Amazon Alexa

Generally the Alexa app is accessible with the iPhone using VO, but some features are difficult or impossible to use. I cannot manipulate the volume control, and playback controls in the app's mini-platter that appears on the bottom of the iPhone screen when playing music or streaming content. This is not a major problem as long as one can speak to the Echo and successfully direct it to change the volume, pause or skip playback. Other features are also difficult; the new feature to allow one to change the order of news streams in the "Flash Briefing" feature appears not to work at all when using VoiceOver. The "button" that allows dragging items in the flash briefing up and down to change their order is not visible to VO.

The Alexa app needs work to make it easier for everyone to use, it could use a search feature to find items in long lists, such as one's Audible book titles or music tracks.
Still the Amazon Echo is a cool device and the iPhone app is usable if not fully accessible.

Hello,

I have been trying to enter my commute in the Traffic portion of the Settings in the Alexa App, and evidently I'm doing something wrong. Even though I fill in the correct addresses, it inserts other addresses instead of the one I want. Also, I'm not sure how to replace the incorrect addresses. When I double tap the change address button, nothing happens. Nothing happens when I double tap the from and to buttons either. Can anyone explain what I need to do to get this data into the app?

Thanks,

I am using iOS10 and the app is so sluggish with VoiceOver that it's difficult to set up my Echo Dot, or add any new skills. I just wondered if anyone else is having this problem. Otherwise, it appears to be accessible.

Yes, this app is most definitely slow with VoiceOver, and I've experienced a few issues. I'd encourage anyone that uses the app to contact Amazon about the app's accessibility, a device like Amazon echo opens up so many opportunities, if the app is fully accessible and fully usable, then we can do a lot more. I've got the Amazon echo dot, got it on Sunday, and so far, it has opened up a lot of possible opportunities, I do recommend trying the magic door skill, plenty of fun if you like adventure games.

Hi guys,
today i wrote on Twitter with a big programmer which works in the development appartment from Alexa voiceservice and Alexa app. I told him that the Alexa app is accessible but the're also some issues that blind users which uses VO have problems with it. He told me that he's glad to her feedback and asked me could blind users switch to Android, because he heart Talkbakc is also accessible and maybe it would be easier to develop something.
God thanks I could convice him that would be a bad idea. I told him that the expirience from many blind smartphone users with Android are horrible. Many of my friends wants to give Android a chance and bought a Samsung or a HTC phone. After some months they're switched to IOS. He thanks for the feedback and promissed me
that he will give
all
thinks which I
told him his colleges on Monday. He also told me that we don't get worries all issues will be fixed if it's possible.

Hi everyone. I recently obtained this app from the iTunes store, but the app website states that it works on the Mac too. I haven't been able to get the app to actually install on mine though. So I contacted Amazon tech support via email. Their form is completely accessible with VoiceOver, and I received a prompt reply from them indicating that they had received my inquiry. However, the person indicated that since I didn't purchase email service or something I would have to input my phone number and they'd call me to resolve the issue. So I guess I have 2 questions. First, is there a way to tell with VO whether something on Amazon is free or paid? Second, how should I go about installing Reverb?

Hi guys,

yesterday Amazon released an update of the Alexa app. Well, many things have been improved. All labels are now labled and the skillsstore get 100% more accessible with VO and many issues have been fixed.
Thanks to all that has give feedback to Amazon

So, most things seem to be accessible with the app, however, the biggest thing that I can't get to work is installing skills from the main screen. If I go to addd skills and look at the recommended skills I can see them but nothing happens when I double-tap on the particular skill. However, if I then go search for that skill and find it I can then double-tap on it and install it that way. Is that the only work-around for installing skills? Or am I doing something wrong?

I actually got to sample this a bit a few weekends ago, when my father and I were in Southern Illinois with family. A cousin's girlfriend, who is fully sighted, was showing me her Echo and it was pretty cool. Amazon Alexa was pretty responsive on there, and the sound quality seems very good. I think I've found where on Amazon's site to get help with the Mac version of this, so I'm going to try that out. Update: I just called Amazon's accessibility support line and was told that in order for the Mac app to work, I need an Echo. This is different from the information I got elsewhere. Having said that though, I am very pleased with the phone support I got this morning.

The last couple of releases of the App have been extremely laggey, not only for VO users, but also for sighted users. It has almost got to the point of being unusable for me. Also still issues with some of the functions such as marking items completed in lists.
Anybody else having similar issues?

Yes, the app is far from perfect in terms of VoiceOver implementation. I have tried often unsuccessfully to figure out how to cancel a reminder. I can hear all reminders but can't find a way to cancel individual ones. When I attempted to email Customer Support from the "Help and Feedback" menu, the app crashed when I tried to navigate the picker to select the proper category and issue under which to file the report.

Craig

One can configure your Alexa-connected devices either through the iOS app or using a web browser and going to www.alexa.amazon.com. Neither way is perfecft using VO or a screen reader - Some things seem to work easier in the app while others seem to work better through a web browser.

I also find that sometimes buttons or links seem to be unresponsive. Double tapping to activate and item does nothing. To fix this, I find that turning VO off and then on again fixes the problem. I don't know why this is, nor can I reproduce the problem, so its hard to file a bug with Amazon. But this seems to happen in the app quite a bit.

That being said, between the app and the browser methods of configuring Alexa and Alexa Skills, it seems like it is possible to perform most tasks.

BTW, I don't think it is possible to delete an item from a list simply by using voice commands. One has to go into the Alexa configuration through the app or web browser in order to delete items. Maybe Amazon will make it possible to delete items from a list using voice commands some day, but it definitely can't be done that way now. Can't imagine why not, but thats the way it is.

--Pete

so probably a really obvious question but I haven't been able to work this out from the description, is this app a companion to the alexa hardware? or is it a software version of alexa that can do everything the hardware on the echo can do, or is it really only intended for use in conjunction with an echo.

The Alexa app is mostly for configuring Amazon devices that use Alexa. although some configurations can be done through voice commands, many must be made through the app or through the web interface www.alexa.amazon.com.

I believe the app can also do some of the things that an echo device can do, but not sure.

--Pete

I recently downloaded the Alexa app but I’m unable to use voice control feature as it keeps saying I’m having trouble understanding please try again a bit later. I’ve given permission for Alexa to use my microphone and location, I’ve also tried uninstalling and reinstalling the app several times and the same thing happens. I’m connected to Wi-Fi, using the latest version of iOS on an iPhone 8. Can anybody help me please?

thank you in advance.

Seems like when I hit the ask alexa button, it's hearing me and the iphone's own voiceover- making alexa go "Hmmm, I'm not sure" 9 out of 10 times. The only way I can use that button successfully is to get to it, turn speech off, then double tap and hoping I'm still on the button.
Does anyone have a better solution to this?

There is a perfect solution. All we need to do is get Amazon to finally take accessibility seriously and update each and every one of their apps to work fully and completely with the iPhones accessibility API’s. Sadly though I don’t think this is going to happen in a big hurry, they seem far too interested in avoiding tax, under paying their employees and generally treating them as modern day slaves. Apologies for the sarcasm but what I am trying to say is Amazon will only fix these issues when it becomes public ally embarrassing to leave them broken. They have just raised their minimum wage to $15 in the US after an outcry so maybe now would be a good time to expose their disinterest in accessibility, while they are aware the public eye is upon them and they are trying to take less P.R. Hits.

Becoming Less AccessibleSadly, the past few versions has made using VoiceOver harder to use and, in some instances, doesn't work. For example, trying to manage your skills is not possible any more.

I just got an Amazon Echo for my birthday, and we set it up today. I've found the companion iOS app to work well with VoiceOver for the most part. However, I just tried selecting a feedback category and some if not most of the selections in both pop-up menus don't work right. But regarding the Echo itself, I'm super impressed. I'm wondering if most or all of these settings and other things in the iOS app can be controlled by voice? Oddly enough, the email account I registered with Amazon was suspended or something. It's the email account for my most recent job, and I left that job mainly due to not being given enough responsibilities.

Ok now I wonder how many folks reading this page with Voiceover were caught out by that subject line and how many echos there are out there saying something along the lines of: 'sorry, I don't know that one!'

So first off @ekaj just a piece of advice: never use a work email account for something not related to work, except if you have to occasionally. So stuff like Amazon Echo should be off the table. it may be contrary to the IT policy in some workplaces, and depending on where you are your work emails will attract all sortts of legislative consequences your personal ones won't.

Back to the plot, I've noticed that certain parts of the app can be a bit clunky. I've always thought this up to a point. the effect of updates seems to be to change the bits of the app that cause difficulty.

I noticed something earlier today when I was playing around with my Echo. It appears that several accessibility enhancements have been made to the companion iOS app. I'm kinda surprised I didn't get a notification about this update, but perhaps it was done in the cloud without my knowing. But in any case, I was able to change some settings with no problem. These devices are really sweet. The language can even be changed on mine for instance, which I found out on Friday when one of my tutors was here. Those of you who haven't done this should be aware that you will get a message about some features and/or skills not being available in your country if her language/dialect is changed.

what sucks for me is when i go into settings, alexa account, pick my echo device that shows online and when i go to voice profiles or recognized voices app always says oops something went wrong need help with voice profiles this is frustrating
i use an iPod touch and was able to get to the voice training part a long time ago unless they changed stuff so now you have to use an iPhone mainly for configuring to successfully work.