Amazon Alexa gives your voice several super powers. It was the first digital assistant on the market until the battle of smart assistants began with the arrival of Google Home It can now be found in hundreds of small devices, from tiny speakers playing music to automated smart homes
Let’s learn how to set up the Amazon Alexa app with Alexa-enabled hardware.
Install the Alexa app on your phone
Amazon Alexa is a cloud service, but you must download the free Alexa app if you want to pair it with any device.
You can download the app to any Android or iOS smartphone. Of course, you can also use the Alexa app on Fire OS.
Installation is simple:
- Open the Google Play or Apple App Store on your mobile device.
- Search for the Amazon Alexa app.
- Click Install.
You can also access Alexa on any compatible web browser. Sign in to your Amazon account.
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Even though Windows has Cortana, you can use Alexa to shop on Amazon with your voice. Alexa is free to download from the Microsoft Store Using Alexa might not be that useful though, as Cortana is the best assistant for Windows devices.
Smart speakers like the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot are some of the most common Alexa-enabled devices you’ll see. There are actually eight types of Echo devices. The Alexa setup is the same for everyone. Let’s take a look at how to set up Amazon Alexa with Echo Dot to show you just how easy it is.
- The Echo is powered by AC power. Connect the Echo Dot to a nearby outlet using the supplied power adapter.
Plug the Echo into a power outlet
- The Echo uses AC mains for power. Connect your Echo Dot to the nearest power outlet using the included power adapter.
The ring of light around the speaker will light up in blue and teal. In a moment, the light will turn orange, and a pleasant soft voice will greet you:
“Hello, your device is ready to be configured. Just download the Alexa app and follow the instructions. ”
The echo dot will remain orange to indicate setup mode. It will remain in this color until the customization is complete.
- Sign in to your Alexa app using your Amazon credentials and grant the app all required permissions.
Connect your Echo to your Wi-Fi network
- Log in to your Alexa app with your Amazon credentials and give the app all the permissions it needs.
Note. The setup screens may differ slightly from your device versions. For example, the Echo of the second and third generation. But the differences are minor.
- Go to the More menu icon in the lower right corner. Click Add Device.
- Select the device type on the setup screen. In this example, this is Amazon Echo Dot. Amazon has a range of Echo devices, so be sure to pick the one you have.
- Alexa checks to see if your device is on and lit orange. Click Yes to proceed to the next steps to select your preferred language and turn on Bluetooth on your phone.
- The application connects to a smart device via Bluetooth. This may take a while, so keep them no more than 10 feet apart.
- Once the Bluetooth connection is complete, the Alexa app will prompt you to go to your phone settings and connect to an Amazon Wi-Fi peer-to-peer network with an address format. with the inscription “Amazon-XXX”.
Selecting this Wi-Fi network switches your phone from the main Wi-Fi network and connects it directly to Amazon Echo.
- Once connected, Alexa will again prompt you to switch Echo to your primary Wi-Fi network. Select your network from the list of Wi-Fi networks. Enter your Wi-Fi password and the Echo will now connect to your own Wi-Fi.
Note: This ad hoc network is temporary. Amazon creates it to make the device an access point and share setup information with the Alexa app. The access point will disappear once the setup is complete, and then the orange indicator will turn off.
Change the word to wake up
Alexa lights up to hear your commands when you use the default wake-up word “Alexaâ€.
You can change the word for awakening to something else. This may be necessary if there is someone else in the house with the same name. Just ask Echo, “Alexa, change the word for awakening.”
It tells you to go to devices and select a specific device. Go to Device Settings and scroll down to Wake Word. Click on it and choose a wake word from these limited options: Alexa, Amazon, Echo, and Computer. You still cannot give it any name you choose.
Enabling Alexa Skills
Alexa Skills are like tiny automated bots that place your bets when you talk to your device. You can choose from thousands of Alexa skills.
Learn them on Amazon’s Alexa Skills page, and discover them in the Alexa app. You can enable them from any source.
Here’s how you can use the skills in the app.
In the Amazon Alexa app, you see a short list of the top three recommended skills. The screen also offers a few more skills for you to try.
- Click the Browse Skills button if you want to explore them by categories such as Business & Finance, Education & Background, Food & Drink, Games & Trivia, etc. Alternatively, use the search icon to find a skill.
- The Discovery tab is exactly what it says, and is useful for finding editor-selected and hidden gems.
- Once you have activated several Alexa skills, you can find them all listed under Your Skills.
Once you find the skill you want to use, press the trigger buttons. You can also click on a skill on the dedicated details page and learn more about the different ways to use the skill. Click “Allow Usage” on this page.
You can also just say “Alexa, open [skill name].” If you want to know more about a skill, say “[skill name] will help.”
You can connect standard Amazon skills such as Pay With Alexa or Amazon Prime Music. Please note that some skills may require a subscription and sign in with a skill provider. For example, Spotify.
Once you’re comfortable with the single-purpose Alexa skills, consider building more powerful Alexa routines Alexa routines let you control multiple devices with a single command.
Work on your Alexa skills
Alexa understands spoken English (and other languages ??too). A smart speaker can do much more than just stream music. Pick the right commands and you can automate some of your daily tasks.
If you have an Echo speaker, practice these Amazon Echo skills and see if they can save you a few minutes.
What Alexa Skill You Can’t Do Without? Let us know in the comments.
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