Alexa Voice Commands

Amazon's "Alexa Voice Service" gives users the ability to control Plex in a variety of ways using just your voice. In this article we'll cover multiple ways you can speak to Alexa as you explore discovery, suggestions, playback, and more. 

Related Page: Getting Started with Alexa Voice Control

Initiating Voice Commands

How you talk with Alexa can vary by device. On the Amazon Fire TV and Echo Tap, simply tap and hold the Talk button on the remote and say your command starting with Ask Plex... or Open Plex. The Amazon Echo, and Echo Dot devices work slightly differently because they are always listening and require an extra command to let them know you are talking to Alexa. On those devices, say Alexa, Ask Plex... or Alexa, Open Plex.

Alexa is pretty smart and you'll find that she understands commands spoken in several different ways. Here are just a few examples of phrases that can be used interchangeably:

• Ask Plex and Tell Plex
• Play and Put on
• Recommend and Suggest
• Change and Switch
• What is and What's
• Let us and Let's
• TV show and Show
• Hear and Listen

Tip!: Want to get out of whatever Alexa is doing? Just say Alexa, cancel and Alexa will do so.

Note: When controlling another player, you'll need to ensure that Plex app is already running. For instance, if you want to control your Roku app, then Plex needs to be running/active on the Roku.

Common Voice Commands

You can get started with some simple voice commands:

• Ask Plex what's On Deck?
• Ask Plex to suggest something to watch
• Ask Plex what's new?
• Tell Plex to play The Big Lebowski
• Tell Plex to play music by Bob Marley
• Tell Plex to pause
• Tell Plex to stop

Changing the Plex Media Server

To set or change the Plex Media Server to use with Alexa, say:

• Ask Plex to change my server

Alexa will give you a list of servers associated with your Plex account. Choose the desired entry from the list. Alternatively, you can tell Alexa to directly set or change the Plex Media Server using the friendly name of the server and save the additional voice prompt. Just say:

• Ask Plex to change my server to Mothership

Changing the Plex Player

To set or change the Plex player app you would like to use with Alexa, say:

• Ask Plex to change my player

Alexa will give you a list of the available players and you can choose the desired entry from the list. Similarly, you can tell Alexa to directly set or change the player using the name of the player and save the additional voice prompt. Just say:

• Ask Plex to change my player to Living Room TV

Discovery & Suggestions

Talking with Alexa can be fun and informative. If you're not sure what to watch or listen to, Alexa can tell you what's On Deck or what has been Recently Added for your current server.  Alexa can also provide you with suggestions for TV Shows, Movies, and Music.

Continue Watching

Want to quickly pick up where you left off in your movie or TV show? Try saying: Ask Plex...

• What can I continue watching?
• What's on continue watching?
• What's on my continue watching list?
• What was I in the middle of?
• What movie was I in the middle of?
• What show was I in the middle of?

On Deck

Find out what TV shows are On Deck by saying: Ask Plex...

• What's On Deck?
• Tell me what's on deck
• What's up?

Recently Added

Have Alexa tell you what media has been recently added by saying: Ask Plex...

• What's been recently added?
• What was recently added?
• Recently added
• What's new?

General Suggestions

Not sure what to watch?  Alexa can understand a variety of voice commands for suggestions. Say: Ask Plex...

• Can you suggest something?
• Can you recommend something?
• What's good?
• Give me a suggestion
• Suggest something to watch
• Recommend me something
• Hook me up

Movie & TV Show Recommendations

Want to watch a movie or TV show but not sure which one? Try these voice commands: Ask Plex...

• What should I watch?
• Suggest something to watch
• Recommend something to watch
• I don't know what to watch
• I'm not sure what to watch
• Put on something to watch
• Suggest a movie to watch
• Put on a movie
• Suggest a show to watch
• Recommend a tv show
• I want to watch a movie
• I want to watch a show

Music Recommendations

Alexa can give you suggestions for music by saying: Ask Plex...

• What should I listen to?
• Suggest something to listen to
• Suggest some music
• Put on some music
• Play some music
• I want to hear some music
• Give me something to listen to

Talk to Alexa in style using these additional voice commands: Ask Plex to...

• Let's get this party started
• Throw down some phat beats
• Drop the beat

Playing Media

Alexa can play movies, TV shows, and music on your current player, just by asking.

Media Playback

Starting playback of a movie or TV Show can be done in a variety of ways: Ask Plex...

• Play The Dark Knight
• Start Westworld
• Let's watch The Grand Budapest Hotel
• I would like to watch Back To The Future

Do you have multiple players? You can specify which player you want to use for playing back any kind of media by adding it to the end of your voice command. Here are some examples: Ask Plex to...

• Play Monsters Inc. on Roku
• Start The Little Mermaid on Family Room TV
• I want to hear music by Right Said Fred on Kitchen TV
• Put on the album Dookie on iPhone

TV Show Playback

Alexa understands the more complex structures of TV shows, seasons, and episodes. You can use all of these details to describe to Alexa what you would like to watch.

Play a Specific Show

• Play the show Westworld
• Put on the tv show Stranger Things
• Start the tv show Better Off Ted
• Play the television show Arrested Development
• Let's watch the show Twin Peaks

Play a Specific Season

• Play season 2 of 30 Rock
• Put on season 4 of The Wire
• Start season 5 of Breaking Bad

Play a Specific Episode

• Play season 1, episode 2 of Rick and Morty
• Put on season 2, episode 3 of Sherlock
• Start season 1, episode 8 of True Detective

Play a Specific Show, Season, and Episode

• Play Breaking Bad season 2, episode 4
• Put on Fargo season 3, episode 6
• Start The Twilight Zone season 4, episode 12
• Play season 3, episode 4 of Arrested Development

Music Playback

By Artist

• Put on music by Bob Marley
• Play music by Adele
• Let's hear music by Elton John
• Shuffle music by Pink Floyd
• Shuffle Queen
• Play music by The Pet Shop Boys
• Play the artist Rihanna
• I want to hear songs by Avicii

By Album

• Play the album Thriller
• Put on the album Nevermind
• I want to hear the album Dark Sky Paradise
• Start the record Illuminate
• Let's hear the album Come Away With Me

By Song

• Play the track Come As You Are
• Put on the track Billie Jean
• Play the song Pour It Up
• Put on the song Holy Grail
• Let's listen the song Mercy

Player Controls

You can also use Alexa’s standard voice commands to control the player during playback.  Just say Alexa, tell Plex to Pause. As usual, you need to say Ask Plex or Tell Plex when using these voice commands.

• Play
• Resume
• Pause
• Stop
• Next
• Previous