BILJ

FYI, I found a way to access the Skills list even with Alexa+. In the app, in the "Ask Alexa" search field at the bottom, type "Skills" and send. It will reply back with a link you can click to access the old skills screen, and at the bottom you can click "Your skills" to see what you have. This is how I was disabling/reenabling the ISY V3 skill under Alexa+. I still think my troubles are from having spokens that were first created under V2, and even though I recreate them fresh in V3, they still try to trigger the now defunct V2 skill. If I simply add an additional, never before used spoken the existing one, that new spoken works fine, but original spoken triggers the V2 and gives error. Additionally, on more recent devices where spokens were only created under V3 skill, they still work fine in Alexa+ without any error response, since they never existed under V2.

Ok, so on Nov 13th they finally shut down the V2 skill and the message is now “I can’t control the <device name> because its skill is disabled. You can find the skill and enable it again in the Alexa app.” I’ve done a lot of experimentation, and cleared all my Echo spokens in the portal, disabled/reenabled/relinked the ISY V3 skill (no V2 skill appears, although I did originally use the V2 skill yesrs ago). I’ve reset and reconfigured several times and come to this theory based on the behaviors. the original “spokens” I set up long ago on V2 skill are still in Amazon’s brain, and are still tied to the V2 skill which must still be active somehow, (though disabled now under Alexa+) If I disable the V3 skill, I can see that all ISY devices are GONE in the Alexa app. Issuing a command to one of the old spokens still returns that message about the skill being disabled. This tells me the V2 skill is still somehow defined and its spokens are forever tied to it. But if I try to command a more recent device that was newly defined under V3, its unknown to Alexa because all the V3 spokens got deleted when I disabled it. If I re-enable the V3 skill with all ISY portal device spokens deleted, I initially have no ISY devices shown in Alexa. If I redefine a device and spoken in the portal, I immediately see a notification from the Alexa app that the device (the spoken) has been added to the V3 skill. It explicity mentions the V3 skill by name. If the device I re-added is using the same spoken as from years ago, I get that error message again and the command fails. I strongly suspect that the spoken exists twice in Alexa’s brain, once for V2 skill, and once for V3 skill, and the V2 skill always takes precedence. This theory fits with earlier behaviors over the years where sometimes I’d get dialogs like: ME: Alexa, turn on Apple TV; ALEXA: there is more than once device with that name. Did you mean “Apple TV” or “Apple TV”? ME: “Apple TV” ALEXA: “Ok” On spokens that persistently won’t work anymore, if I simply change or add another spoken to the device in the portal, it magically works in Alexa, but only with the new spoken. So now I am stuck having to say “Alexa, turn on New Apple TV” and it works. I’m not crazy about having to use modified spokens, but I see no true solution as there’s no way I’ve found to purge the old spokens once and for all. At least I have access again to these devices with new spoken.

Yes, I also had the V2 skill earlier and when I switched to V3 I always felt the V2 skill was still running but it was not listed in the app, and there seems to be no way to delete a skill. Having both active could explain other strange behaviors. I guess I will see what happens after Nov 4, hopefully it will continue working via the V3 skill, and I do appreciate the great writeup from bmercier with the tips.

I've been on Alexa+ for a few weeks now, and the ISY control worked most of the time, but now it's giving an explicit message that the skill has not been upgraded and will no longer work after November 4th. I fear I will also need to revert back to regular Alexa again, if I want to keep using ISY skill.

Have you upgraded to Alexa+, the new AI version of Alexa? There are many reported problems using Alexa+ with other Smart Home skills developed for the original Alexa as well. Apparently there is a completely new paradigm in how to use AI to interact with devices, and they have a new set of Skill SDKs. They are essentially saying that the traditional skills (like the current ISY skill) will only work with the original Alexa experience. It seems now that they are going to block use of these skills entirely on Alexa+ on November 4th (based on the message I get after every command I give to ISY). I fear I will have to abandon Alexa+ and revert back to original Alexa experience. https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/blogs/alexa/alexa-skills-kit/2025/02/new-alexa-announce-blog

Something new started today... Every command I give now responds with "The skill for <device name> hasn't upgraded to support the latest version of Alexa. You will no longer be able to use this device with Alexa starting November 4th". I think UD needs to create an updated skill ASAP that works with Alexa Plus.

I have upgraded to the new Alexa+ service (AI version of Alexa), and its now telling me the existing skill (ISY Optimized for Smart Home V3) will no longer be supported in a week. Every time I give Alexa a command for an ISY device, it executes it, but then says: "The skill for <device name> hasn't upgraded to support the latest version of Alexa. You will no longer be able to use this device with Alexa starting November 4th" How can we get an upgraded skill that is supported by Alexa+? I don't want to lose all my device control via Alexa. The only alternative is to unregister for Alexa+ and go back to the original Alexa experience. Apparently they have new SDKs for developing new AI compatible skills. https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/blogs/alexa/alexa-skills-kit/2025/02/new-alexa-announce-blog

I just upgraded to the Series 500 module and was wondering if I should just throw away the old 300 module, or if there is some limited value in it. For example, if someone is content to stay on older ISY version and doesn't yet have a Z-wave module, could they utilize this module? I'd give it away to anyone who wants it.