Alexa skill does not sync playback state.
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Years ago the pocket cast alexa skill stopped working for me, so I stopped using it. I’ve been trialing it again for a few weeks now, and while it will open and play whatever is currently in my up next queue, starting at the correct time, if I stop there and attempt to resume on another device, the current location from the alexa session is not synced, as if I never started the session. I have tried forcing a refresh on my phone but that doesn’t help.
Is there anything else I should try or is this a bug that should be looked in to?
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Thank you for reaching out!
Here are a few steps you can try to resolve this issue:
- Ensure Your Accounts are Linked Properly: Double-check that your Amazon account is correctly linked to your Pocket Casts account in the Alexa app.
- Update the Skill: Make sure you have the latest version of the Pocket Casts skill installed. You can do this by going to the Skills & Games section of your Alexa app, searching for “Pocket Casts,” and ensuring it’s up to date.
- Check Network Connection: Ensure that both your Alexa device and the device you are trying to sync with have a stable internet connection.
- Reinstall the Skill: Try uninstalling and then reinstalling the Pocket Casts skill in the Alexa app. This can sometimes resolve syncing issues.
I hope this helps! If you have any more questions or need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to reply!
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Hello, thanks for the suggestions, here are my responses:
- Ensure Your Accounts are Linked Properly: They are linked properly; I enabled and disabled the skill to be sure, which forces a sign-in.
- Update the Skill: As far as I can tell there is no way to do this; it appears that skills are automatically updated when one is pushed out. I can’t even get to any version information for what is currently installed in the app, no way to check for updates, etc. I did make sure that the echo I’m using is up to date.
- Check Network Connection: The connection is rock solid. I would assume that the syncing happens server-side, so the devices don’t need to be on the same network, right? Let me know if I need to ensure everything’s on the same wifi band.
- Reinstall the Skill: See 1 :)
After doing all of these I tested it again, letting an episode play on the phone first, then resuming it on the echo for 10 minutes. It picked up where I left off and worked fine, then I stopped it and forced a refresh on the phone after waiting a bit. It never did sync up.
Looking at the reviews of the skill in the app, I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if others are having the same issue. Let me know if there’s any more data I can gather for you to assist.
Thanks!
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Since playback and syncing issues like this with the Alexa Skill rely on Amazon’s systems (it’s essentially their servers telling the Echo device what to do), this is unfortunately something Amazon has to resolve on their end.
That said, you might try disabling and re-enabling the Skill — Amazon has a guide here that walks you through it step by step: Turn Alexa Skills On or Off with Your Voice
If the issue persists, it may be worth reaching out to Amazon support directly or leaving feedback through the Alexa app.
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