Alexa Getting Started

Alexa - Getting Started

Most homes have just one Amazon account with multiple users that share devices (Echo Dot, Echo Show) and services (Amazon Prime). If your home, in fact, has more than one Amazon account, make sure that you link the Home Audio app with the email address associated with the Amazon account that has the most Alexa devices (Echo Dot, Show, etc.) tied to it. Only Alexa devices set up under the linked Amazon account will be able to control your HTD home audio system.

To avoid accidentally overwriting zone names, source names, and presets used by Alexa, it is best to only allow one person in the home to sync data with your Amazon account.

*Gateway model WGW-SLX is required for Alexa control.*

STEP 1: Link the HTD Home Audio Alexa Skill (do this before step 2).

Open the Alexa app and tap on "More" and then tap on "Skills and Games".
Search for and select the “HTD Home Audio” skill. If prompted, tap “Enable to Use” (or "Settings" if previously linked).
Link your account: Enter the email address associated with your Amazon account. Tap “Get Code”.
Check your email for the code (including junk folders). Enter the code and tap “Log in”.
When returning to the HTD Home Audio skill: SETTINGS should indicate "Linked". Only use "LAUNCH" if you want to limit which Alexa devices can accept HTD Home Audio voice commands.

Worth noting: After this process, you do not need to access or open the HTD Home Audio Alexa skill for the skill to work. It simply resides in the background of your Alexa app as a software extension.

STEP 2: Sync the HTD Home Audio App.

Open the HTD Home Audio app and tap the hamburger menu in the upper left corner. Select "Voice Assistants".
Enter the same email address you used in the Alexa app. Tap “Send Verification Code”.
Check your email for the code (including junk folders). Enter the code in the “Verification Code” field in the HTD Home Audio app. Tap “Confirm”.
Tap the "Sync to Cloud" button to sync your zone names, source names, and presets to be used by Alexa.

Worth noting: The app can remain logged in to the HTD cloud so that you can press "Sync to Cloud" at any time after you've made changes to zone names, source names or presets. A green "check mark" will appear next to "Alexa" when you are logged in. You do not need to be logged in for Alexa to work. Should you log out, at any time you can follow STEP 2 to log back in.

Worth noting: Zone names and source names are pulled from the HTD Home Audio app using names "as they appear in the app", and not "as they appear on keypads". Zone names must be unique, even across multiple systems on the same Amazon account.

Test Voice Control Using Alexa

Use an Alexa device (Echo Dot, Echo Show, etc.) or the Alexa app itself, to issue the following voice command: "Alexa, ask home audio to turn on all zones in [my house]." Note that [my house] should be replaced with the name you gave your system in the HTD Home Audio app. "My house" is the default. Make sure you follow this syntax exactly.

Check the zone status lights on the front of your HTD controller or in the HTD Home Audio app to confirm all zones are powered on. If this did not work for you, please visit the troubleshooting page for Alexa.