by While linking Amazon Alexa to IFTTT was quite handy for setting up voice-activated routines or actions you could do with Alexa, that experience is soon to come to an end.
The IFTTT (If This, Then That) team announced on their blog that they are discontinuing their integration with Amazon Alexa. This implies that unless you put in place certain workarounds that would allow you to maintain a routine, any routines you set up for Alexa using the IFTTT service will no longer function.
If you’ve built up routines to start when you say a certain word or ask a certain question, that’s the most evident loss here. A routine that you set up using IFTTT, for instance, to start when you ask Alexa, “What’s on my shopping list?” will need to be converted to a button action in the app. Then, to initiate the same procedure, you would simply press a button on your watch or smartphone.
Although it looks like iPhone users may be able to perform the same processes using Siri speech integrations, they will still need to modify the routine. According to the IFTTT website, “If you’re an iPhone user, the IFTTT Shortcuts service is a great way to trigger your Applets using voice using Siri.” In this scenario, adding an iOS shortcut and removing the Alexa trigger are required.
If you don’t take the time to update other Alexa routines with button functionality, like those that are activated by adding ingredients to a shopping list or any other “trigger” that doesn’t involve a direct “Say a specific phrase” Amazon Alexa trigger, they will be archived and cease to function.
All of the changes take place on Halloween. The integration ends on October 31 and, if you don’t update them before then, they are archived on November 1. The blog post announcement includes instructions on how to maintain your integrations.
