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In this post, I bring you the definitive Alexa Fire TV cube commands list—a helpful voice control guide for 2020.
I’ve got a brand-new Fire TV Cube sitting in a box on my dresser. Why in God’s name haven’t you opened it yet, you ask? Well, I’m currently working on launching a YouTube channel to go with this blog. This is on my list of “unboxing videos” that I plan to create over the next few weeks, so for now I wait—and I stare.
Unopened Fire TV Cube on My Dresser
BUT! All this waiting and staring has got me thinking about the cool ways I am going to use the Cube to control my TV with Alexa.
So, I started looking for a list of commands. Guess what?
Apart from some very basic instructions on Amazon, I couldn’t find an easy to digest format for Alexa Fire TV commands.
Alexa Fire TV Cube Commands List: A Cheat Sheet Is Born
Wikihow provides a nice overview of how to set up and configure Fire TV, but I really just want a cheat sheet of all the commands.
So, after a bunch of research, I put together this giant cheat sheet. I hope you find it helpful. Here are your Alexa Fire TV commands.
Controlling TV Power and Volume
| To Do This ... | Say This to Alexa ... |
|---|---|
| Turn on the TV | “Alexa, turn on the TV." |
| Turn off the TV | “Alexa, turn the TV off." |
| Turn Up the Volume | Alexa, turn up the volume." |
| Turn Down the Volume | Alexa, turn down the volume." |
| Adjust the Volume | "Alexa, set the volume to 5." |
| Mute | "Alexa, mute my TV." |
| Unmute | "Alexa, unmute my TV." |
Watching Movies and TV Shows
| To Do This... | Say This to Alexa... |
|---|---|
| Watch a Movie | "Alexa, watch Fear the Walking Dead.” (This also powers on the TV if it is off.)" "Alexa, play Umbrella Academy." "Alexa, watch 12 Monkeys on Hulu." “Alexa, show me Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” |
| Watch TV | “Alexa, turn the TV off." "Alexa, go to MTV." "Alexa, watch CNN on Playstation Vue" |
| Open a Streaming Service | "Alexa, open Netflix." "Alexa, open Amazon Prime." |
| Searching for Content | "Alexa, show me Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” “Alexa, show me Science Fiction movies.” “Alexa, show me Michael Caine movies.” "Alexa, show my Watchlist." “Alexa, add this to my Watchlist," "Alexa, search for the Jeopardy app." |
Changing Channels
| To Do This ... | Say This to Alexa ... |
|---|---|
| Go To a Specific Cable TV Channel | "Alexa, watch NBC." "Alexa, watch CNN." "Alexa, watch SciFi." |
| Go to a Specific Channel on a Service | "Alexa, watch CNN on PlayStation Vue." Alexa, watch ESPN on Hulu." "Alexa, watch HBO on Prime Video." |
Controlling Playback
| To Do This ... | Say This to Alexa ... |
|---|---|
| Play / Pause /Stop Playback | "Alexa, Play/Unpause/Resume." "Alexa, Pause." "Alexa, Stop." |
| Rewind and Fast Forward | "Alexa, Rewind 30 seconds." "Alexa, go Back 50 seconds." "Alexa, go Forward two minutes." "Alexa, skip Forward 20 minutes." |
| Go Back to Start | "Alexa, watch this from the beginning." |
| Skip to Next Episode | "Alexa, skip to next episode." |
Switch Inputs and Devices
| To Do This ... | Say This to Alexa ... |
|---|---|
| Switch Inputs | "Alexa, switch to HDMI 3." "Alexa, switch to HDMI 1." |
| Go to a Specific Device | “Alexa, switch to Blue Ray Player." "Alexa, switch to Cable." "Alexa, switch to Apple TV." "Alexa, switch to Roku." |
Playing Music Games and More
| To Do This ... | Say This to Alexa ... |
|---|---|
| Play Music | “Alexa, play Too Legit to Quit." “Alexa, play How to Save Life Radio on Pandora.” “Alexa, play songs by Lincoln Park.” "Alexa, play steel drum music.” |
| Play Games | "Alexa, open Xbox One." "Alexa, play Jeopardy." ." |
| Go to Home Screen | "Alexa, go home." |
Netflix Commands
| To Do This ... | Say This to Alexa ... |
|---|---|
| Open Netflix | "Alexa, turn on Netflix." |
| Open Apple TV | "Alexa, turn on Apple TV." |
| Open Roku | "Alexa, turn on Roku." |
| Open Disney+ | "Alexa, turn on Disney+." |
Prerequisites
Of course, all of the commands in the Alexa Fire TV Cube commands list assume you are using Alexa as your wake word. If you changed the wake word you will need to substitute it above. Really? Yup.
In addition, the following is also required in order for this to work. So, you’ll need to have this stuff done at a minimum:
- You’ll need a compatible Alexa device. Here is a partial list: Echo Show 2nd Generation, Echo Show 1st Generation, Echo Show 5, Echo Dot, Amazon Echo, Echo Plus, and Echo Spot.
- You’ll need to make sure your Fire TV device is properly set up and configured. This includes linking your Fire TV in the Alexa app. To link your Alexa and Fire TV, they must be registered to the same Amazon account.
- If you want to turn your TV off and on using a Fire TV Stick, you’ll need a Smart TV that has HDMI-CEC endabled for Fire TVs (see below).
FAQS
Q: I am having issues with getting Alexa to pause on Netflix. Any advice?
A: First, if you’re using an Echo device, make sure it’s linked to the Fire TV device through the Alexa app.
- Go to the menu and select Music, Video, & Books.
- Select Fire TV.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
- Select Link Devices to confirm your selection.
Q: I am trying to set up my Fire TV Cube but my screen is blank. What should I do?
A: You should first make sure you have it set up for the correct input. Amazon also has some additional troubleshooting advice here.
Q: What should I do if Alexa lights up but doesn’t respond to Fire TV Cube commands?
A: Amazon recommends that you do the following (solution is taken from Amazon support):
If the device doesn’t light up:
- Check that your device is positioned to hear you.
- Check if the device has power.
If the device lights up, but Alexa doesn’t respond:
- Review the voice history in the Alexa app.
- Say, “I can’t hear you.” Alexa then routes responses to Fire TV Cube instead of the powered off TV or soundbar.
Q: What should I do if my TV equipment isn’t responding to voice commands?
A: This is a common issue. Thankfully, Amazon has released a video addressing the problem. Here is the quick 30-second fix:
Q: What should I do if my Fire TV Cube response time is sluggish?
A: Make sure you have the latest firmware upgrade. Tom’s Guide does a great job of walking you through updating the Fire TV Cube step-by-step. Check it out here.
Don’t’ Have Fire TV Cube Yet?
Don’t have a Fire TV Cube yet? A recent report by Parks Associates shows streaming media players are super-hot, and Fire TV is poised to overtake Roku in the near future. According to the report as cited by Cord Cutters, Amazon Fire TV’s market share grew to 25% from 16% in 2016.
So what are you waiting for?
While my Fire TV Cube is still in the box, I have been using a friend’s Cube for months. And it’s awesome. You get more commands and better control with Alexa than you get with the stick or other products. This is what I recommend you get if you want to control your Smart TV using Alexa.
You see check the pricing on the latest Fire TV Cube (2nd Generation) over at Amazon here.
ModernDad provides a nice video overview on YouTube. [Thanks, man.] I’ll embed his video below.
Alexa Fire TV Cube Commands List: Your Turn
I hope you found my list of Alexa Fire TV Cube commands and examples helpful.
Do you already own Fire TV? If so, which product do you own? Have you been controlling your Fire TV with Alexa?
Please leave us a quick comment below.
Also, if you liked this post, would you mind sharing it using any of the social media buttons on this page? Thank you for your support!
You Might Also Like
If you enjoyed this Alexa Fire TV Cube commands List, you might also like some of our other articles. I’ll list a few of them here.
- 7 Best Remotes for Fire TV [Amazon Fire TV Stick, Stick 4K & Cube]
- Fire TV Cube 1st Gen vs 2nd Gen: Which Amazon Cube is Hotter?
- 7 Best Universal Remotes with Voice Control
- Harmony Express Review: Logitech’s New Remote Puts Alexa in Control
- Fire TV Cube Specs: 2019 Hardware Specifications & Compatibility Guide
- Netflix Supports Deep Voice Controls on Fire TV Devices [AFTNews.com]
- Logitech Harmony Alexa Commands [Complete List for 2020]
About the Author
Tim Brennan, Technical Writer, and Smart Home Enthusiast
Tim Brennan (a.k.a. “Tec Timmy”) is a senior technical writer and serial entrepreneur, currently spending his nights and weekends blogging about all things technology. His primary areas of interest include smart homes, smart speakers, and universal remote controls like Logitech Harmony and Fire TV. When he is not writing about voice control TV remotes, he is a father of two, gadget nerd, Star Wars nut, and loves a good taco. He might have a little crush on Alexa. Brennan is a blogger at oneSmartcrib.com and a regular contributor to UniveralRemoteReviews.com. He holds a B.A. in Journalism from Northeastern University. For more than two decades, Brennan has worked as a technical writer in the Greater Boston area for organizations that have included General Electric, Liberty Mutual, Biogen, and MIT.
Comments
No list, just this
Controlling TV Power and Volume
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Oh my goodness! Thank you SO much for alerting me to this Jeff. There was an issue with the WordPress plug-in that was displaying the tables. Should be back up and good to go now. Sorry for the inconvenience, and thanks again!
Tec Timmy
How do you go across like one option.
If there are four tabs on the top of a streaming service how do I go across one by one as when I say Alexa scroll right she goes to the end of the page rather than the next option to select. I am paralysed so I was hoping this would enable to fully use my tv and all streaming services. I currently use Logitech Harmony however still haven’t managed to fully understand that yet either.
Hi Diesel, Sorry you are experiencing trouble navigating with your FireTV cube. “Alexa, Scroll right” should display additional items in that row. You can also try “Alexa Show More.” If you continue having problems, I suggest contacting Amazon, as it sounds like there may be something up with your device. If you have specific questions about Harmony remotes bring them on. 🙂
Best,
Tec Timmy
How dou you get it to open an app properly. I have tried trying open and launch neither work just open items on it not the app I’m at a loss?
Hi Steven,
You basically need to navigate to the app you want the cube to open. This article explains how.
Cheers,
Tec Timmy