IMPORTANT: This article only applies to specific products, countries, and/or operating systems. For the applicable products, please check the Applicable Products and Categories section of this article. For the applicable countries/regions and operating systems, please refer to the article Countries and regions where Sony's TV supports Amazon Alexa devices.
Basic Information
Alexa is Amazon's cloud-based voice service. Alexa Skills are voice-driven Alexa Cloud Service capabilities that enable you to control select products through the Amazon Alexa app that runs on Amazon Echo and Amazon Echo Dot devices. With this feature, you can use your voice to turn your TV on or off, change channels, control volume, and more.
If your TV supports Amazon Alexa, one of the following apps will be on the Apps list. You cannot install these apps yourself.
- TV Control with Smart Speakers
- TV Control Setup with Amazon Alexa
For more details, refer to the following:
Hot Topic
The TV can suddenly no longer be controlled with Amazon Alexa-enabled devices through voice operations.
Refer to the article The TV's Voice Control with Amazon Alexa-Enabled Devices suddenly stops working.
How to use
An Alexa-enabled device (such as the Amazon Echo or Amazon Dot), a mobile device (a phone or tablet running Amazon Fire OS 3.0 or higher, Android™ 5.0 or higher, or iOS 9.0 or higher) with the Alexa app, and an Amazon account is required. Start the setup from the TV control with Smart Speakers app or the TV Control Setup with Amazon Alexa on your TV and follow the instructions.
Notes:
- The Alexa app will appear in the Apps section on supported TVs. If you don't see the app in the Apps section, your TV doesn't support this feature.
- A Google account is required when using the TV Control Setup with Amazon Alexa app. Use the same account for both your TV and mobile device.
- A Home network with Wi-Fi® capabilities (Dual-band Wi-Fi supports 802.11 2.4 and 5 GHz networks). The app does not support connecting to ad-hoc or peer-to-peer Wi-Fi networks.
THINGS TO TRY...
- POWER ON/OFF: Alexa, turn on TV, or Alexa, turn off TV.
Note: Remote start must be set to On in your TV settings to turn the TV on and off. - CHANGE CHANNEL: BY NUMBER OR NAME Alexa, next channel on TV, or Alexa, tune to channel 5 on TV.
Note: You must set up your remote control to control your cable or satellite box in order to change channels and use the media controls (such as play, pause, etc.). To set up the remote control, go to your TV’s Settings → Watching TV → External inputs → Cable/Satellite box setup and follow the directions. - CONTROL VOLUME: Alexa, set volume to 15 on TV, or Alexa, volume down on TV.
Note: Controlling volume by number is not supported for all external audio systems. CEC systems do not support direct volume control. - CHANGE INPUT: Alexa, switch input to HDMI 1 on TV.
- CONTROL PLAYBACK FOR DVR OR STREAMING CONTENT: Alexa, play on TV, Alexa, pause on TV, or Alexa, skip 10 seconds on TV.
- LAUNCH APPLICATIONS AND TV MENUS: Alexa, launch Prime Video on TV, or Alexa, go home on TV.
Note: Some apps and menus may not support this command. - NAVIGATE MENUS: Alexa, go right on TV., Alexa, move down on TV, or Alexa, select this on TV.
- SEARCH and PLAY: Alexa, search for comedies, Alexa, select number one, or Alexa, watch Spiderman.
Note: Supported on select models. - CHANGE SETTINGS: Alexa, set Sleep Timer on TV to 60 minutes., Alexa, set Brightness on TV to 50., Alexa, set speakers on TV to Audio system.
Note: Supported on select models. - SCENE FEATURE: Alexa, turn on Good night.
Note: Supported on select models.
Please check the commands from See all voice commands from the app on the TV.
Scenes can change multiple settings (TV power ON, change the input to TV, set the volume to 15) with one voice command. You can edit the Scene operations in the settings of the TV Control with Smart Speakers app.
Note: This function can be used only on the TV Control with Smart Speakers app.
The answer is yes if both TVs have been set up from the TV Control with Smart Speakers or TV Control Setup with Amazon Alexa apps. If the apps on the TVs are different, some commands may not be available.
Pick a unique name for every TV you set up that is easy to say and remember.
Linking your TV to an echo device in the same room will allow you to directly control your TV without saying the name of the TV.
For example, you can say Alexa change the channel to 7 instead of Alexa change the channel to 7 on the living room TV.
Your TV must be linked with your Alexa device via the TV & Video settings section of the Alexa app on your mobile device.
Note: Only one TV and video smart skill can be linked to each Alexa device.
No, video skills use the same commands. Your satellite or cable box may also have a video skill that would conflict with Sony’s TV skill.
Note: Only one video skill can be linked to each Alexa device.
No, we recommend an Alexa device without a display so you can play content on the TV. The Alexa Show or any Alexa device with a screen will show content on its own screen and not play on the TV.
Troubleshooting
If the TV cannot be turned on using an Amazon Alexa-enabled device, follow these steps:
- Open the Settings screen.
How to access Settings
- If the remote control has a Quick Settings ( or ) button, press the Quick Settings button and select Settings.
- If the remote control does not have a Quick Settings ( or ) button, press the HOME button and select Settings.
- Select Network or Network & Internet.
- Select Remote start, then select ON or On (Powered on by apps).
- Make sure you are using the same account on the Amazon Alexa-enabled device and the TV.
Note: Use a Sony account or Google account depending on the model. - Make sure the Date & time are set automatically. For details, refer to the How to adjust the date and time article.
- If the issue is still unresolved, try the following:
- Use a remote control to turn on the TV.
- Restart the TV.
- If a device other than the TV and Amazon Alexa compatible speaker is connected to the same router, disconnect that device to reduce the number of connected devices.
- An Alexa device will sometimes fail to turn on with remote start if the TV has been off for an extended period of time.
- If you are using the router’s firewall, check that ports 5228, 5229, and 5230 are open.
Depending on the router specifications (including the limit for the number of connected devices) or settings, turning on the TV using an Amazon Alexa-enabled device may not be supported. For details, please refer to the manual or support site of the router.
Your TV may not respond to the Amazon Alexa commands if you have network issues in your home. To resolve this issue:
- Use a different wireless router
- Reduce the number of devices connected to the same router
Check the following:
-
Connect the TV to the Amazon Alexa app. For the procedure, refer to the Connect your TV to the Amazon Alexa app article.
Note: The Amazon Alexa app is a mobile application provided by Amazon.
-
Check if you can operate the TV with the Amazon Alexa-enabled device. For example, face the Amazon Alexa-enabled device and say Alexa, turn off (the name of the TV you set up).
Please note below if the Amazon Alexa-enabled device fails to discover the TV.
- Check that Sony's TV Skill or Sony's TV - Basic Skill is enabled in the Amazon Alexa app.
Notes:
- If you are using TV Control with Smart Speakers app on the TV: Sony's TV Skill
- If you are using TV Control Setup with Amazon Alexa app on the TV: Sony's TV - Basic Skill
- Check that the same account is used to log in to the TV Control with Smart Speakers app or the TV Control Setup with Amazon Alexa app and Amazon Alexa app after enabling Sony's TV Skill or Sony's TV - Basic Skill.
After you unregister and set up the TV app again, and enable the skill in the Amazon Alexa app, it might show two names for the same TV: the old name and the new name.
To make sure only the new name appears, follow these steps in the Amazon Alexa app.
- Disable the skill.
- Delete all the multiple TV entries on the Amazon Alexa app.
- Re-enable the skill.
Attributions
* Amazon, Echo, Alexa, and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.