How to get the Alexa Wake Word 'Computer' to work with any Alexa enabled Sonos speakers

  • 20 May 2021
  • 3 replies
  • 2951 views
L
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While looking around at the new features in the latest Alexa app update on my phone. I noticed that all of my Echo devices including my Fire cube’ now has a prefered speaker option under the ‘connected devices’ section in my Android phones Alexa settings. By default this is set to ‘built-in speaker’ but you now have the option to select ‘change’. Once the ‘change’ option is selected you can choose to uncheck the ‘built-in speaker’ option. Then select ‘WIFI Speakers/Use my preferred speaker option’. Now you will be able to select any Alexa enabled Sonos Speaker not only to play music but to also respond for the Fire Cube/Echo device’s voice  commands instead of the ‘built-in speaker’.

If you can see the Sonos Speakers but can’t select them as they are greyed out. Then you will need to simply make sure both the Echo device/Fire cube & Sonos speaker you intend to use are in the same group e.g. ‘Living Room’ group. If the group does not yet exsit, then you will need to create a group & put the echo devices & Sonos speaker into it. Providing both the Echo device/Fire cube is in the same group as the Sonos speaker you want to use & linked together in the settings. Now when you use the wake word “computer” or any other echo wake word that you have previously set in your chosen Echo device/Fire cube, your newly assigned Sonos speaker will now respond instead of the echo device/Fire cubes built-in speaker. This has the advantage of being able to use the full gambit of Amazon echo features with your Sonos speakers as opposed to the limited feature set that Amazon make available to most third party Alexa enabled devices.

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3 replies

melvimbe

That’s a clever way around getting the wake word restrictions.  However, that does mean that you have purchase an echo device in place it in the same room as your Sonos speaker though, since that device has to do the listening for the wake word.  Really, all you’re getting is the response through the Sonos speaker.  If you don’t care where the response comes from, echo or Sonos speaker, then you could just disable Alexa mics on the Sonos speaker and have the speaker be the preferred speaker for the echo (music only).  

Worth noting that this work around won’t work with Echo Show devices.  Amazon doesn’t let you select a different speaker to do the speaking...presumably because it’s also answering visually through the screen.

A couple other points to make.  You can also use this function if you just want to add additional listening points in a larger space.  Say for example, you have a Sonos Arc at the front of the room, but don’t want to shoot to it from the across the room.  You can place an echo dot (or cheaper echo flex, etc) right next to your chair, and a 2nd dot next to a chair elsewhere, etc...all of them speaking through your Sonos Arc.

The other point is that you cannot setup an echo so that a different echo does the speaking for it, and a Sonos speaker is the preferred speaker for music playback.  In other words, you can’t setup an echo flex, have an echo show do the speaking for it, and a Sonos One do the music playback.  This is what I’ve seen, but I’ve only involved an echo show, so perhaps you could do it with two echo dots and Sonos One or something.

Danny
B

Set up Amazon Alexa with a voice-enabled Sonos speaker
Get Started. In the Sonos app for iOS or Android, tap the Settings tab. ...
Choose your rooms. After selecting Add to Sonos, you'll see a listing of your Sonos audio system that can be set up with a voice provider. ...
Sign in in your Amazon account. ...
Link song offerings inside the Alexa app. ...
Use Amazon Alexa together with your Sonos speaker.

L
Userlevel 3
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That’s a clever way around getting the wake word restrictions.  However, that does mean that you have purchase an echo device in place it in the same room as your Sonos speaker though, since that device has to do the listening for the wake word.  Really, all you’re getting is the response through the Sonos speaker.  If you don’t care where the response comes from, echo or Sonos speaker, then you could just disable Alexa mics on the Sonos speaker and have the speaker be the preferred speaker for the echo (music only).  

Worth noting that this work around won’t work with Echo Show devices.  Amazon doesn’t let you select a different speaker to do the speaking...presumably because it’s also answering visually through the screen.

A couple other points to make.  You can also use this function if you just want to add additional listening points in a larger space.  Say for example, you have a Sonos Arc at the front of the room, but don’t want to shoot to it from the across the room.  You can place an echo dot (or cheaper echo flex, etc) right next to your chair, and a 2nd dot next to a chair elsewhere, etc...all of them speaking through your Sonos Arc.

The other point is that you cannot setup an echo so that a different echo does the speaking for it, and a Sonos speaker is the preferred speaker for music playback.  In other words, you can’t setup an echo flex, have an echo show do the speaking for it, and a Sonos One do the music playback.  This is what I’ve seen, but I’ve only involved an echo show, so perhaps you could do it with two echo dots and Sonos One or something.

 

It will only work with Alexa enabled Sonos speakers like my Arc or my Sonos Ones even my Sonos roam can be selected. I have other Sonos speakers such as the Playbar, a few Play 1’ns, a couple of subs but as they are not Alexa enabled, I can only use Alexa to send music to them.

Chances are if you want Alexa to use the wake word ‘computer’ you would already have an echo device of some sort otherwise how would you even know that the option is available on the Echo family of devices? I myself have multiple Alexa/echoFire tablets/TV devices throughout my home so I can move around my house controlling my various devices by voice as I go from room to room without having to shout through to the other room in order to issue a voice command. I’m a disabled wheelchair user as such I have built up an extensive smart home & this freedom makes life hell of a lot easier for me.

Now I was finding it absolutely frustrating having to use the wake word ‘Alexa’ on my Sonos speakers when I’ve always previously used ‘Computer’ as my wake word on all my echo family of devices from long before Sonos speakers even had Alexa compatibility. Judging by the number of people that have been making requests for this feature to be made available on the Sonos Speakers all over the internet tells me I’m not alone. As many people nowadays already have more than one Alexa device in their household & many like myself have found it frustrating to have to use two different wake words in the one system. If your happy to change all your devices to the wake word Alexa or use multiple wake words throughout your home, then go ahead. I thought I’d post this in the hope others will find this workaround as useful as I have.

 

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