I was interested in status of Alexa with Wyze for triggers like package, animal/pet & leak sensor so I asked Google AI for an update. This may be of interest to a few here …
When you click the link, you can scroll back up to the top. I asked a few questions.
”for developers, are there limitations on what cam functionality can be linked to Alexa?”
”"Animal/Pet Detection: While many cameras (like Arlo and Tapo) have native AI to detect animals, this is often handled locally or within the manufacturer’s cloud. As of 2026, standard Alexa Routines primarily use “Person” as the specific object trigger; for other labels, users often rely on general motion triggers or manufacturer-specific announcements. "
"Implementation: While there isn’t a standalone Alexa.WaterSensor interface, developers often use virtual switches or custom triggers to enable audible “leak detected” announcements on Echo devices.
"Does Alexa have a roadmap for new functionality in 2026? for Smart Home companies to build towards? in Beta?” Alexa+
*I went on to ask about Alexa+ as ‘recent emails to customers’ show some users are now being ‘forced’ to Alexa+. You can switch back but some routines may not work.
Again, you can scroll back up to seem my earlier questions.*
”Are some Alexa customers now being moved to Alexa+ automatically? (I see customers posting emails of their move…) will they lose their smart home capabilities if their product providers have not recertified? if so, this seems detrimental to Amazon/Alexa reputation? and reputation with their 3rd party partners?Can customers move back? Will some or all of their functionality/routines be lost and need to be rebuilt?”
***Yes.
**This may be putting a lot of work on 3rd party product providers to ‘Alexa+ proof’ their products.*
Is anyone on Alexa+ ?
I have not moved over yet.
It looks like the move may be coming sooner than I had hoped .. for some or perhaps all of us …
I am just fine on Alexa. and will probably move back, when it happens … and then check all of my Alexa routines still work with my Wyze & other devices .. I am taking screenshots now of my routines so I have a basis to work from.
Not I. I primarily use Google Home and talk to Google Assistant via smart speakers or a smart display. That’s how I started with smart home stuff before I ever had any Wyze products, so that’s where most of my automations reside.
I’ve begun using Alexa in the past couple of years but have only two Echos. I do find those useful for things that Google Home doesn’t do (e.g., package announcements from Battery Video Doorbell), and the Echos will occasionally sound notifications prompting me to switch to Alexa+, but I haven’t bitten.
I haven’t ever had any of the Nest Cams. My first Wyze devices were the original Plugs, which I still use. My first Wyze Cam was a Cam Pan v3, and that’s been reliable after several early firmware releases ironed out the Wi-Fi connectivity. That particular Cam hasn’t given me significant problems, like the issue a lot of Cam Pan v3 users report with microSD card recording and video retrieval.
That does seem like a nice convenience feature, but it’s something I haven’t ever used. I do like that my Echo Dot has a thermometer in it, so I can be in one part of the house and ask the Echo Pop about the temperature in the room where the Dot is.
She is much chattier now, and likes to comment on many things. For instance when I start a burger timer for 5 minutes she will quip “that will make a succulent burger–blah blah”. If I set it for 10 minutes I’ve had her bark “be careful, that may be well done”
I’m not impressed with the supposed increase in “inteligence”. I’ve asked some simple questions and the responses have been mediocre.
Actually the biggest difference we have seen is how slow the responses have become. Triggers happen very quickly, ie “Alexa, turn on the living room lights”. Less than a second for the lights to come on. But ask her a question and what used to take a second or two now takes 5-10 seconds. We have had to retrain ourselves to “wait”. I’m not sure if + has been deployed to the thousands of AWS servers or a much smaller subset. This may improve over time.
In fairness I have not tried anything new that only + is supposed to do. On the good side I have not had to fix any of the 20 or so routines we have.
At best I’m OK with the + but I wouldn’t pay extra.
**This may be putting a lot of work on 3rd party product providers to ‘Alexa+ proof’ their products.*
