How to connect Alexa to television and tips for use

That Alexa is a virtual assistant with countless possibilities is something everyone already knows. What we're going to present in this post is just one of the many services and advantages it offers its users: connecting Alexa to the television . We'll see how it's done and also why this type of connection is so interesting.

Many people may not immediately see the need to connect Alexa to their home TV. However, there are many reasons to do so. For starters, there's the advantage of being able to use Amazon's assistant directly from the TV , without needing a mobile phone or smart speaker.

This connection will allow us to control the TV, change channels, perform searches, adjust the volume, etc., with a simple voice command. In other words, goodbye to the old-fashioned remote control.

But there's much more you can do when you connect Alexa to your TV. A common example: you're watching a movie on TV and suddenly you need to know the name of the actor or actress on screen, or what the weather will be like tomorrow, or the score of your favorite team's game… You can ask Alexa all this and much more using the remote control . The answers to your questions will appear on the screen.

See also: How to set up Alexa to get started

There are two methods , two different ways to connect Alexa to your TV. The first involves using the native apps built into your Smart TV, provided it's compatible with Alexa. The second method involves using devices that can be connected directly to the TV. Let's look at both in detail:

Connection through the native app of the Smart TV

Regardless of the brand of your Smart TV, the connection methods are generally quite similar. However, there may be some minor differences. In any case, the basic method that works in most cases is as follows:

1. First, we open the Alexa application on our iOS or Android device.
2. Then click on the tab "Devices", which usually appears at the bottom of the screen.
3. We select the button (+) to choose the option below «Add device».
4. Once this is done, we scroll down to select TV.
5. We choose the brand of our smart TV.
6. Finally, to complete the configuration process, it only remains to follow the specific instructions of the Alexa application.

Below we explain the steps to follow with smart TVs from some of the best-known brands, each with its own small peculiarities:

LG

Connecting an LG brand smart TV with Alexa is a very simple process:

1. First of all, we go to the app store of our LG TV and look for the alexa apps to install.
2. From mobile phone We log in with our Amazon account, accepting the terms and conditions.
3. Once this is done, it is enough to follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

What you will need is the Magic Remote , which comes with a built-in microphone specifically for this service. It's very easy to use. Just remember to press and hold the button on the remote to speak and transmit the voice command to Alexa.

Samsung

To connect Alexa to the Samsung television at home, we must follow these simple steps:

1. We first download the Samsung SmartThings app.
2. Through this app, we serve the option «Add device» to find our TV.
3. Then we open the Alexa application on our iOS or Android device. Let's go to the menu "Settings" and in Skills, we search for SmartThings to make sure the option is enabled.
4. Now we go to the Alexa home screen and press the tab "Devices", located at the bottom.
5. We click on the (+) button and then on “Add device”.
6. To finish, we scroll down and click on "TV". It only remains to find our Samsung brand Smart TV and select it to complete the connection.

Sony

In the case of having a Sony brand smart TV at home, this is how to proceed:

1. The first step to take is to press Home with the TV remote.
2. In the menu that appears, you have to search for and select the option "Applications" (sometimes it comes as “Your Apps”).
3. Next we go to the option "TV control with smart speakers", if a specific option for Alexa does not already appear directly.
4. Now you have to go to the Alexa app: select first "Settings" & AFTER Skills. There we search and enable the Sony's "TV" option.
5. To end the connection, all that remains is to follow the instructions that will appear on the screen.

Connection via external devices

If your TV doesn't have an Alexa app, you can use Amazon's integration devices, such as the Fire TV Stick Lite or Fire TV Stick 4K. If you decide to use these devices, the first thing you should do is make sure the remote has a microphone for voice commands.

The connection is made by following these steps:

1. To start, you have to open the Alexa app on our iOS or Android device.
2. We click on the (+) button and then on “Add device”.
3. In the search engine, we write «Fire TV”.
4. Finally, we press "link" and wait a few moments for the connection to complete.

See also: Alexa's funniest secret commands

In conclusion, these are the methods we have available to connect Alexa to the television , thus making the most of our experience in front of the screen.