How to set up Alexa routines for morning and bedtime
A routine lets one phrase or a set time trigger several actions, such as turning on the lights, reading the news and telling you the weather. They are set up in the Alexa app.
Planning your routine
Decide what should start it and what it should do. For example, a morning routine at 7:30 could turn on the hall light, tell you the weather and play the BBC news. A bedtime routine, started by saying "Alexa, goodnight", could turn off lights and plugs and set an alarm.
Creating a routine
- Open the Alexa app and look for Routines. It is usually found under More. Menu names in the Alexa app change from time to time, so if yours looks slightly different, look for the closest wording rather than worrying.
- Tap the + icon to make a new routine.
- Give it a name.
- Choose what starts it. Options include your voice, a time, or a smart-home device.
- Add the actions, such as smart-home controls, news, weather or music.
- Choose which Echo should carry it out.
- Save it.
Testing and changing
Say the phrase out loud and watch what happens. If something is missing, open the routine again, edit and save. You can switch a routine off without deleting it by using the on/off switch next to it.
Common problems
- A routine set for a time will not run if the Echo is offline.
- If a smart plug or light does not respond, check that device is working in the app first. See our guide on a device being unresponsive.
- Two routines with similar phrases may confuse Alexa.
- Check the right Echo is chosen, especially if you have more than one.
- Time zone and daylight saving can cause an hour difference. Check the settings if so.
When to get more help
If a routine fails and you cannot see why, or you want a more complicated one, ask for help. Please do not give someone else your Amazon login to fix it.