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How to Use Alexa to Control DirecTV 

Devices like the Amazon Echo are capable of doing a lot of great things, ranging from controlling your music, reminding you of important things, setting timers, and much more. One nice feature of Alexa devices like the Amazon Echo is the ability to control your television, and it works with several brands. One of these brands is DirecTV. But how do you get Alexa set up to control DirecTV?

To set up your Alexa device with DirecTV, you need to enable the DirecTV skill in your Alexa app by searching in the Skills section of the app for DirecTV. Select it, and choose to enable the skill. Select Finish Setup and let Alexa search for DirecTV. Finally, pick the DirecTV device you want to use.

But are there other ways to set up an Echo device with a DirecTV device? And what do you do if one or both of the websites are not working properly?

How to Use Alexa to Control DirecTV

There are multiple things you need to have before you can use Alexa with your DirecTV. For one, you need to have DirecTV already so you have something to control. Also, you need to have a device that is capable of connecting to DirecTV and using Alexa through it. The compatible devices are limited to Echo devices like the Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show, and other Echo devices. You cannot, unfortunately, use Alexa through a computer or mobile phone to control DirecTV. You also need to sign up for an Amazon.com account to use your Alexa device, much less use it to control DirecTV.

An additional consideration is to make sure that DirecTV and your Alexa device are both connected to the same Wi-Fi connection.

Enable the DirecTV skill by searching in the Alexa app

The best way to get Alexa connected to your DirecTV is to use the Alexa app. You can find the Alexa app on various app stores for both phones and tablets, such as the Google Play Store for many Android devices or App Store for Apple iOS devices. Once it’s downloaded and set up with at least one Echo, you can then get to work on downloading the DirecTV skill.

Open the Alexa app, tap the Menu icon, and then select the Skills section. Once here, select the Search option, and then enter DirecTV. Select the DirecTV skill, and then enable it. Once enabled, you will be made to follow certain prompts, until you are given the option to Finish Setup. Allow your Alexa app to search for DirecTV devices (make sure that the device you want to connect to is powered on and connected to your Wi-Fi router). This will take upwards of 20 seconds.

Once the Alexa app has discovered one or more DirecTV devices, select the DirecTV device you want to set up with Alexa, and then choose which Alexa device you would like to control your DirecTV device with.

Enable the DirecTV skill in the Music, Movies & Books section

Another method to find the DirecTV skill is to simply navigate to the Music, Movies & Books section. You can find this by clicking the Menu icon, and then selecting that section. Once you are there, you will be able to find the DirecTV skill. Enable it, and follow the same steps as discussed in the above paragraph.

Enable the DirecTV skill through the Alexa website

While the Alexa app is the typical method to connect Alexa to your DirecTV account, it is not the only method you can use to do it. You can access the Alexa website on your desktop or laptop computer, which works essentially the same as the Alexa app. Once you have enabled the DirecTV skill through the Alexa website, follow the same instructions and prompts that come up after the first method. You can also download the DirecTV skill through Amazon.com’s website.

Enable a different Alexa device to work with DirecTV

If you want to use a separate Alexa device to control DirecTV, your Alexa app can set that up for you. You can either set up multiple Echoes at the same time during either of the above-mentioned setup methods, or you can select Set up a DIRECTV Device to set up more Alexa devices with your DirecTV device(s).

Why isn’t Alexa connecting to DirecTV?

There are a variety of reasons why Alexa is not able to connect to DirecTV. One of the most common reasons is due to your Internet connection experiencing difficulties. For example, if your Internet is completely down for the count, your Echo will not be able to do anything with your DirecTV. This is because Alexa can only function when she has access to the Internet, even with simple commands that seem like they would not require an Internet connection. If you try to use Alexa while the Internet is down, she will say something like “I’m having trouble connecting right now.”

The next thing to do would be to check if the issue is with your Alexa device , or if your Internet is the problem. This can be done by testing the Internet on other devices. So, for instance, if your phone or computer is doing fine with the Internet connection, for example, the problem is likely with the Echo itself. However, if the problem appears consistent with these devices, you’ll have to troubleshoot your Wi-Fi router.

The first thing you should try with the troubleshooting process is to unplug the Wi-Fi router from the power source. Wait about 15 seconds, and then plug the router back in. This has the possibility of making the router reset and begin to work properly again. However, another issue is if you recently changed the name of the router or its password. If you did, you need to also update that information on your Echo, using the same method you used to connect it to the Internet.

Steven Carr

Steven is a certified IT professional and gaming enthusiast. He has been working in the tech industry for over 10 years, and specializes in all things Tech-related. When he's not geeking out over the latest hardware or software release, he can be found testing out the latest video game.

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