Alexa and Simple Commands

The alexa skill is called 'Simple Commands' and works directly with your items to allow voice control over your items.   This includes Groups and Routine as well as individual items.

Unlike other skills the 'Simple Commands' Skill absorbs your natural language request and takes action on your item.   There is no need to have alexa discover your device nor is there a need for any special configuration on the SimpleCommands app to support this natural language request format.

Step 1:  Go to the alexa app or alexa.amazon.com and select 'Skills' or 'Skills and Games'

Step 2:  Search for the Simple Commands skill or follow this link to be taken directly to the Skill

Get the 'Simple Commands' Skill for Alexa

Step 3:  Select 'Enable Skill' at the top of the page

Step 4:  After Page refreshes select 'Settings' at the top of the page

Step 5:  After Page refreshes select 'Link Account' at the top of the page

Step 6:  If you are not already logged into SimpleCommands you will be prompted to re-enter your SimeplCommands username/email and password

Thanks it for enabling the alexa account.  Unlike the home skills you do not need to discover devices or make any other changes in the alexa app.

Now you are ready to go!

Things you can ask alexa: ( examples assume item names of 'Right Door' and 'Ring Alarm' )

NOTE:  You can append any natural language command with 'use simple commands' or 'with simple commands'. Alternatively you can start by say 'tell simple commands....' or ask simple commands...'

alexa, ask simple commands for home status

alexa, open the right door with simple commands

alexa, ask simple commands to close the right door

alexa, get the status of the right door with simple commands

alexa, set my ring alarm to arm home with simple commands

alexa, arm away my ring alarm with simple commands

alexa, turn off the outside lights with simple commands

alexa, tell simple commands i'm home

and many more....

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Comments

12 comments
  • I'm unable to find the new Simple Commands Skill in the Canadian store, when will this be added?

    Thanks

    2
  • I'm also unable to locate the Simple Commands skill on the Canadian site

    2
  • Finally a working Alexa command with myq garage door. Thank you for supporting this platform!

    -1
  • Working perfectly for me.....Thanks for all the hard work!!!

    -1
  • Not sure what’s happened to support here. Been emailing for months and no reply at all.

    Used to really enjoy using Simple Commands with Alexa but can’t use it in U.K. anymore.

    No one seems to care though.

    1
  • This is strange here folks...SC seems to not work and no support!

    Covid maybe an issue??!!

    1
  • I'm having trouble with the new SimpleCommands and MyQ and Alexa. for a year or two, I've been using "Kloee by SimpleCommands" - and had the SC app set up with routines to control our 2 MyQ garage doors. I was able to use the Kloee by SC skill in Alexa to link - and then in Alexa was able to create routines based on scenes from Kloee. With these Alexa routines, I was able to create many things I could say to Alexa - WITHOUT having to say "SimpleCommands". I could literally just say "Alexa, open Mom's door". or ...open Dad's door... or open both doors, etc. In addition, I also had the option to check the status simply by saying "Alexa, is mom's door open?", etc. I still have the Kloee stuff that seems to be working as I've just described - I can still use any/all commands to open and close the doors in a variety of asks, BUT the one thing that is no longer working is the status. When I ask if "mom's door is open" - it doesn't work.

    I do see the latest instructions on how to link SC with Alexa - but I think this then means I have to say "Alexa, use SimpleCommands to..." ?? That's a step backwards from where I was!

    I can provide more info but to start, does any of this make sense? Thanks!

    0
  • The SC Home Status Skill has been discontinued...and I have no clue as to why...nobody from SC or Kloee has responded to anything recently. Keep in mind Covid...just might be the culprit!

    Have a good one!

    0
  • yeah - what a shame - was working so well!!  Hopefully SC folk are healthy and will be back on the horse soon...  Thanks!

    0
  • Oh...and yes the skill was indispensable...I have GeoFences setup and when we drive away the Home Status skill was run in the Routine indicating ALL was locked...now I have to poke each lock manually for status aka PITA!

    Also could be that Amazon had a issue with it...not sure...just speculating at this point since no responses are forthcoming...

    Later

    0
  • Any idea why I have to keep relinking the Simple Commands skill in Alexa?  This just started within the last month or so.  I'll go to use Alexa to open/close garage door, and I get an error about the Simple Commands skill needing to be linked.  I link it, it works, but then a few days later I get the error again.  Why won't the link persist (anymore)?

    0
  • Well I had to relink a few days ago...now things are working. 

    Also In the early days one could say...

    alexa, Home Status

    then it changed to 

    alexa, ask simple commands for home status

    NOW

    alexa, Home Status or

    alexa, ask simple commands for home status

     

    Appears Brian Walker is the brains behind of all this...hope he is alright !

     

     

    0

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