I’ve set up Rachio with my Echo. I am able to control my Rachio with my Echo.
However, I can only control it by zone number, not by zone name, as this guide indicates I should be able to.
Do I need to somehow upload the zone names to the Echo? How do I get it to work with names instead of zone numbers? What am I missing? I’m sure I overlooked part of the setup.
Thanks.
Zone names aren’t great on V1 of our Alexa integration. We built it so long ago there are some new tools we can use for name recognition that we haven’t taken advantage of yet. One of our initiatives this summer is to give Amazon and Google voice a full refresh as well as adding in some exciting new voice capabilities.
Thanks. I’ll keep an eye out for updates.
It would be nice to do away with the “ask Rachio to” part of the Echo command.
In might be nice to remove the bits from the support article about using names, or at least add that it might not work.
Just want to second this. Alexa can’t understand “Front Yard”, “Back Yard”, “Back Lawn” or any zone by name at all. Zone numbers seem to work a bit better but they aren’t perfect either. I hear Amazon has also improved the ability for app makers to take out the clumsy phrasing. Instead of “Alexa tell Rachio to water the back yard for 5 min” you can use a more natural command “Alexa water the back yard for 5 min”. Hopefully Rachio can get that working too. Other than that, things are working very well here!
do you have any news with the zone name issue?
Thanks
Lior
One of the main features I have always liked about using Rachio controllers is the ability to use zone names instead of zone numbers because names are so much more intuitive than numbers.
What is the timeline like for Rachio’s commitment to " …give Amazon and Google voice a full refresh as well as adding in some exciting new voice capabilities…" this summer?
Now 9 months later. I removed my controller from both ST and Alexa, removed the Rachio Alexa skill, reinstalled the controller in ST, added the controller back to Alexa, installed the Rachio skill.
The zone names worked one time with Alexa. Now, every time I say, "Alexa, ask (or tell) Rachio to water zonename for x minutes, the response is “Which zone do you want, and for how long.”
How much longer until this is resolved??
I just set up my Rachio and Alexa and have the same issue as above. Any update? My kids want to be able to play in the sprinklers (by using Alexa- on a zone) without messing up my schedule! : )
Thanks
I see this issue has been going on for a long time now. I cannot get my Rachio to work through Alexa. Keeps asking me for the zone and for how long. I named my zones frontyard, backyard, etc… as this is easiest for me. If I had them numbered I would never remember which one is which. Is this problem ever going to be fixed using Rachio via Alexa?