Helper Button - Alexa

Configuration Voice Assistant
1

Hi Team.

I have a Helper toggle button. How can i have Alexa set this to On or Off?

I am just looking to see how i expose this button to Alexa so that i can create a routine.

Thanks in advance

2

are you sure you’re using the correct lingo here? What’s the entity?

3

Hi. I have a Helper toggle button which is a Boolean button

input_boolean.ha_helper_office_boost_1hr_toggle

I am trying to see how i can have Alexa set this to On or Off

4

if you have alexa set up, you should just be able to set it up like any other entity. If you don’t have alexa set up, you have to expose home assistant to the internet using Nabu Casa or the Alexa Smart Home Skill.

Nabu Casa costs $5/mo and it should just work.

Alexa Smart Home Skill requires you to setup Duck DNS (or any DNS), NginX (if you want to access HA locally and remotely), and setup your own amazon developer account and create your own personal Alexa Skill that resides in the cloud. It’s free, but as you can see, it’s a challenging setup.

5

Ive setup the Alex skill and connected to Nabu Casa. I can see some HA devices in there but not my boolean switch.

However do i really need an Amazon developer account and to change all my DNS. if this is the case then thats over the top and may just stick with SmartThings.

6

No I don’t think you understood my post. If you have an nabu casa you don’t have to set up any of that other stuff. That other stuff is needed if you want to have free connection from Alexa to Home Assistant.

But for your other question, the input boolean helper should show up in your cloud And you should be able to expose it to Alexa.

7

Also, if you aren’t filtering any entities to alexa, all you have to do is rerun discovery on alexa and she should find the input_boolean.

8

Thanks mate. Yes i misunderstood what you was saying. Sorry about that but thanks for clarifying.

How can i check that i am not filtering? I have run a discovery a few times and it just does not find the boolean input. it finds other devices with no issues.

9

Actually just found it under configuration / Home Assistant / Manage Entities. I have exposed that input boolean and its now showing and working via Alexa.

1 Like
10

Nice, I don’t use the cloud integration so I wasn’t 100% sure where the expose/hide area was in the interface.

11

Is it possible to trigger a proper button entity (button.example) with alexa? Or do we still have to use input_boolean as a workaround?

12

I have a HA Helper and I can see it under All Alexa Devices but I can not use in a routine. Is there a way to make the help a switch or plug? Seems that my real plugs and switches are exposed and I can perform a routine from their state changes

13

Hi, where was ‘configuration / Home Assistant / Manage Entities’ is it in Alexa (on ipad) or Home assistant (in its own world) or IOS or ???
Thanks
JC