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So I recently bought an Amazon Echo and a Belkin WeMo switch and I heard that the two could be used together. After playing around with the two devices for a bit, I managed to figure out how to control my WeMo switch by talking to Alexa on the Echo.
The great thing about using a WeMo switch with the Echo is that it works without requiring you to install a third-party skill on the Echo or buying a hub. The three WeMo devices that work directly with Alexa are the WeMo Light Switch, WeMo Switch and WeMo Insight Switch.
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Overall, it’s really easy getting everything setup, but I’ll also mention some troubleshooting tips in case it doesn’t work on the first try.
Configure WeMo SwitchThe first thing you’re going to want to do is connect your WeMo Switch to your WiFi network and make sure it is showing up in the WeMo app. You should be able to turn it on and off using the virtual power button at the far right.
If you tap on the little down arrow, it should expand to show you some power usage stats (only for the WeMo Insight switch).
Now there are two things we have to do inside the WeMo app before we can get it connected to Alexa. Firstly, you should rename your switch to something other than the default name. Whatever name you give it here is what you’ll have to call it when you talk to Alexa. So if you name the switch, Fridge, you’ll be able to say “Alexa, turn off the fridge” and it will comply. To do this, tap on the Edit button at the top and then tap on the switch you want to rename.
If you use numbers in the name, make sure to spell out the number instead of using the numerical value. Tap Save and the switch should now have a new name. The second thing we have to do is enable remote access. To do this, tap on More located at the bottom of the app.
You will see an option called Remote Access. By default, it will show Not Enabled. Go ahead and tap on it and then tap on Enable Remote Access. This will not only allow you to control the switch from anywhere in the world, but it will also allow Alexa to control the switch.
You should get a message stating that remote access has been enabled and you can control the switch from anywhere that you have Internet access.
Discover Devices using AlexaOnce we have done those two things in the WeMo app, we can now move over to the Alexa app. Open the app, tap on the three horizontal lines at the top left and then tap on Smart Home.
This screen is broken down into three sections: groups, skills and devices. Groups allow you to control multiple devices with one command. For example, if you have three WeMo switches, you can create a group called Bedroom Lights and then simply say “Alexa, turn off the bedroom lights.”
Under Smart Home Skills, you can enable skills for products from different companies. Above, you can see I have enabled the TP-LINK Kasa skill because I have a TP-LINK switch. Finally, under Your Devices, you can add new devices by tapping on Discover devices.
Alexa will now start looking for devices, which should take less than a minute. Once the search is complete, you should see the device listed under Your Devices.
That’s pretty much it! You’re now good to go. You should be able to reference the switch by its name when talking to Alexa. Just say “Alexa, turn off/on switchname.” If all goes well, Alexa will just say OK and that’s it. You can manually go check in the WeMo app and you should see the switch state has been changed.
If you run into issues along the way, there are a couple of things you can do:
Make sure your Amazon Echo has the latest firmware installed. You can do this by making sure it’s connected to WiFi and turned on. The Echo will check automatically and update itself if an update is available.
Make sure the WeMo switch has the latest firmware installed. When you open the WeMo app, it will notify you of any firmware upgrades and you can do it from within the app.
If Alexa can’t find your WeMo device, make sure the Echo is connected to the 2.4 GHz WiFi network, if you have a dual-band router. The WeMo units only connect to 2.4 GHz, so if your Echo is on the 5 GHZ network, it could cause issues.
You're reading How To Control A Wemo Insight Switch Using Alexa & Echo
How To Create A Routine With Amazon Alexa
Many people are aware of the basic functions that smart home hubs have to offer, but oftentimes their knowledge doesn’t extend far beyond simple commands.
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Smart devices are certainly useful on their own, but for a truly intelligent home, you really need the technology to work together.
Amazon Alexa Routines are a great way to accomplish this, allowing you to control multiple devices through your Amazon Echo device with a single command.
Create a Routine in AlexaThere are a few steps to follow to get a Routine up and running, but it’s not as complicated as you’d think. We’ve outlined the steps below to help you get your smart tech up and running.
Step 1. If you haven’t yet, navigate to the App Store (iOS) or Play Store (Android). This guide will follow the steps on an iPhone, but the process should be the same on any Android device.
Step 2. If this is your first time using the Alexa app, create and/or sign into your Amazon account. There is a short setup process where you’ll link the app to your Echo device, but the process is pretty simple and self-explanatory.
Step 3. In the Alexa app, tap the sidebar at the top left of the screen to expand the app options.
Step 4. Tap on Routines.
Step 5. Tap on Create Routine.
Step 7. The next screen gives you several options for events. For smart home devices, you’d obviously choose Device. However, there are tons of different smart devices that integrate with Amazon Alexa.
In the interest of providing a guide that everyone can follow, we’ll tap on Schedule for now. As long as your device works with Amazon Alexa and you’ve connected it to your Echo, the process for creating a routine should function similarly.
Step 8. There are two options on the next screen, Set Time and Repeat. Choose the time you’d like the trigger to fire, as well as the frequency that you’d like it to repeat. We’ll set ours up to repeat every Wednesday at 12:05 pm.
Step 9. Here’s where you’ll choose what happens. Tap on Add Action.
Step 10. The next screen gives you a bunch of options to choose from. Let’s have Alexa say something at the day and time that we’ve selected by tapping on Alexa says.
Step 11. Alexa isn’t exactly the most skilled comedian, but let’s have her tell us a joke anyway.
Step 12. Tap Add to create the first part of your Alexa Routine.
Step 13. The next screen will show you the options that you’ve selected. Part of the appeal of Alexa routines is their ability to combine more than one action. Let’s add another aspect to our routine by tapping Add Action.
At this point, you’ll also want to choose the device that you’d like the joke to play from, which is important to keep in mind if you have multiple Echo devices.
Step 14. Let’s select the Notification option so we can get a reminder on our phone as well.
Step 15. Choose the text you’d like in the notification, and tap Next.
Step 16. If the confirmation on the next screen looks correct, tap Add to wrap up the last part of your routine.
Step 17. This should bring you back to a screen that shows the summary of how you’ve structured your conditional triggers. If everything looks correct, tap Create to wrap up your first Routine!
Step 18. On the main Alexa page, you should now see your Routine. The blue arrow to the right of your routine will allow you to edit your task, with options such as changing the frequency or even deleting it outright.
The button at the top right corner functions as a shortcut to start creating your next routine.
Feel free to experiment with the various options that Alexa Routines have to offer. The Routine that we created isn’t exactly super useful and is really just to give you a sense of how the creation process works. Where the Routine feature really shines is in its ability to connect your various devices.
With Amazon Alexa compatible devices, you can do things like turn on your lights and adjust the temperature when you say “Alexa Good Morning,” or dim the lights and turn on some relaxing music at a certain time so you can relax as you come home from work.
There are other smart home automation services like IFTTT and Stringify that are a little more complex and offer a lot of utility for devices that don’t work with the Echo.
However, Alexa Routines are a great option for beginners to make their smart devices work together for a more convenient and intelligent home. Enjoy!
Android 12: How To Control Your Screen Using Facial Gestures
Google has baked a new feature inside its Accessibility Settings on Android – Camera switches. The feature is available as part of Android 12 which is set to release to the public in a stable build sometime next month. Camera switches, as the name implies, will let you control your Android phone’s screen using your device’s front camera and your face (yes, you read that right).
In this post, we’ll explain how facial gestures on Android 12 work, how you can set it up and start using it on your Android device.
How do Facial Gestures work on Android 12?
Android will now be able to look for visual keys from your face that it will detect using your phone’s camera and then use that information to perform an action that you assign for the facial expression you made.
In addition to selecting a screen action with your facial expression, Camera switches also let you adjust the gesture sensitivity of your facial expressions. This exists to make sure gestures aren’t triggered at the slightest of your expressions but are sensitive enough to trigger actions when you intend to trigger them.
Facial Gestures on Android can be beneficial for those of you who may find it hard to interact with some touch controls on your phone. It’s also less annoying than voice commands with Google Assistant as you don’t need to shout to your phone in public every time you want to get things done.
Related: How to Customize Material You on Android 12
What all gestures can you use to control your Android device?
During the setup process, you can activate actions that will be assigned based on a handful of expressions that you make with your face. These expressions include:
Open Mouth
Smile
Raise Eyebrows
Look Left
Look Right
Look Up
What actions can you perform using Facial Gestures?
The aforementioned gestures can be used to perform any action that you can otherwise interact on your screen with touch. These include:
Toggling Auto-scan
Reversing auto-scan
Going to the next item
Going to the last item
Selecting an item
Tapping and holding on an item
Scrolling forward
Scrolling backward
Going Home
Going Back
Accessing Notifications
Pulling Down on Quick Settings
Accessing Overview
Pausing the Camera Switches option
Related: How to Use ‘Material You’ Wallpaper Themes on Android 12
How to Set Up Facial Gestures on Android
Before you proceed to enable Facial Gestures on your device, it’s important that you have all that’s necessary to use the feature at the moment. Camera Switches is currently only available for Pixel smartphones running the latest Android 12 Beta 4, which can only be installed by users who have enrolled their devices in the Android 12 Beta program. IN case, you’re not, you’ll have to wait till Google rolls out the official stable build of Android 12 for your Pixel device or until your OEM decides to make it available for your non-Pixel smartphone.
Turn ON Switch Access
Once that’s behind you, you can now get started with turning on Camera Switches on your Android device. For this, open the Settings app on your Android device and select the ‘Accessibility’ option.
Inside Accessibility, tap on ‘Switch Access’.
On the next screen, toggle On the option adjacent to ‘Use Switch access’.
You should now see a new prompt on your screen that asks whether you want Switch access to have full control of your Android phone. Since the new ‘Camera Switches’ feature requires permissions to read the content on your screen as well as the ability to perform actions, you can go ahead and give full control of your device to Switch access. To do that, tap on the ‘Allow’ option inside the prompt.
Since this is the first time you’re setting up Facial Gestures on your Android device, the Switch access setup guide will now open up on its own. The first thing to do here is to choose ‘Camera Switch’ as your desired option when you’re asked to ‘Choose a switch type’. After you select the ‘Camera Switch’ option, tap on ‘Next’ at the bottom.
You will be prompted a box that asks whether or not you want Android Accessibility Suite to take pictures or record video. Inside this prompt, select ‘While using the app’ since the Android system may need access to your Camera time and again to perform facial gestures.
Choose the number of switches
Once that’s done, you will be asked to choose the number of switches on the next screen. This may be a tricky part as you may not be able to decide if you need one switch or two switches to perform facial gestures on your device.
Android recommends that you use two switches so that you can use one gesture to start highlighting an item and another gesture to select it. If you select a single switch, you will have to make do with the same gesture to start highlighting an item as well as selecting an item on the screen.
If you still don’t understand what it means to select the number of switches, it’s best that you stick with Google’s recommendation of ‘Two switches’ (the second option) and then tap on the ‘Next’ button at the bottom. We’re also sticking with the same option for the sake of demonstrating the feature to you.
Select your scan type
Next, you’ll have to select how you wish to move through the actionable items on your screen through your facial expressions.
Choose from any of the following options to select how you want Android to scan through options:
Linear scanning: When you select this option, each of your predefined gestures will move from one item to the other in forward direction. Since you’re moving between items one at a time, it may take a long time to get to your preferred option. This option won’t, however, be active when the keyboard is open on your screen.
Row-column scanning: Selecting this option will first scan a row of items and then move on to the next row. Once you’ve finalized the row which has your preferred item, you can select it and then move through the items in that row to get to your item. This is also applied when you have the keyboard open on your screen. Row-column scanning will work in your favor in screens that have a lot of options to choose from.
Group selection: When this option is selected, Android will assign a color to all the items on your screen and your facial gestures will be used to narrow down which item color you want to select before you choose your preferred item on the screen.
To keep things simple, we’ll choose Linear scanning in this instance and go ahead from there. Once you’ve selected your scanning option, tap on ‘Next’ at the bottom right corner.
Assign gestures for various actions
Once you’ve selected your preferred mode of scanning, it’s time to assign gestures for three actions – Next, Select, and Pause. You can choose from any one of the following gestures to set as default for a specific action – Open mouth, Smile, Raise eyebrows, Look left, Look right, and Look up. Of the six available gestures, you can choose multiple gestures for a certain action and once a gesture has been selected for an action, it won’t be available for selection in the upcoming steps, meaning a gesture you select can only be used for one particular action.
In this instance, we’re selecting the ‘Raise eyebrows’ gesture for the ‘Next’ action and confirming our choice by tapping on the ‘Next’ button at the bottom.
On the next screen, you’ll be asked to choose a facial gesture for the action ‘Select’. Here, you should be able to see that the gesture you selected for the previous action ‘Next’ is greyed out, meaning you can no longer use that gesture for a different action.
Now, choose the gesture you want to use for selecting items on the screen from the list of remaining gestures. We’re selecting the ‘Open mouth’ gesture but you can select your own preferred method and then tap on ‘Next’.
After you assign gestures for the first two actions, you’ll have to select one for the action ‘Pause’ on the next screen. Google recommends that you set a gesture for this ‘Pause’ action as it may help you avoid accidental triggers by letting you assign a gesture that toggles Camera Switches on and off.
On the screen select a gesture to set for the ‘Pause’ action (we selected ‘Smile’) and then tap on Next.
There you go, you’ve successfully set up facial gestures for three basic actions and you can use it to move around your Android device. Once you’ve finished the setup process, you’ll be taken to the ‘Switch Access settings’ screen.
Try out various gestures
On this screen, you can test out various gestures and how sensitive they are to your face by tapping the ‘Try it’ option at the top.
When you do that, a camera preview will be visible above the ‘Use Camera Switches’ toggle. You should also see a blue square icon (the one resembling a face) at the top of your screen. When this square icon is blue in color, it means your face is detectable.
If this icon is red, it means Android cannot detect your face using your front camera.
Now, you can perform a different facial gesture that we mentioned before and check whether your Android device is able to detect them.
Here are some of the successful attempts that we were able to make:
Related: Android 12: How To Search Widgets or Get Recommended Widgets
How to use your phone with Facial Gestures
Add a new action for a gesture or Change the action
On the next screen, select the gesture you want to assign an action to from the ‘Face gesture settings’ section.
When you select a gesture, scroll down on the next screen and select the ‘Edit assignment’ button under ‘Set assignment’.
In the overflow menu that appears, select the action you want to assign for this gesture and then tap on ‘Save’.
Change gesture size and duration
On the next screen, select the gesture whose size and duration you want to customize.
To adjust how big a gesture you’d have to make with your face for a certain expression, drag through the slider under ‘Gesture size’ or tap on either ‘Smaller’ or ‘Bigger’ repeatedly under you reach your desired gesture size.
On the same screen, tap on the ‘Gesture duration’ option to set how long you may want to hold a gesture to trigger it.
In the overflow menu that appears, select your preferred duration from the six available options and then tap on ‘OK’ to confirm.
Add gestures for more actions
Here, select either ‘Assign switches for scanning’ or ‘Assign switches for global actions’ depending on what you want to assign a gesture to.
If you selected ‘Assign switches for scanning’, you’ll be able to assign gestures for ‘Movement & selection’ (actions include Auto-scan, reverse auto-scan, select, next, and previous) and ‘Actions on highlighted item’ (actions include Touch and hold, scroll forwards, and scroll backwards).
If you selected ‘Assign switches for global actions’, you’ll be able to assign gestures for Back, Home, Notifications, Quick Settings, and Overview; all of which will be visible under ‘Global action’.
Once you select an action you want to assign a gesture to, tap on the ‘Add Camera Switches’ option under ‘Assign Camera Switches’.
In the overflow menu, select the gesture you want to assign for this action and tap on ‘Save’.
The assigned gesture will now be visible for this particular action.
Get visual/audio feedback when Facial Gesture is used
When Camera Switches is active, you may not realize if your face is getting scanned or if an action has been triggered unless the screen changes. If you want to get better feedback for your gestures, you can enable visual and audio feedback every time you make a gesture. When you enable these options, you may be able to see an alert that tells you how long you held a gesture and you may also hear a sound when a gesture is triggered.
Scroll down on the next screen and toggle ON the switches adjacent to ‘Enhanced visual feedback’ and ‘Enhanced audio feedback’ under ‘Additional settings for Camera Switches’.
Keep your screen turned ON for Facial Gestures
Since facial gestures require your phone to remain unlocked and active, you may want your screen to stay ON for longer than usual. Camera switches offers a better way to approach this as it lets your phone’s display remain turned on for as long as you lock it so you can use facial gestures at your will.
Here, scroll down on the screen and turn ON the ‘Keep screen on’ toggle under ‘Additional settings for Camera Switches’.
Avoid repeated gestures from getting triggered
Here, scroll down on the screen and tap on ‘Ignore repeated Camera Switch triggers’.
When an overflow menu pops up, enter the number of seconds within which you want your gestures to be counted as a single trigger and then tap on ‘Ok’.
Remove gestures for an action
On this screen, choose either ‘Assign switches for scanning’ or ‘Assign switches for global actions’ from under ‘Assign switches’ depending on which action you want to clear gestures from.
On the next screen, select the action you want to remove a gesture from.
To clear the assigned gesture for this action, tap on the ‘X’ mark adjacent to the gesture you want to remove under ‘Assign Camera Switches’.
You will now see a prompt on the screen asking whether or not you want to clear the assigned switch for the action. Tap on ‘Clear switch’ within the prompt to remove the assigned gesture.
The selected gesture will now be removed from the specified action.
Customize scanning for gestures
From here, you can:
Enable auto-scan so that Android starts highlighting items automatically so you can select them.
Change Scanning Method from Linear scanning, Row-column scanning, and Group selection.
Enable Point Scan to use moving lines to select a specific horizontal and vertical location.
Turn on Automatic Start Scanning so that Android may start scanning without needing to press a switch.
Enable Auto-select to choose a highlighted item automatically.
Change scan highlight color and style
On the next screen, you can change the ‘Highlight color’ of this visual indicator.
Now, choose from Green, Orange, Red, Blue, and White.
Next, you can tap on ‘Highlight line style’.
From here, you will be offered to choose your preferred option between Thin, Medium, and Thick solid lines as your highlight style.
Adjust audio and vibration feedback
On the next screen, you can choose whether or not you want to use Spoken, audio, or vibration feedback, allow speech to finish before highlighting the next item, and volume of the feedback sound.
How to Turn OFF Facial Gestures
On the next screen, toggle off the ‘Use Camera Switches’ option.
The facial gestures you configured earlier will no longer work on your Android device.
Facial Gestures on Android 12: FAQs
While Android’s facial gestures are pretty simple in terms of their action, you may still have your doubts regarding the feature. The following FAQ should help you resolve your doubts about Facial Gestures on Android 12.
Are videos and images captured on my phone sent to Google?
Although Android uses your phone’s front camera to detect your facial expressions, Google has promised that none of the images that are captured from your device are sent to its servers. This means that all the computations that happen to determine your facial gestures take place within your phone without any online help from Google.
Do Facial Gestures affect my battery life?
Since facial gestures require continuous access to your phone’s camera, your device’s battery life will be substantially reduced. Google recommends that you keep your device plugged in and charging when you use facial gestures on it.
Can my phone get slower than usual when using facial gestures?
As we explained above, facial gestures on Android 12 use your phone’s camera as well as its other resources. This may make your device slower than other times when on battery. If you wish to use your device with facial gestures without slowing it down, you can do that while your phone is plugged in and charging.
Can I use the same gesture for multiple actions?
No. Since the same gesture may clash with several actions within Android, the system won’t let you assign multiple actions for a single facial gesture. When you select a gesture under an action, this gesture will remain greyed out when assigning gestures for other actions.
Can I use multiple gestures for the same action?
Yes. Android 12 lets you assign more than one gesture for the same action. This allows you to keep several facial expressions for triggering the same operation on your Android device so that you have different ways to trigger the action when your device isn’t able to detect one of your assigned gestures.
That’s all you need to know about using Facial gestures on Android 12.
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How To Switch From Ios To Android Using Google Drive Backup
Those of you who keep up with the fast-moving world of tech news have probably heard already – Google Drive has a new feature that makes it easier for you to switch over from your iPhone to an Android device.
Smoothing out the migration process from one platform to the other is obviously a crucial part of Apple and Google’s strategy to lure consumers over from their rivals, and this feature is essentially a response to Apple’s Android app that helps you do the reverse.
But how do you actually use Google’s new feature to make the great platform switch? Read on to find out.
The Google Drive MethodFirst, you’ll need to make sure you have the latest version of Google Drive on your iOS device by going to the App Store and downloading it.
By default, Drive will back up all your iOS contacts, calendar events, photos and videos from your iPhone (and iCloud) to your Google Drive account (putting them into Google Contacts, Google Calendar and Google Photos, respectively). If you don’t want one of these categories backed up, just tap it on the screen, then on the next screen tap the blue slider to de-select it for backup.
Once you’ve chosen what you’d like to back up, tap the blue “Start Backup” option on the “Back up with Google Drive” screen. Give Drive permission to access your contacts, calendar and photos, then proceed with the backup.
The process can take several hours, but if you want to pause it and carry on later, just tap “Stop Backup,” and you can return to it at any time. Bear in mind that you can only back up an amount of data that matches the amount of free space you have in Google Drive (which is 15GB, by default).
Once the backup is complete, it’s simply a matter of turning on your Android device and making sure you’re signed into the Google account you backed up your iOS data to.
The Google Pixel MethodRemember that if you have a Google Pixel or Pixel XL, then you don’t need to go through this whole process and can just use the Quick Switch adapter. This comes packed with the phone and lets you transfer your data from an iPhone to your Pixel directly via a cable, saving you a whole load of time!
ConclusionSwitching phones within the Android or iOS ecosystem isn’t too hard these days, but moving from one to the other can feel like an intimidating leap to make. The reality is that with features like this, and Apple’s Move to iOS, it’s a whole lot simpler than you think. It’s crucial to remember that you’re not confined by one platform or another any more and shouldn’t feel trapped by worrying that you might lose your data.
iOS or Android, you owe your platform nothing and are free to switch relatively seamlessly between the two as you see fit. Make the most of it!
Robert Zak
Content Manager at Make Tech Easier. Enjoys Android, Windows, and tinkering with retro console emulation to breaking point.
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How To Move And Control The Mouse Pointer Using Your Mac Keyboard
No matter if you’re designing a newsletter in Pages, putting together a mockup of your blog in Pixelmator, editing a video project in Final Cut Pro, creating a 3D scene, and so forth, at some point, you’ll want to move things around with pixel precision.
How to turn on Mouse Keys1) You can enable Mouse Keys using any of the two ways:
ii) Bring up the Accessibility Options overlay by pressing the Option + Command + F5 key combo. Tip: If you own a MacBook with Touch Bar, triple-press the Touch ID button to pull up Accessibility Options.
You can now customize the following Mouse Keys features:
Use the keyboard to toggle Mouse Keys: Tick the box next to “Press the Option key five times to toggle Mouse Keys” if you’d like to turn Mouse Keys on and off by pressing the Option key five times. Tip: I recommend enabling this because while typing with Mouse Keys on, pressing certain keys like 7, 8, 9, U, O, J, K, and L won’t type those letters but move the mouse pointer. In such situations, you can quickly press the Option key five times to turn off this feature and turn it back on once you finish typing.
Ignore trackpad: If you’d like to disable the trackpad on your Mac when the Mouse Keys feature is enabled, tick the box next to “Ignore built-in trackpad when Mouse Keys is on.”
Initial Delay: Set how quickly the pointer starts moving when you press a key.
Maximum Speed: Set the maximum speed at which the pointer moves.
When Mouse Keys is on, you cannot use the keyboard or numeric keypad to type letters, numbers, or symbols as your keyboard now controls the mouse pointer. To bring back regular typing, turn Mouse Keys off.
How to use Mouse KeysWith Mouse Keys enabled, you can control the mouse pointer using your Mac’s keyboard.
Here’s the full list of Mouse Keys shortcuts for your convenience:
Move the mouse pointer
With a numeric keypad: Use the 7, 8, 9, 4, 6, 1, 2, and 3 keys on the keypad.
With the keyboard: Use the 7, 8, 9, U, O, J, K, and L keys.
With a numeric keypad: Press 5 on the keypad.
With the keyboard: Press I.
Hold the mouse button
With a numeric keypad: Press 0 (zero) on the keypad.
With the keyboard: Press M.
Release the mouse button
With a numeric keypad: Press “.” (period) on the keypad.
With the keyboard: Press “.” (period).
And that’s all when it comes to using the Mouse Keys feature.
I find Mouse Keys a convenient way of moving the pointer whenever high precision is required. I normally use this feature in conjunction with image editors like Pixelmator and Adobe Photoshop when standard alignment guides become a nuisance, but I’m sure you’ll find your own uses for Mouse Keys.
If you like this handy macOS capability, I recommend enabling the option to turn Mouse Keys on and off by pressing the Option key five times in rapid succession (you’ll hear an audible confirmation when the feature is toggled).
What do you think about Mouse Keys? Were you aware that this feature existed? And will you be using it, do you think?
Related tips:
How To Use Alexa With Samsung Tv
There are two ways to use Alexa with your Samsung smart TV. If you have a newer model, your Samsung smart TV will have Alexa built in. But if you have an older Samsung smart TV, you must connect an external Alexa-enabled device to control the TV. This tutorial covers both ways to use Alexa with Samsung TV.
Tip: read on if you’re looking to learn how to set up a smart TV.
How to Connect Alexa-Enabled Amazon Echo Devices to Samsung TVFollow the steps below to connect an Amazon Echo device to your Samsung smart TV. We have divided the steps into different sections for clarity.
1. Set Up Samsung SmartThings App
Download and open the Samsung SmartThings app on your Android or iPhone.
Grant the necessary permissions when asked.
Tap on the “Devices” tab at the bottom and press the Add Device {+) button.
Log in to your Samsung account. Make sure it is the same account used to register your Samsung TV.
Scroll down in the list of devices and tap on “TV” followed by “Samsung.”
Follow the on-screen instructions to set up the TV in the SmartThings app. Make sure your phone and TV are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. If your TV isn’t connecting to Wi-Fi, read this tutorial to learn how to fix it.
Once your Samsung smart TV has been added successfully to the SmartThings app, follow the steps below to connect the Echo device and Samsung Smart TV.
2. Connect Samsung Smart TV to Echo DeviceTip: learn how to fix common Amazon Echo problems.
Assuming that your
Echo device has already been set up
on your smartphone, open the Amazon Alexa app on your Android or iPhone.
Tap on the “Devices” tab. Scroll down to the bottom and tap on “Your Smart Home Skills.”
Tap on “Enable Smart Home Skills.”
Tap on the search icon at the top and enter “smartthings,” then tap on the SmartThings result.
Press the “Enable to use” button, then tap on “Authorize” to give Alexa permission to access your devices.
Tip: learn how to create an Alexa skill without coding experience.
Log in to your Samsung account if asked. The SmartThings account will then be linked to the Alexa app. Tap on “Next.”
The Alexa app will start searching for your Samsung TV. Make sure the TV is on. Once the app finds the TV, tap on “Set Up Device.”
You will be asked to add the device to a group, like your bedroom or living room. Select the preferred group and tap on “Add to group,” or press the “Skip” button if you don’t want to add it to a group.
Your Samsung TV has been successfully added to the Alexa app, and you can control the TV with an Alexa-enabled device.
3. Select Alexa Device to Control Samsung TVIf your Echo device is unable to control your Samsung smart TV, you must choose the Alexa device to link to the Samsung TV in the Alexa app.
Open the Alexa app and tap on the “Devices” tab at the bottom.
Tap on the room where you added the TV, followed by “Samsung TV.” Alternatively, if you didn’t add it to a room, tap on “All Devices” at the top followed by your TV.
Press the “Linked Alexa Devices” option and choose your Alexa device, then tap on “Manage/Link Device.”
If all goes well, a confirmation screen will appear. Tap on “Continue” or follow the steps below to change the name of the TV.
Good to know: Follow this helpful guide to learn how to transfer files from your Android to a smart TV.
4. Change the Name of the Samsung TV in the Alexa AppThe Alexa app will take the default name of your TV, and it can be rather long. If you want to refer to your Samsung TV by an easier name, follow these steps:
Open the Alexa app on your phone.
Tap on the “Devices” tab and go to your TV, listed either inside a group or under “All Devices.”
Tap on the “Edit Name” option under the TV name. Enter a name and press anywhere on the screen to save it.
How to Control a Samsung Smart TV with an Alexa-Enabled DeviceAfter you have linked your Samsung TV and Amazon accounts, you can control them using the following commands. Unfortunately, you can only use basic commands to control Samsung TVs with an Alexa-enabled device.
Alexa, turn on/off [TV name].
Alexa, turn up the volume on [TV name].
Alexa, switch input to HDMI on [TV name].
Alexa, pause the [TV name].
Alexa, play the [TV name].
Tip: learn how to use SamsungDex on yoru smart TV.
How to Use Built-in Alexa on a Samsung Smart TVAs mentioned above, newer Samsung smart TVs ship with Alexa built in. On some Samsung TVs, you have to use the Alexa button on the remote to talk to Alexa. However, some TVs also have a built-in Alexa app so that you can talk to Alexa without even using the remote. The built-in Alexa in both of these scenarios offers numerous commands.
For example, you can ask Alexa to open apps on your TV, search for movies and shows, play music, control the volume, control your smart home devices, check the weather, change the channel, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions Is there a monthly fee to use Alexa with Samsung smart TV?No, you can use Alexa for free to control your Samsung TV and don’t even need amazon Prime. However, data charges will apply, as Alexa uses Wi-Fi.
Can you use Alexa with a non-smart Samsung TV?You cannot use Alexa to control your non-smart Samsung TV directly. But it’s possible if you connect any external streaming device to the TV using its HDMI port.
How can I troubleshoot the situation when Alexa doesn’t work with my Samsung smart TV?If Alexa is unable to control your Samsung smart TV, you should restart both the TV and the Alexa-enabled device. If that doesn’t fix the issue, then try re-pairing the device to the Samsung TV. Additionally, you should make sure both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
All images and screenshots by Mehvish Mushtaq.
Mehvish Mushtaq
Mehvish is a tech lover from Kashmir. With a degree in computer engineering, she’s always been happy to help anyone who finds technology challenging. She’s been writing about technology for over six years, and her favorite topics include how-to guides, explainers, tips and tricks for Android, iOS/iPadOS, Windows, social media, and web apps.
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