The Amazon Echo speakers powered by Alexa have truly changed the way people interact with devices at home. Personally, Alexa is the only device my kids communicate with all the time. Siri pleased them for several days, but often didn’t work well enough.
While Siri is stagnant, Google and Amazon have indeed created devices and services that you too can communicate with to get information, play games, and more, and use them to perform tasks like controlling your smart devices. or ordering pizza.
In addition, Alexa is built into many different devices besides the ones created only by Amazon. You can use Alexa on your TV, thermostat, car, and even headphones. And because the service runs in the cloud, it keeps getting smarter and there is no need to upgrade hardware.
In this article, we’ll go over some of the most useful commands and skills you can use with your Echo and Alexa device. Note that you can enable any Alexa skill by simply saying “Alexa, enable NameOfSkill skillâ€.
54. Ask Alexa about her skills
If you don’t know what to ask Alexa, just say, “Alexa, what can I try?†and she will start telling you different commands that you can speak. If you want to know what skills Alexa has that you can use without looking online, just ask, “Alexa, what are your most popular skills?”
If you need certain skills, you can ask about those too. For example, you might ask, “Alexa, what are your playing skills?” or “Alexa, what are your smart home skills?” etc.
53. Prepare a cup of coffee
As a good helper, Alexa handles your java requests. The Behmor Connected Brewer is controlled by your voice, a compatible smart switch and a very simple drip coffee maker. It also integrates with Amazon Dash buttons. As a result, this feature automatically reorders the coffee when it gets low.
52. Learn a little history
This Day in History is a skill sponsored by The History Channel. He shares with the user the historical facts of the day. Just say, “Ask this day in history what happened on March 10th.” They also have the popular This Day in History skill.
51. Can you say that again?
Confirm what was said by saying: “Alexa, can you repeat this?” or: “Alexa, can you say that again?” This high-tech personal assistant repeats what she has said as many times as the user needs. Interested in finding recent replies? Then open the Home tab in the Alexa app. The user can also listen to recordings of everything that has been said by Alexa to date.
50. Change the word waking up
You can change the wake word from Alexa to a different name. However, this name must be included in the list of choices. Choose from Alexa, Amazon, Computer, or Echo.
First, choose a name from the suggested options. Then open the Alexa app or go to alexa.amazon.com. Then open Settings, select your Echo device, click Wake Word, choose a name from the drop-down menu, and click Save.
49. ChatBot Skill
Consumers who are active at work while on the go will find that chatbot skills are critical to improving productivity. By enabling the ChatBot skill, employees can audibly ask Alexa to post messages on their behalf.
Linking your Amazon account to your Slack account makes this feature possible. The user can then post to a specific channel by asking the question, “Alexa, tell ChatBot to post Future Now at random.”
48. Check the balance of Capital One Bank
If the user has a Capital One card, the balance check is done hands-free. By simply saying “Alexa, open Capital One,†a consumer can verify their account details, from checking their current balance to viewing available credit and cash on hand to viewing credit card maturities and recent transactions.
47. Check inventory
By simply saying, “Alexa, ask about opening the call,†the consumer can check the stock market. Also, ask Alexa for the stock price using the company name instead of its symbol. By and large, the data of this service is provided by Market On Demand. In addition, TD Ameritrade offers similar skills.
46. ??Clean the apartment or house
Enable cleaning with Neato Botvac Connected, iRobot Roomba 690, 890 and 960, or Samsung PowerBot VR7000 Series. Thus, cleaning becomes free. Saying “Alexa, start cleaning,†the high-tech assistant communicates with the cordless vacuum cleaner. As a result, the vacuum cleaner immediately goes to clean the apartment or house.
45. Connect with your FitBit
The Fitbit skill allows the consumer to ask, “Alexa, how many steps did I take?” or “How well did I sleep?” Users can also check their results against other metrics recorded by their Fitbit activity tracker. Alexa is also an experienced trainer, ready to tell the consumer during her workout.
44. Thermostat control
Smart thermostats like the Nest Learning Thermostat, Honeywell Lyric and Ecobee can be connected to Alexa. This makes changing temperatures easier than ever. In particular, the Ecobee4 has Alexa built in.
43. Create distinctive audio profiles
Setting up voice profiles allows Alexa to distinguish who is commanding. As a result, it delivers personalized results. Listening to a certain voice and asking, “Alexa, what’s on my calendar?” Alexa responds with upcoming events from your voice profile calendar. Then, if another voice asks “Alexa, turn on the music,†he will select music based on the personal preference of his voice profile. Read how to create a voice profile here.
42. Create reminders
Alexa, as a personal assistant, helps remind the user of their aforementioned personal tasks and assignments. So tell Alexa exactly what you need to remember and she will remind you of the task and time indicated. To create a reminder, simply say the task and the time, for example: “Alexa, remind me to train at 10 am every Mondayâ€
41. Create procedures for multiple orders
There are command lines that cover specific times of the day. For example, a user can create a routine for the phrase “Good morning.” The command string can be linked together in a procedure. At the same time, when the user wakes up and says “Good morning”, the program turns on the light, starts the coffee maker, says the morning weather and starts the car to warm it up. Currently, they only work for smart home devices, news, traffic information and weather forecast.
To create a procedure, open the Alexa app, go to Settings, then click Procedures.
40. Delete collected Amazon Voice data
In general, everything Alexa says is recorded and uploaded to Amazon’s servers. Delete specific entries by going to Amazon Echo app> Settings> History.
A list of everything recorded will appear. To remove an entry from this list, tap it, then tap Remove Voice Memos.
39. Exclusive deals
Asking: “Alexa, what are you doing?” the consumer can view a series of exclusive offers for Amazon Prime members. You need an Alexa-enabled device to order. In addition, a visit to Amazon’s voice shopping page informs the consumer of relevant offers that can be said to initiate purchases or add items to the cart.
38. Explore space
The Red Planet raises many questions, fueling curiosity, and NASA’s Mars skills keep users on top of the Curiosity rover. He also provides answers to frequently asked questions about the Red Planet.
There are also several other great skills like NASA Breaking News, NASA News, and Daily Dose of Space and Facts from Space.
37. Test your musical skills
Do you like listening to music? Well, why not test how well you are at identifying songs and artists with the Song Quiz skill Music plays here every decade, starting in the 60s. You can also play against someone else for real competition.
36. Get first aid
Providing answers to basic first aid questions, Mayo Clinic has released a checklist of first aid skills from minor scratches to CPR. For educational purposes only, this feature informs the user of vital life saving practices. However, it cannot be used in life-threatening or emergency situations. In this case, it is best to call 911.
35. Get help
Tell your loved ones that you need help. While not a replacement for 911, it is a service that quickly connects to your support system. When you can’t reach your phone, the Ask My Friend skill sends an emergency notification via text message, SMS, or phone call to a pre-selected person. Another good option is SafeTrek
34. Get rules for board games
The Board Games Answers skill allows Alexa to remind the user of popular games. If you need further clarification during the game, ask: “Alex, ask the board games who will be the first to enter Monopoly.” By turning on the Board Game Answers command, Alexa becomes a permanent digital judge who hears everything.
33. Get recipes
The Campbell’s Kitchen skill and command is by far the most popular feature for finding recipes, along with the AllRecipes skill Campbell’s Kitchen Craftsmanship offers five recipes every day. Most importantly, once a recipe is selected, the ingredients and instructions are sent to the user’s Alexa app.
32. Get the weather report
The Big Sky skill offers local predictions based on the user’s mailing address. Using information from Dark Sky, data such as wind speed and humidity are provided. Overall, Alexa also has built-in support for weather forecasts. Just say “Alexa, tell me the weather.”
31. Get the news
A 5-minute news briefing of the day that is updated every hour is available in the NPR News Now skill. Likewise, CNN, The Associated Press and the BBC also offer similar features.
30. Find your phone
With the help of Alexa, the consumer gets immediate assistance in finding a phone using their voice. According to reviews, the phone will ring even in silent mode. However, this may not work if your phone is in Do Not Disturb mode. You can also add multiple people by name to call different phones instead of one.
29. Hear your horoscope
Daily Zodiac Readings are available in several different apps. The Astro Twins skill from Elle magazine is one of the most popular horoscope readings. After enabling the skill, the user can receive personalized horoscopes from Astro Twins These identical twin sisters provide daily readings. Other good skills for drawing up horoscopes are Daily Tarot Reading and Astral Nina’s Daily Horoscope.
28. Listen to a motivational quote
Gain insight and motivation with the Inspire Me skill By offering inspirational quotes from famous people, from Maya Angela to Christopher Walken, users never lose their wisdom. What’s unique is that the quotes are spoken by the people themselves and not through Alexa, which enriches the experience.
27. Listen to a podcast
Stream thousands of podcasts with Anypod. You can search by name, subscribe to podcasts, skip forward or backward, and pause a broadcast. When the user pauses the episode, it resumes where it left off. Anypod Skill offers over 3000 great podcasts. With podcasts like Serial, RadioLab, This American Life, S-Town, The Moth, The Daily, TED Radio Hour, and This Week In Tech.
26. Call another Alexa device
You can make voice or video calls to and from other Alexa-enabled devices. Compatible devices include, for example, Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show, and the Alexa app on the user’s smartphone.
In detail, Alexa steals your address book to find compatible devices and then offers the option to call or text them. Just say “Alexa, call” or “Alexa, send a message.”
25. Create individual profiles
To check which profile is being used, ask: “Alexa, what is this profile?” To switch between profiles, say “Alexa, switch profiles.” Multiple people and their respective Amazon accounts can be added to the Alexa home profile.
It is important to understand that additional contributors do not mean that there are separate shopping or to-do lists. However, it does allow sharing of content libraries. It’s also worth noting that this command allows these additional members to use their main Prime account to order items.
24. Meditate
Align with your breathing and clear your mind with Stop, Breathe & Think, Meditation Timer This feature starts by asking how long you want to meditate. It also plays the sounds of the forest, rain or surf to help you relax.
23. Mix a drink
Connoisseurs of drinks will appreciate the skill of the bartender. This command gives the user access to over 12,000 different cocktail recipes. In addition, if you ask “Alexa will surprise me with a randomly selected drink,†the user will periodically receive drink suggestions.
22. Order anything from Amazon Prime
By simply asking, a consumer can order millions of items on Amazon Prime through Alexa. Order anything that qualifies for Prime. What’s not included in this feature is the ability to buy clothes, jewelry, shoes, watches, Amazon Fresh, Amazon Prime Pantry, Amazon Prime Now, or additional items.
21. Request a ride
Once the consumer has created an account with Uber or Lyft and all payment options have been met, they can request a driver from Alexa. Saying, “Alexa, ask Lyft to book a ride,†the consumer is almost ready to go. Although your desire is Alexa’s team, the cost of the trip is automatically deducted from your account.
20. Order pizza
By setting up a simple order and activating the Domino’s Pizza skill, the consumer can easily order pizza. Saying “Alexa, open Domino’s and place my simple order,†the pizza will be ordered. In addition, the buyer can check the status of his order in the Domino’s Tracker updates. Pizza Hut also has the Alexa skill if you want to place orders from there.
19. Arrangement of flowers
By simply saying, “Alexa, tell 1-800-Flowers to send flowers to Mom,†the user can quickly send a Mother’s Day gift. First, a 1-800-Flowers account is required to enable this skill. Once the consumer is connected, they can easily order the bouquet. It should be noted that the user must provide the company with contact addresses, layout style and preferred size. In general, billing information must be entered before ordering.
18. Pair alcoholic beverages with food
MySomm offers drink recommendations based on what you eat. All in all, hundreds of recommendations are available as to “which fits what”. To activate the feature, say “Alexa, ask Wine Gal to recommend a wine for fettuccine pestoâ€.
17. Personal trainer
Training becomes much easier when the user asks, “Alexa, start a 7 minute workout.” This feature reportedly offers proven exercise that improves metabolism, improves energy, and reduces fat. For consumers looking to make the most of their time, the Alexa Personal Trainer feature is a great tool.
16. Plan to get away
Like the Assistant, Alexa can help shoppers book their trip on Kayak.com Telling Alexa specifically about the budget you are working on can make your searches more accurate. To take advantage of this convenient travel feature, the consumer only has to ask, “Alexa, ask Kayak where I can go for $ 400.”
15. Play and stream music
Using Amazon’s music library, the consumer can launch playlists. These playlists are based on specific activities, eras, artists, and even your mood. Listen to music with Alexa from various services such as Spotify, Amazon Prime Music, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Pandora, and SiriusXM.
The most famous Alexa command is to play music, which can be done by asking, “Alexa, play classical music.” But you can also stream music. This will require Prime Music or Amazon Music Unlimited.
If the user has Amazon Music Unlimited, they also need to sign up for a family plan. Then, by going to the Multi-Room Music section of the Settings menu in the Alexa app, users can follow the instructions. They will then be able to easily broadcast the music of their choice throughout the house.
14. Play games
Asking “Alex, play the quiz”, the user turns into a player. Other games are also available such as Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock, Chess, 20 questions, Bingo, Jeopardy, and Tic-Tac-Toe. To learn more about choosing games, visit the Games, Trivia & Accessories webpage on Amazon.
Another popular game that uses the Alexa skill is Yes Sire, in which you are the ruler of the world and must make many decisions.
13. Pregnancy Tips
New moms will love the “What to expect from your daily health†skill for Alexa. Basically, it provides daily and weekly advice, guidance, and guidance for parents-to-be. Moreover, it is adapted to the gestational age. Ultimately, he may give advice for your newborn’s first year as well.
12. Program a song as a warning
Wake up to a pre-selected soundtrack of your choice. This is accomplished by telling Alexa to play a song, radio station, or music genre at a specific time. For example, “Alexa, wake me up to classical rock music at 6 in the morning.”
11. Send voice messages
Any contact of yours who also owns an Echo, Echo Dot, or Echo Show and has triggered a call appears in the Alexa contact list. Send a message saying “Alexa, send [name] a message.” The message will be sent to the appropriate Echo device and the Alexa app on the recipient’s phone.
10. Start your car
Start the car and warm it up before getting into it. Some Hyundai vehicles with Blue Link function can be started remotely. In addition, doors can be locked and opened. The driver can change the temperature in the cabin, turn on the horn and light using the Blue Link skill. Mercedes, BMW and Ford cars also have similar skills.
9. Get a good night’s rest
The most commonly used feature on most Echo devices is playing music or sounds. If you’re having trouble sleeping, one of the most popular Echo skills of all time is Zen Sounds: Healing Sounds. Audio is of high quality and consists of hourly streams rather than short, small audio clips.
Another of my favorites is Ambient Sounds, which features thunderstorms, rain, ocean, raging streams and more.
8. Solve quick math problems
Quick calculations or conversions, especially when cooking or dealing with foreign exchange, can be problematic. However, it is easy to convert currencies or measurements with Alexa. Even mathematical equations are solved without using a calculator. Complex tasks are solved by the question “Alex, how many ounces are there in a liter?” or “Alexa, convert $ 10 to pounds.”
7. Tell a bedtime story
By simply saying, “Alexa, tell [child’s name] bedtime story,†parents instantly get a storyteller who is always momentary. Alexa can help with the story. Moreover, the Bedtime Story skill is ultimately personalized according to the child’s preference.
6. Tuning guitar
Turn on the Guitar Tuner skill to use Alexa as a pipe and tune your guitar strings. Ultimately, Alexa plays the melody and the user has to tune their strings until its sound matches the note played. It is a smart musical instrument.
5. Turn off the lights
By saying “Alexa turn off my connected lightsâ€, the user can turn off the lights without moving. The key point to keep in mind is that the consumer needs a connected device, such as a WeMo smart socket, for this skill to work. Other companies like Lutron, Samsung SmartThings, Philips Hue and Control4 also offer similar skills for turning off lights.
4. Track your Amazon purchase
Track your purchase on Amazon by asking, “Alexa, where is my package?” or by saying, “Alexa, track my order.” Although no details are provided, the buyer will be advised of the estimated delivery date.
3. Use it as an intercom
Use this intercom option to connect to Echo speakers located in your home. By providing direct connectivity to Echo devices throughout your home, messages travel quickly. Say, “Alexa, go into the living room,” and whatever is said will play through the living room Echo speaker.
2. Watching TV
When Alexa is connected to the Logitech Harmony remote, voice commands eliminate the need to press buttons. When you say “Alexa, turn on my TV†or “Alexa, pause,†the command will be automatically sent and received. Plus, Dish customers can easily control their satellite TV box using Alexa.
1. Word of the day
Learn something new every day with the Word Of The Day skill. Overall, increasing vocabulary is more interesting with the Word Of The Day feature. This clever command takes a word definition and uses it in a sentence.
Wow! That’s a lot of commands and skills! I’m sure this list will be out of date within a year, so I will definitely come back and update it with new features and skills that Alexa gets. Enjoy!
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