Notify Me FAQ

Why haven't I received my access code email?

Enabling Notify Me does not trigger the access code email. To receive the access code email, you must launch the skill by saying "Alexa, open Notify Me." If you have enabled account linking (so Notify Me has your email address) and enabled notifications (so Notify Me can send you notifications), Alexa will tell you that an email is on the way.

It should take only a minute or two for the email to arrive. If it appears to be taking too long, please check your SPAM folder. If you still can't find it, please email info@thomptronics.com with a transcript of what Alexa said when you launched the skill.

NOTE: If launching the skill instructs you to visit a website called getnotify.me, you are not using our skill. Instead, you are using the Notify me skill by Plummet. If you are having trouble with that skill, you will have to contact Plummet for support. Despite the fact that Amazon allowed them to use the same skill name as ours, we are not associated with Plummet or their products.

My Echo makes a noise and lights up when it receives notifications. How do I get it to talk?

The way Alexa notifications work is that you hear a chime sound and the Echo's light ring illuminates to let you know you have pending notifications. When you hear the tone or see the light, say "Alexa, what are my notifications" to hear your notifications. You can read more about Amazon's Alexa notification system here.

There is no (current) way to make Alexa blurt out notifications without prompting -- you must ask her why she chimed. Amazon probably designed notifications this way so you are alerted to them even if you are out of the room when they arrive, much like the light on an answering machine lights up to let you know you have messages pending.

If you want a skill that can make Alexa speak out without prompting, check out our Virtual Buttons skill.

Why doesn't Notify Me work with the new Sonos One?

It is up to the hardware manufacturer to provide support for all Alexa features. At the time of this writing, Sonos devices (and likely many other non-Amazon Alexa devices) do not support notifications.

Is there a limit to the number of notifications I can send myself?

Yes. Amazon enforces a per-user limit of 5 notifications in a 5 minute period. If you try to send more than 5 notifications within a 5 minute period, Notify Me ignores your sixth request and returns the following HTTP 429 error:

{

error: "Too many requests",

message: "Amazon enforces a limit of 5 notifications in a 5 minute period. Please wait at least 5 minutes before trying again.

}

About five minutes after you receive the above error you should be able to send notifications again.

Not all systems give you the full error message. The ISY's admin console, for example, only displays the 429 error code ("TCP client request failed [Net Module Rule 50:429]"). Similarly, you must follow IFTTT's instructions to find the HTTP response Notify Me sends its Webhook service.

Why might Notify Me simply stop working?

For obvious reasons, you can't use Notify Me if you disable the skill, disable notifications, or put your device in Do Not Disturb mode. So, if Notify Me stops working for reasons other than overuse (see above notification limit), here are a few things you should look into:

• Check the settings in your Alexa app to ensure your Alexa device is not in Do Not Disturb mode.

• Check the Alexa Account settings in the Alexa app to ensure you have notifications enabled for Notify Me.

• Check the Alexa app to ensure Notify Me is still enabled.

If you discover you have disabled Notify Me, you will need to re-enable it and secure a new access code. Disabling the skill also invalidates the access code such that it cannot be used again. If you intend to use the Notify Me skill after you've disabled it, you must re-enable and relaunch the skill ("Alexa, open Notify Me") to receive your new access code.

Why is Notify Me is sending me unwanted notifications?

This should never happen. If it does, it's likely because some devious prankster got hold of your access code. To fix this, disable and re-enable the Notify Me skill; then launch the skill again and you will be sent a new access code.

I lost my access code. How do I get it back?

If you lose your access code code, simply relaunch the Notify Me skill and ask it to resend your access code.

Is Notify Me available in Germany, France, Italy, or any other non-English territory?

Notify Me is available in all areas that allow English-speaking skills. As of this writing, these locations include the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and India.

Unfortunately, we lack the resources to translate the skill to other languages. As you might know, we don't make any money for developing or maintaining this skill. So, even if all the text was translated for us, someone would have to insert the translations into the code, test the results, manage it through the submission process, and then pay for the additional server usage while also providing ongoing support. As a result, Notify Me is only available in the regions that allow English-speaking skills.

Is notification data kept private?

The api.notifymyecho.com endpoint uses a secure connection and the data sent to it is temporarily stored in a secure log file before being passed on to Amazon who, in turn, sends it to your Echo. These log files are kept for 30 days and then destroyed. Log files are only looked at if a problem is reported by either the user or by our automated systems. Thomptronics has no control over Amazon's Alexa servers, of course.

What if I need more help than this FAQ provides?

Post your question here or email info@thomptronics.com