10 Steps To Activate “Alexa Party Mode” In 2023 (w. Video)

Are you hosting a home party in a few days?

Or perhaps you just want to turn your home into a disco for yourself?

Don’t worry! I got you.

I have everything laid out to help you create a party vibe in your home using Alexa.

So, if you’re ready to get the party started…

Read on to discover:

• 10 steps to activate “Alexa Party Mode.”
• How to make a multi-room music group for music playing.
• Guide on building an IFTTT applet to play with the smart lights.
• Steps on creating an Alexa Routine to automate several devices.
• And that’s only the beginning…

Does Alexa have a party mode?

Alexa doesn’t have a built-in party mode. But you can create one by grouping your smart lights and creating an IFTTT applet for it. Then, create a multi-room music group to group your Alexa speakers for music playing. Once everything is set, create an Alexa Routine to activate all commands at once.

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10 steps to activate “Alexa Party Mode”

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#1: List down the devices you want to automate

Before beginning with the actual process, list down all the devices you want to automate.

So that you’ll know which ones you should group together. And which automation method you should do first.

Here are the basic smart home devices you may add to your list:

• Speakers.
• Smart TV.
• Smart lights.

#2: Set up your smart lights on the Hue app

A party isn’t a party without colorful lights.

So, make sure to automate your smart lights at home.

Note: You can use your preferred smart light brand. But for this post, we’ll use Hue smart lights. Since they’re compatible with the services that we’ll use in this guide.

To do that, first, pair your smart lights to the Hue app.

For this, you’ll need to use a Hue Bridge.

#3: Group your lights together in a “room”

Next, group the lights you want to control in a room.

That way, it’d be easier to control the smart lights all at once.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the Hue app.
2. Go to settings.
3. Tap the plus (+) icon.
4. Assign a name for your group.
5. Select the lights you want to add.
6. Then, press “Save.”

Reading recommendation: Unable To Connect To Philips Hue Remotely? 7 Instant Fixes

#4: Link your Hue app to the Alexa app

To control your Hue smart lights, link the Hue app to the Alexa app.

And you can do that by enabling the Philips Hue skill.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the Alexa app.
2. Tap “Devices.”
3. Click “Your Smart Home Skills.”
4. Press “Enable Smart Home Skills.”
5. Search for “Philips Hue.”
6. Click “Enable.”
7. Then, log in to your Hue account.

Note: When connecting accounts and devices, make sure that they’re on the same WiFi network. Otherwise, the pairing won’t work.

#5: Add your Hue app to your IFTTT account

Now, to control your smart lights all at once…

Create an IFTTT account, and pair your Hue app with it.

Note: You can use the Alexa app to automate your smart lights. But that wouldn’t allow you to change the colors of your lights.

Once you’ve created an IFTTT account, link your Hue app.

To do that:

1. Log in to your account.
2. Go to “Explore.”
3. Type “Philips Hue.”
4. Select the Philips Hue icon.
5. Click “Connect.”
6. Then, log in to your Hue account.

#6: Pair your Alexa app to your IFTTT account

After that, you should also link your Alexa app to your IFTTT account.

This is necessary to build an applet using your Hue smart lights and Alexa voice assistant.

Here’s how to do it:

7. Sign in to your account.
8. Tap “Explore.”
9. Enter “Amazon Alexa.”
10. Click the Philips Hue icon.
11. Press “Connect.”
12. Then, sign in to your Alexa account.

#7: Build an IFTTT applet for your lights and Alexa

If you go to the Alexa IFTTT page, you’ll see a bunch of preset IFTTT applets. And you can use any of those to save time.

But if you want to build your own applet, here’s what you should do:

Step 1: Tap the “Create” button. Doing this will lead you to the applet creation page.

Step 2: Click the “IF THIS” button.

Step 3: Search for “Amazon Alexa.” Then, click its icon.

Step 4: Look for and select “Say a specific phrase.”

Step 5: Type your desired phrase. For example, “party mode.”

Step 6: Press “Create Trigger.”

Step 7: Click the “THEN THAT” button.

Step 8: Search and click “Philips Hue.”

Step 9: Select “Turn on color loop.” And adjust your desired settings.

Step 10: Press “Continue” to save your creation.

Step 11: Name your IFTTT applet.

Step 12: Click “Finish” to confirm and publish your applet.

#8: Make a music home group for your Alexa speakers

Now, let’s set up your Alexa speakers at home for music playing.

To do that, create a multi-room music group. Doing so allows you to play the same music on all your existing Alexa speakers at once.

Note: Your Alexa speakers should already be connected to your Alexa app for this to work.

Here’s a guide on how to do it:

1. Open the Alexa app.
2. Tap the “Devices” icon.
3. Press the plus (+) icon.
4. Select “Set Up Multi-Room Music.”
5. Click the speakers you want to add.
6. Tap “Next.”
7. Select a name for your group.
8. Then, click “Save.”

Once done, you can play music on the speakers by saying, “Alexa, play [song title] on [group name].”

Additional note: The music won’t immediately play when you add this group later in the routine. 

It’ll only activate your speakers. And you’d have to select a song to play.

Suppose you want the music to start playing as soon as you command Alexa. You’d need to build a more complex setup.

Watch this video to see an example of it using several services:

#9: Create a “Party Mode” Alexa routine

Once everything is set, combine all your commands by creating an Alexa Routine. 

Note: This allows you to automate your devices at once using a trigger. 

In this automation process, your trigger is a voice command. Which is, “Alexa, enable party mode.”

Now, to create a “Party Mode” Alexa routine:

Step 1: Go to the Alexa app.

Step 2: Tap the “More” button. Look for a three-line icon. Either on the bottom-right or top-left corner, depending on your app version.

Step 3: Select “Routines” among the options.

Step 4: Click the plus (+) icon at the top-right corner of the screen.

Step 5: Tap “Enter Routine Name.” 

Step 6: Type your desired name. Make sure that it’s easy to pronounce and understand. Then, click “Next.”

Step 7: Tap “When this happens.” 

Step 8: Select the voice icon.

Step 9: Type your desired command. You can enter “Alexa, enable party mode.” Then, click “Next.”

Step 10: Tap “Add Action.”

Step 11:  Add the automations you made earlier.

To add your lights, click “IFTTT.” Then, paste the URL of your Alexa-Hue applet.

Step 12: Next, add your music.

Select Smart Home>Control Group>Your Multi-Room Music Group.

Step 13: Click “Save” on the top-right corner to save your routine.

Once done, you should see your new routine under the “Your Routines” tab.

Learn more: Why won’t my Alexa play music?

#10: Say, “Alexa, enable Party Mode”

After setting up everything…

From building an IFTTT applet and a multi-room music group to creating an Alexa routine,

You can now activate your DIY Alexa Party Mode.

Note: Wait at least 1 minute after creating a routine before commanding Alexa. As setting up the voice phrase on Alexa’s system can take a little while.

 Just say, “Alexa, enable party mode.”

And wait for your smart lights to play different colors. And for your Alexa speakers to activate for music playing.

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