Amazon has been adding sensors to Echo devices for some time, expanding the range of capabilities that they offer and allowing them to serve functions above and beyond just playing music.
One of the interesting sensors is the temperature sensor. This is in a select collection of Echo devices and you might be surprised to find it's not available in all of them.
Here are the devices with a temperature sensor.
What Echo has a temperature sensor?
You can find a temperature sensor in the following devices:
- Echo Plus (3 gen)
- Echo (4 gen)
- Echo Dot (5 gen)
- Echo Dot with Clock (5 gen)
That's right - none of the Echo Show devices have a temperature sensor built in.
How to check if your Echo has a temperature sensor
If you're unsure what version Echo you have and if it's on the list, then head into the Alexa app on your smartphone, find the Echo you're interested in and tap on it.
You'll see the temperature in the "status" section.
The real star here is the Echo Dot (5 gen), because with this and a smart plug, you can easily create a thermostatically controlled heating system in a room with minimal fuss.
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What can you do with the temperature sensor?
This is where things get interesting because it can be really useful. Firstly, if you have smart heating connected to Alexa, you'll have to learn to differentiate between these two sensors when you talk to Alexa.
If you say "Alexa, what temperature is it in the home?" then Alexa will report the average temperature for your home.
However, if you ask the Echo speaker with the temperature sensor, it will tell you what it is measuring the temperature as. It helps here to assign the Echo to a room in the Alexa app, because Alexa will then report "The living room temperature is…" so you know what you're getting the temperature for.
Can you create Routines based around the temperature sensor?
Creating a temperature sensor Routine is easy and the Alexa app will guide you into that when you tap on the temperature information.
Just like other Routines, you'll get the option to specify the trigger, in this case a temperature above or below a limit that you define, then a time frame (days, hours) and then the action that should be taken.
Just follow these steps:
- In the Alexa app, tap on More > Routines
- Tap the + in the top right-hand corner
- Give the Routine a name
- Under "When this happens" tap on Smart Home > the Echo device you want to use
- Select Above/Below and the trigger temperature, hit Save
- Select the time frame
- Add the action you want to take - again you might want to hit Smart Home to turn on a plug, get your smart heating to turn on, or to power on a connected fan.
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