Notifications broken with recent updates

[rtho782]

Describe the bug

Recent versions have broken previously working doorbell notifications. I have tried recreating the automation action, but no sound is played from any device.

To Reproduce

Have an automation that includes a notification:

alias: Doorbell announcement
description: ""
triggers:

• type: occupied
  device_id: b8bbf005cb31eccca417c1cb2e4fb674
  entity_id: 8539fc0da13e64704c1f7a6055f0aa19
  domain: binary_sensor
  trigger: device
  conditions: []
  actions:
• action: notify.alexa_media_everywhere
  metadata: {}
  data:
  message: There's somebody at the door
  mode: single

Expected behavior

The message should play through all Echos

System details

• Home Assistant version: 2024.12.5
• alexa_media version: 5.1.0
• alexapy version : 1.29.5
• Is Amazon [2FA/2SV enabled] (y/n): y
• Amazon Domain: amazon.co.uk

Debug Logs (alexa_media & alexapy)
home-assistant_alexa_media_2024-12-20T14-17-47.058Z.log

Additional context

Not much else to say, I have looked through the various examples but I can't make anything play.

[danielbrunt57]

If you say "Alexa, play music everywhere", does that work?
There's another issue posted about the same issue so I think this is a duplicate. That aside, after reading the other issue I had a look to see if I had notify.alexa_media_everywhere and I did not. But I'd never used everywhere so googled a bit, poked around in the app and found nothing about everywhere. Then for WTH, I said "Alexa, play SiriusXM everywhere" and she did. I happily listened to Country Christmas as I work on new laminate in my kitchen. Then I went to watch TV and my ambient TV lighting did not turn on. Restarted the Pi3B+, still could not turn it on in HA. Restarted HyperHDR integration which indignantly told me I had to restart HA, which I did. A little later I was thinking and checked HA Dev Tools for notify.alexa_media_everywhere and I now have that service...

[rtho782]

Yes, I can play things everywhere by interacting with alexa through voice (e.g. radio stations). There is a speaker group named everywhere in the AMP config.

I did try to look for other similar issues before posting but possibly I am blind! Will look again.

[danielbrunt57]

I also now see media_player.everywhere...

But you don't see the notify counterpart??
I'll have another look in your debug log in the morning on my desktop. Totally not doable on my phone!!!

[rtho782]

I see the notify component, that's what I'm using in the automation:

It just doesn't work!! :D

[danielbrunt57]

Ah, got it. I never tried using it! Ok, my curiosity is piqued....pausing TV and getting off the couch to go check...

[rtho782]

I've since realised the obvious and set up individual actions to send a notification to each echo, which works for now, so it's now a minor issue from my perspective!!

Happy to assist in any way I can with logs etc?

[danielbrunt57]

I tried notify using TTS and got silence. Reviewed the wiki as I'd remembered something about WHA and found this:

TTS - This is the older media_player.alexa_tts functionality. Alexa will speak using Alexa's Simon says skill and will not sync between devices. This does not work with an Alexa Whole House Audio group (WHA). This does allow messages to phone apps which the Announce function does not. Canned_TTS can be sent as of 2.8.0 (e.g., alexa.cannedtts.speak.curatedtts-category-goodmorning/alexa.cannedtts.speak.curatedtts-random)
Announce - This functionality will result in a beep prior to speaking. It can also allow display on Echo Shows/Spots (currently untested). WHA groups are supported. Unfortunately, it does not appear to sync across devices.

"Everywhere" would be the WHA "Alexa Whole House Audio group". I changed type: tts to type: announce and I did hear the kitchen echo say "testing" but my office left & office right (paired), living room left & living room right (paired) and echo (in the living room at the moment) were silent. No idea about garage or bedroom pair. I then said "Alexa, play SiriusXM everywhere" and the house was alive with music! But at 3 am I immediately said "Alexa, cancel"!

I see nothing out of the ordinary in my logs. I suspect it's Amazon falling down on the job (yet again?)???
The integration performs amazing trickery, deception and feats of magic but only when Amazon cooperates!

It looks like WHA can only (reliably) be used for music.

PS - Yes, I like "stereo"!

[danielbrunt57]

It looks like WHA can only (reliably) be used for music.

And that's probably due to code changes within Amazon as they are constantly tinkering and revising what the app does or does not do...

[rtho782]

So, it did work for me, up until HA did that update that broke AMP a couple of months back, then when AMP updated, it had stopped working. That was why I assumed it was changes AMP side, but it sounds like not!

I am not too fussed by just addressing them individually (sync doesn't need to be perfect, they are different rooms) so happy to close then :)

[danielbrunt57]

I tried creating a routine: when I say - "announce visitor" but the "everywhere" group was not an option for it to speak via.

I was able though to create a routine based on a smart home device change though.
I wasn't picky and just selected the first HA device "Air Pump", state "closes".
My test routine in Alexa looks like this:

You could trigger that Alexa routine based on an appropriate entity state in HA that's exposed to Alexa.
I did not test it any further than that but it might be a good alternative to hard coding individual Alexa devices in HA?

[danielbrunt57]

The HA entity could be something like binary_sensor.announce_front_door, which you'd have to toggle on, delay a second, and then toggle back `off'.

[rtho782]

That could be perfect actually, I will have a go, thanks!

Honestly as soon as Nabu Casa get hardware as good as echo out, I will burn all my amazon devices :D