Users of smart hubs like Alexa and Google Home have long enjoyed being able to use IFTTT to connect and enhance services that aren’t natively connected to each other. For instance, we recently reviewed Leviton switches, which rely on IFTTT to create automations. The upshot of these services working with IFTTT is that you can trigger actions using voice commands. “Alexa, it’s peanut butter and jelly time!” you can yell, and suddenly your lights are all flashing and there’s disco playing. Welp, it was great while it lasted, because on Oct. 31, those voice commands are going to stop working.
Switch to a IFTTT button widget
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The IFTTT integration was maintained by the folks at Alexa, and they notified IFTTT they’re going to stop. If you use the “Say a specific phrase” Amazon Alexa trigger, they’re going to migrate you to the IFTTT button widget trigger, which means if you have a button widget installed on your phone, you could hit it to get the same automations to fire. Which is fine, but we all know it’s not the same as having the power to order your house to do stuff just by yelling into the air.
To switch to a button widget, you’d make sure the IFTTT app is installed on your phone and then add a widget to your homepage. Select IFTTT button, and then you’d use IFTTT to link it to the automation.
Switch to another voice service on IFTTT
Another option, brought to light in a Reddit thread about the issue, was to switch to another voice activation service like VoiceMonkey. It’s an imperfect solution because it’s a paid service (you’re in for at least $2.99 a month), but since it’s a subscription, you’ll get support and some reassurance they’re less likely to roll over and let the service drop. If you go this route, you’d switch the trigger in IFTTT to a webhook, subscribe to VoiceMonkey and add it to IFTTT as a connected service and then add in your new voice triggers.