Amazon has announced that it is adding Alexa Routines actions to all Fire TVs. Routines, which are custom chains of events based on single commands, can now control certain aspects of Fire TVs and some TVs with Fire Sticks.
The new "Entertainment Routines" are already available across all Fire TV devices and can be set up using the Alexa smartphone app.
Add the News to Your Morning Routine
Alexa Routines has been around since 2017, allowing users to chain events based on a custom phrase. For example, saying "Alexa, do the morning thing!" could trigger your lights, smart thermostat, and even coffee machine all at once. The addition of Fire TV means you can automate turning on the television to a specific channel now too.
Current Alexa Routine actions for Fire TVs include powering on and off, pausing and resuming shows, and playing specific shows from different apps installed on Fire OS. The new functions are available to all Fire TV devices. This includes Fire TV sticks, but there is a caveat.
Only televisions and displays that support Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) will work with the Fire Stick and Alexa Routines. The CEC protocol allows devices to be controlled via HDMI, including the actions now available via the Alexa Routines update.
Alexa Shoots for Indispensability
The new addition will be welcomed by those already invested in Amazon's smart home ecosystem. Amazon is pushing to make Alexa as convenient as possible, and Routines are going to be a big part of it. It's going to be interesting to see how Alexa's new artificial intelligence-powered suggestions might tie into these new features too.
For now, you can add watching the news to your automated morning coffee without lifting a finger. Or cartoons. Watching cartoons is probably healthier.