Have you ever wondered if it was possible to control a Samsung Smart TV with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant? Well, the good news is that you can.
We’ll show you how to get your Samsung Smart TV working with Alexa. It’s a quick and easy process that doesn’t require any additional hardware.
What You Can Do With an Alexa-Connected Smart TV
Once you’ve connected a Samsung Smart TV to your Amazon Alexa-enabled device, you’ll be able to switch the TV on or off with your voice. You’ll also be able to control volume and input settings just by speaking to Alexa. This comes in handy if you’d like to adjust settings on the television without needing a remote control.
Additionally, if you’ve ever accidentally misplaced your remote but need to turn your television off or on in a hurry, voice control is always helpful.
What You’ll Need
- Samsung Smart TV
- SmartThings account
- Amazon Echo device
- SmartThings app for iOS or Android (not SmartThings Classic)
- SmartThings skill for Amazon Echo
- A working internet connection
Which Samsung Televisions Can You Use With Amazon Alexa?
Ideally, you’ll want to use a TV that was manufactured after 2017. However, models manufactured in 2018 or later have more functionality. This process worked for a television that was dated August 2017, so older TVs are compatible.
Several popular Samsung models work with Amazon Alexa and SmartThings. In fact, if you’ve purchased a Samsung TV recently, there’s a good chance it’s supported.
You can also check your model information on the Samsung website or in the SmartThings app if you’re unsure about which models will work. All you’ll need is the model number of your television.
The model number is found on the back of your TV, on the product information label. This label should be silver and should contain the manufacturing date, model number, a QR code, and other important information. Write this information down in case you need to refer to it later.
How to Connect SmartThings to Your Samsung Smart TV
Before you begin, you’ll need to make sure that both your TV and your mobile device are connected to the same network. A wireless network is usually best, but a wired connection between your TV and your router also allows this process to work.
A wireless connection is preferable because sometimes the ethernet port on the TV will shut down if it hasn’t been used in a while. When this happens, you will not be able to turn the TV on without the remote.
Once you’ve got a good connection, you’ll need to make sure you’ve downloaded and set up the SmartThings app on both your mobile device and your television. Most newer Samsung TVs have this app installed from the factory, but if your TV does not, you’ll need to go into the apps section of the Samsung menu, search for the app, then add it.
If you are unable to find the app on your TV, it is either already installed, or your TV is not supported. Please check the Samsung website for details.
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for (var i = 0; i Next, you’ll need to add your television to the SmartThings app. To do this, open the SmartThings app and tap the + in the upper right corner of the screen. Then tap Device. From there, tap either By device type or By brand. Either of these works, so use whichever you’re most comfortable with.
If you’ve chosen By device type, scroll down the page until you see TV. Tap the TV icon. The screen should change to a screen that shows the Samsung logo. Tap this section to view the list of Supported devices, as well as add your TV to the app.
If you’ve chosen By brand, Samsung should be listed in the Featured Brands section. If it isn’t shown, you’ll need to use the magnifying glass in the upper right of the screen to search for “Samsung.”
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for (var i = 0; i Next, tap the TV, or for a list of supported devices tap Supported devices. Then tap Start. Select your Location and Room for this TV. Then tap Next. From there, you’ll be prompted to turn on your smart TV using the TV remote. Do that and wait for the app to find your TV.
For some TVs, you’ll need to enter a PIN to connect the SmartThings app and the television. This PIN is displayed in the upper right portion of the TV screen once the app connects. Enter this PIN into the app when prompted.
From there, your Samsung Smart TV should be connected to the SmartThings app. Now all that’s left to do is to connect your Amazon Alexa-enabled product using the SmartThings skill.
How to Add the SmartThings Skill to an Amazon Echo Device
For this, you’ll need to have the Amazon Alexa app installed on your mobile device. If you have not installed the Alexa app, do so before moving to the next step.
To add the skill, start by opening your Amazon Alexa app. From the Home screen in the Alexa app, tap More in the lower right corner of the screen. Then tap on Skills & Games.
Use the Magnifying glass icon in the upper right of the screen to open the Search function of the Alexa app. Type “SmartThings” into the app search field.
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for (var i = 0; i Once you’ve found the skill, you’ll want to tap Enable to Use. The app then asks you to sign in with your Samsung account information. Sign in with the Samsung account that you’ve used to connect to your Samsung Smart TV.
Once you enter your credentials, tap Authorize to confirm the connection. Tap Close, and you’ll be asked whether you’d like to discover devices. Tap Discover Devices. Alexa should begin the device detection process.
This process can take up to 45 seconds. If your TV is not detected, it is recommended to delete the SmartThings skill and start over. However, in most cases, the TV is detected quickly and the process can complete.
Which Commands Can You Use with Samsung and Amazon Alexa?
With the SmartThings app and Alexa, you can say things like, “Alexa, turn on Living Room TV,” “Alexa, set volume to 25 on Living Room TV,” or “Alexa, switch input to HDMI 1 on Living Room TV.”
While you can’t launch apps like Netflix or Hulu, you can turn the television off or on, set the TV volume, pause, play, and switch input devices. For a full list of supported commands, see the SmartThings skill page.
Enjoy Your Samsung TV With Amazon Alexa
By setting up the SmartThings app and the SmartThings skill, you can use your television with an Alexa-enabled device. This allows voice control for basic functions. Connecting these two common smart home products provides greater convenience when using your television.
Unfortunately, the full range of supported commands isn’t as feature-rich as using your Samsung remote. However, sometimes it is easier to use Alexa to control your TV so you don’t have to scramble to find a misplaced remote.