Alexa Functionality

[Captain JB]

Probably the TCM, Telecommunications Control Module. When this module isn’t working it wreaks havoc with many systems. In one year of ownership, we have had Alexa work only a day at a time for 10 days. We gave up. The map is cloudy also and it doesn’t know its position many times so the cruise management doesn’t work as it does not know its position. Now we can’t use our phones for access and we finally have an appt at Rivian which took us 6 months to get!!!

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[Oldsmobile_Mike]

Having Alexa play music, radio stations, weather forecast, asking her Rivian stock value, etc., works great for me. She sucks for nav, however.

 

[BigSkies]

Alexa seemed to make sense 2021ish when Amazon was committed to the product and had ambitions to turn it into a real vehicle dedicated voice assistant.

While it had its flaws, it’s easy to see how there was a viable path to a good product.

That’s no longer true now that Amazon has cut the Alexa team to nearly nothing.

Rivian needs a new partner for this. I wouldn’t say it’s the highest priority, but it needs to be somewhere on the development list.

 

[SwampNut]

It's almost like they could just add CarPlay at no cost and instantly inherit a very reliable voice system.

Now pass the popcorn.

 

[Captain JB]

I concurr!!! Bring on car play!!

 

[moosetags]

I have been using Alexa for quite some time, and find her to be very fickle. One day she will be spot on. The next she will be very difficult to deal with and cannot complete the simplest request. I don't know what to make of this behavior. I think that Alexa made need some AI interface.

Brian

 

[TexasBob]

I really like the Rivian Alexa integration with my home Alexa. It does some very useful things (like "turn on the garage light" or "turn on the porch light at 10 pm") and does some cool but not very useful things (like "play background jazz on all Sonos" for when I get into the house).

OTOH, the vehicle commands are still very spotty and the navigation database is still absolutely awful. Mixed bag I guess...

 

[CaptRat]

When I picked up my R1T in May, 2023, Alexa worked fairly consistently. Now, other than climate commands, nothing works consistently…or at all. I used to be able to ask her for a station on TuneIn or a playlist on Spotify without a problem. Now she insists I need a subscription or that feature isn’t installed in my vehicle even though I can manually select exactly that for which I asked.

I've encountered cats that respond better to commands than does Alexa in my Rivian.

 

[Q-Dub23]

This is a widespread problem without an apparent solution. Rivian CS had no ideas what I was talking about but I'm getting it looked at in a couple of weeks. Doubt that the SC can do anything.

 

[bfilippo]

This is a widespread problem without an apparent solution. Rivian CS had no ideas what I was talking about but I'm getting it looked at in a couple of weeks. Doubt that the SC can do anything.

Have a mobile appt in a month that includes this issue, maybe if enough of us can’t get it resolved they will fix it.

 

[less_mess]

Alexa is tainting the Rivian brand.

I spent an hour setting up Alexa the first time so it would properly link to Spotify (not even sure what I did differently the last time to make it work), and it was alright until the last update. Now it says to install/update Spotify even though it's there and updated. FWIW, I have Connect+.

 

[ebarke]

Without a subscription, Alexa is pretty much completely worthless, it will only do in car commands like temp and fan, which I never use. It will not control any internet connected features unless it also has an internet connection.

 

[CaptRat]

Without a subscription, Alexa is pretty much completely worthless, it will only do in car commands like temp and fan, which I never use. It will not control any internet connected features unless it also has an internet connection.

I subscribe to C+ and Alexa refuses to control any audio apps.

 

[bfilippo]

I subscribe to C+ and Alexa refuses to control any audio apps.

Same. Put in a ticket! Maybe if enough of us make noise they’ll address it. Pretty annoying coming from newer Tesla where voice works quite well.

 

[ebarke]

Same. Put in a ticket! Maybe if enough of us make noise they’ll address it. Pretty annoying coming from newer Tesla where voice works quite well.

Yeah, we have 2018 Model X, that my wife drives, and the only thing she doesn't like about my R1T is Alexa. Voice commands suck, the directions are horrible. Just used them yesterday and I knew where I was going but wanted to see how she routed me. She wanted me to get off the highway, take the frontage road for 3-5 miles, then get back on the highway again, and even tried to keep rerouting me to get off the highway until I finally passed that section...so frustrating.

Tesla's voice commands and asking it for directions or to navigate to a specific place work great, Alexa half the time doesn't even know the place and comes back with something completely irrelevant to what you asked for.

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