Automatically display Ring Camera on Echo Show when motion detected

You actually can.

Go-to your Alexa app.

Navigate to the section to create a routine.(I assume you know how to create a routine).

Click the + and then name the routine.

Click when this happens + and select smart home.

Checkmark the camera you want to use for a trigger.

Select motion as the trigger.

Then select next.

Crate a action

Then select “Alexa says” and enter something like “there’s someone at the front door”. (You must do this to get the echo show to appear as a device that you can select for the video feed to display on)

Select add another action.

Scroll all the way to the bottom of

The actions list. The very last option is custom. Click custom and enter the instructions your normally use vocally with Alexa to show the camera. I used “show the front door”.

Finally select the device (at the very bottom of the page) you want to display the camera on.

That’s pretty much it.

‎11-06-2020 05:49 PM

You actually can.

Go-to your Alexa app.

Navigate to the section to create a routine.(I assume you know how to create a routine).

Click the + and then name the routine.

Click when this happens + and select smart home.

Checkmark the camera you want to use for a trigger.

Select motion as the trigger.

Then select next.

Crate a action

Then select “Alexa says” and enter something like “there’s someone at the front door”. (You must do this to get the echo show to appear as a device that you can select for the video feed to display on)

Select add another action.

Scroll all the way to the bottom of

The actions list. The very last option is custom. Click custom and enter the instructions your normally use vocally with Alexa to show the camera. I used “show the front door”.

Finally select the device (at the very bottom of the page) you want to display the camera on.

That’s pretty much it.

Here’s an example

https://alexa.amazon.com/spa/routines/shared.html#v2/behaviors/sharedRoutine?behaviorId=Wui4bJVxSYqmhD1A6wcJOg&routineType=shared

@Jasonronzio

I am sure your routine works however I have the same problem as with the previous review posted.

I don’t have custom on my list in any of my apps, android or iOS. Also your link only opens the Amazon instruction page for shared routines.

Are you in the UK as I have a suspicion that the custom option is only available in the USA.

“The actions list. The very last option is custom. Click custom and enter the instructions your normally use vocally with Alexa to show the camera. I used “show the front door”.”

Yes, Ring & Alexa development teams, please add this useful functionality to the Echo show devices I have two Spotlight Cams & two Echo Show 5’s and I, like others here, assumed that the Show would automatically display live feed when the camera detects motion.

Thanking you in advance for your attention to this request.

@RobDownesUK wrote:
I have a Ring Spotlight Camera (not doorbell) and an Echo Show 5 with latest firmware/updates. I would like the Echo Show to automatically display live view when the camera detects motion.

I assumed this feature existed already as this can be achieved with the ring doorbell but when I posted a “how do I do this?” query, a Community Manager confirmed this is not possible and suggested I register a feature request.

I agree with Bob1234 and share the suspicion that the custom option is only available in the USA (or, at least, it’s not available in UK).

I first thought it might be a discrepancy in capability between Android and iOS but somebody here went to the trouble of proving the Customise option was available in their region on both.

I have latest software and firmware on all devices and the customise option is definitely still not available.

Shame as this would have been a reasonable work around … but it would be even better if manufacturers could expose this feature properly !

Yes if I am right it would be easier if either Amazon or Ring admitted it if it is a country problem. I tried to use a VPN to try and download the USA version but it did not let me, so can’t prove it myself.

yes, please add the ability to show “live view” when motion is detected.

@flyfish, i set up the routine per your instructions and it works great. thanks for sharing & for the very detailed instructions!

@snowesq

Can you let me know if you are in the UK as I am trying to find out if “custom” is available in the UK.

It’s possible, using routines…

To show camera on motion…

  1. Create a routine that triggers based on camera motion being detected.

  2. Choose a custom action and type “Show me the (camera name)”.

To hide a camera being displayed after some time…

  1. Create a routine that triggers based on camera motion being detected.

  2. Set a wait action for the amount of time the camera should display when motion is detected.

  3. Add a custom action and type “Hide (camera name)”.

This is not ideal because it requires two actions for each camera for each device. IE: I have 3 Echo shows and 2 cameras, so that’s 12 total routines.

Ideally there would simply be a toggle, just like there is for announcing the motion events.

@Deron

Unfortunately that will not work in the UK as Amazon/Ring think the USA is all there is and don’t make the “custom” option available in the UK.

I have emailed the CEOs of Amazon and Vine reminding them the UK exists and have customers that would quite like the devices they sell to work

The other problem is when you show the device the sound is on and I get a giant feedback loop in about 10seconds which is not desierable AT ALL. Any way to mute the sound when you bring the device up?

Many thanks worked 1st time!

How did you get the echo device to announce motion ?

I have been unable to even get that to work :frowning:

I’ve installed, uninstalled, reinstalled Alexa and Ring countless times.

Toggled all the notification options on and off and on again.

Added, removed and readded the ring skill.

Nothing works.

The only thing I can get Alexa to do is show the live view from the doorbell camera or the floodlight camera if I ask.

Basically, it seems like Alexa is not actually recieving any alerts/notifications from Ring.

p.s. if there is a way to get the live view with the audio OFF that would be great!

Still no response from Ring/Amazon about the custom option in routines.
I wonder if there is anyone there.
I still think the options are available in the USA but they will not even confirm that.

Legendary. Thank you.

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This is the reason I bought an Echo Show, such an obvious feature that should be available, shocked it isn’t

Hi, I think I’ve sorted it out in the UK. One routine to activate the alert and show the cam footage on the Echo Show and then a second alert with a 2 minute wait to return to the Home Screen. I’ve set it up on IOS Alexa app.
Have you managed to sort it yet?

These routines work to show video on my devices when motion occurs, then wait and stop after a minute. How do I resume the previous activity though?

For Example. At night I have Alexa play ambient noise, heavy rain. Motion is detected and the routines show the Front Door camera on my device group. After a minute the stop routing runs. My ambient noise does not resume. Maybe I’m listening to music, radio, or Alexa is reading me a book. I want my previous activity to resume where I was. …not just stop cold because there was motion. Is there a way to resume the activity that was running before the 1st routine which started the video?

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Works like a charm on iOS.

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