. But the LOCATION routine says "When Walter's device arrives Home" on both phone & tablet. Not defining the device exactly makes me wonder what Alexa is using to identify the device.

[jackm1249]

Ya,here too
 Hasn't worked at all today

[Dennis.deckmann]

I've been trying but no bueno. The play button operates the routines exactly as I want then to operate but the GPS doesn't seem to make them do squat. Sansung S6 phone.