Alexa Commands for Hive

Hive, a subsidiary of British Gas, are best known for their smart heating system which is a major rival to the Nest thermostat here in the UK, but they also have several other smart home devices including plugs, lights, and a home security system.

All of these work seamlessly with Alexa for voice control and setting up complex smart home automations. In this article, I’ll share all of the Alexa commands for Hive and how to set it up in Alexa routines.

How to Connect Hive to Alexa

Once you have your Hive Active Heating or lights set up via the Hive app, you’ll need to ensure you have the Alexa app installed and enable the Hive skill (previously called ‘Hive Optimised for Smart Home’).

To do this:

  • Go to the ‘More’ tab and select ‘Skills & Games”.
  • Search for the Hive skill and enable it.
  • Enter the login details for your Hive account.
  • Once connected, say “Alexa, Discover Devices” to add them to the app.

Now that you have connected Hive to Alexa, you can control your Hive active heating, lights, and plugs with your voice.

Alexa Commands for Hive Heating

Using Alexa, you can set the temperature for your whole home or individual rooms if you have a Hive smart radiator valve.

As well as changing the temperature, you can set the heating to boost which will heat your home/room for one hour before returning to normal.

Some commands are basic and universal across all smart heating systems, others are more advanced and will require you to say “ask Hive” at the beginning.

Below are the commands for Hive heating:

  • “Alexa, what is the temperature in here?”
  • “Alexa, turn heating on/off.”*
  • “Alexa, increase/decrease the temperature.”
  • “Alexa, set the [room] to [temperature].”
  • “Alexa, set the [room] to [temperature] for 1 hour/60 minutes.”
  • “Alexa, set the [room] mode to boost.”
  • “Alexa, ask Hive to boost the [room].”
  • “Alexa, ask Hive to end boost heating in the [room].”
  • “Alexa, ask Hive how long has boost heating got left to run.”
  • “Alexa, set the thermostat mode to manual/schedule.”
  • “Alexa, ask Hive to boost the hot water.”
  • “Alexa, ask Hive to boost the hot water for 1 hour/60 minutes.”
  • “Alexa, ask Hive to cancel boost hot water.”
  • “Alexa, ask Hive to end boost hot water.”
  • “Alexa, ask Hive how long has boost hot water got left.”
  • “Alexa, activate [name of quick action].” – quick actions can be set up in the Hive app.

*The on/off command will have different meanings depending upon which mode your heating is in:

In Manual mode – off will toggle your heating to 0°C.

In Schedule mode  - off will toggle your heating to 7°C which is frost protect.

Alexa Commands for Hive Lights

When you set up your Hive bulbs with Alexa, they can be controlled with the normal Alexa light commands (see a full list of Alexa Commands here).

Here are the Alexa commands for your Hive lights:

  • “Alexa, turn on/off my light.”
  • “Alexa, brighten/dim my light.”
  • “Alexa, change my light to [colour].” – Alexa supports over 100 different colours.
  • “Alexa, make my light cooler/warmer.”
  • “Alexa, brighten the [room] by 10%.”
  • “Alexa, set the [room] lights to 50%.”

Alexa Commands for Hive HomeShield

If you have a Hive security system (the HomeShield), you can use Alexa to arm/disarm it and check the current status.

Here are the Alexa commands for Hive HomeShield:

  • “Alexa, arm HomeShield.”
  • “Alexa, set HomeShield to Away.” – this also arms HomeShield.
  • “Alexa, is HomeShield armed?”
  • “Alexa, what mode is HomeShield in?”
  • “Alexa, disarm HomeShield.” – You will be asked for your voice code
  • “Alexa, set HomeShield to Night.” – Set to sleep mode

Does Hive Work with Alexa Routines?

Yes, you can use Hive heating, lights, and HomeShield with Alexa routines. This will allow you to combine actions from several devices and activate them with one command.

You must first link Hive and Alexa as outlined in the first section of this article.

To create an Alexa routine with Hive devices:

  • Head to the ‘More’ tab of the Alexa app and select ‘Routines’.
  • Select the ‘+’ icon to create a routine.
  • Choose a name for the routine and select how it will be triggered (such as voice command, schedule, etc).
  • Select ‘Add Action’ then pick ‘Smart Home’ to find your Hive devices.
  • Alternatively, you can choose ‘Customised’ and type in the command as you would say it, for example, “ask Hive to boost the living room”.
  • Once you have added all of your actions, tap ‘Save’ to complete.

An example of a routine you might create could be a bedtime routine to turn off your Hive lights, lock your door with smart locks, and arm HomeShield.