More than one Echo

[ScottinPollock]

For those of you with more than one Echo...

1.) If you set a timer on won, will they both sound off when it expires? Same question for alarms and music.

2.) What happens if you're in a spot where two or more Echos hear you clearly?

[kevb]

1) The alarm/timer/music only plays on the one you asked to do the task. You can control this through the app as well.

2) There are three wake words for the Echo (Alexa, Amazon, and Echo). If they are too close to each other, you can give each one a separate wake word to avoid confusion.

[ScottinPollock]

If they are too close to each other, you can give each one a separate wake word to avoid confusion.

Thanks. But if they do hear the same command, they will both carry it out simultaneously?

[kevb]

Sorry, I can't help you out with that. There are a couple of other threads on here about multiple echoes in one house. I'm sure someone will chime in.

[mike27oct]

I now have four Echo devices with the recent addition of two Dots and a Tap on Friday.  The devices only "hear" commands if they are in close proximity AND have the same wake word as mentioned above.  The Tap only "hears" if the mic button is pressed, and hence it needs no wake word.  My original Echo's wake word is Alexa, and the two Dots are both named Echo.  A potential conflict exists, except that they are far enough apart that normal speaking doesn't cause a problem, although if I raise my voice above "normal" they both can react to the same command.  Such is life.  We really don't need the confusion of two Dots with different wake words.

[renegade600]

If they are too close to each other, you can give each one a separate wake word to avoid confusion.

Thanks. But if they do hear the same command, they will both carry it out simultaneously?

it would but it would be just like telling alexa to turn on a light that is already on.  Sometimes I would tell alexa to turn on a light and I hear both the echo and dot say okay.  Not going to hurt anything.  Now it could be a mess if I told them to play a radio station because there will be an echo because of lag from the one furthest away. 

For the fun of it, yesterday, I stood where both the echo and the dot could hear me and told alexa thank you.  The echo said you're welcome and the dot said my pleasure

[DParker]

Thanks. But if they do hear the same command, they will both carry it out simultaneously?

Yes, but whether or not that matters depends on the nature of the command.  As already pointed out, if it's something like "Turn on downstairs lights" then there's no difference in the results you'll see whether one Echo implements the command or a dozen of them do.  However, if multiple Echos react to your command to set a timer/alarm then the difference is that each reacting Echo will in fact play the alarm/timer sound at the designated time, and both will need to be told to shut up.  Of course, if both were able to hear your initial command then both will likely be able to hear you tell them to stop as well.

[renegade600]

Thanks. But if they do hear the same command, they will both carry it out simultaneously?

Yes, but whether or not that matters depends on the nature of the command.  As already pointed out, if it's something like "Turn on downstairs lights" then there's no difference in the results you'll see whether one Echo implements the command or a dozen of them do.  However, if multiple Echos react to your command to set a timer/alarm then the difference is that each reacting Echo will in fact play the alarm/timer sound at the designated time, and both will need to be told to shut up.  Of course, if both were able to hear your initial command then both will likely be able to hear you tell them to stop as well.

think of the fun you can have by setting the alarms on all your echos then go somewhere and leave it for other family members to deal with  :-)

[madcodger]

What is really needed is the ability to have each Echo pass its identity (kitchen Echo, LR Echo, etc.) on to Smart Home devices or Skills. If that were enabled by Amazon, one could use the same wake word on all devices yet get more customized control of various Smart Home / Skill activities.  The only situation it would not resolve is that of multiple devices hearing a command/request.  This is probably the biggest single problem we have from the Alexa system.

[jratliff]

Yes I was thinking that too, because if I have some of the same devices on two floors I could call them the same thing without adding upstairs etc to one or the other based on which echo you talk to. I thought about making a second Amazon account as a work around, but that's not as clean. The cards in the app show which device the request came from so it may already be there. I have a few of my own skills, but I haven't dug into it to see if there is a way to identify the source.

Another work around I use on the setting a timer/alarm in one room then it going off while in another room, is having a device programmed in echo that has my Sonos use TTS to say "Alexa, stop" in the other room.