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Remote Fire TV Cube Support

By:  Frank Engelman   |  Posted: August 24, 2020   |  Updated: May 11, 2023

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The Problem to be Solved

Mother's Fire TV Cube "Not Working"

Mother’s Fire TV Cube “Not Working”

The Amazon Fire TV Cube that you set up for your mother, who lives in another state, is sometimes hard for her to use. You wish that you had a way to give her remote help on its usage, other than trying to explain it over the phone.

View the problem

Solution Details

 

 

Use a Remote Alexa Device to Control your Parent’s Fire TV Cube

Amazon Fire TV allows the use of an Echo device such as an Echo Dot to be “Linked” to a Fire TV Cube so that you can control it from the Echo Dot.

While this feature was designed to be a “chair-side” device control of your far-away Fire TV cube, it can also be used at a location outside of the home.

Add an Echo Dot at YOUR house to your MOM’S Amazon account. Please note that you can speak any commands that you would if your were at the Fire TV Cube.

 

Here is a YouTube video of it working

 

 

 

Instructions

Setup an Echo Dot in YOUR home using your smartphone

  • Use your Mom’s Amazon account
  • Join it to YOUR Wi-Fi network and complete the setup
  • Tap the top left 3 bars
  • Tap Settings
  • Scroll to TV & Video and tap it
  • Tap Fire TV
  • Tap “manage devices”
  • Tap HER Fire TV and continue
  • Tap the device you want to link to HER Fire TV
  • Tap Link Devices
  • Tap Return to Fire TV
  • Tap the “Blue Circle” to exit

 

You will now be able to speak commands to the Echo Dot within your home and have them control your Mom’s Fire TV Cube. I suggest you change the wake word on this Echo Dot so that your normal Alexa commands aren’t picked up

I suggest you test this by talking to your Mom on the phone and showing her that the commands work. If she is not able to use it at all, e.g., she has limited cognitive abilities; you might consider just setting it up to play background relaxing 8-12 hour videos.

If her TV supports CEC, or the Fire TV Cube is positioned properly for IR control of the TV, you can even have an Alexa routine turn on/off the TV ar hours appropriate for her.

 

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Author

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Frank Engelman

Retired Intel Engineer wanting to share DIY technology tips for the children of parents wanting to remain living independently. I like posting ideas and answering technical questions. If a product or software has an issue making it hard for seniors to use, I try to offer workarounds and also try to contact the manufacturer for solutions. I write a column for this website in the Innovation- Homebrew Solutions & Ideas section

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