Alexa Who Is the Coolest Person in the Family
With everyone'south favorite virtual banana, Alexa, Amazon has become an unstoppable retail presence that undercuts competition through low prices and reliability.
Alexa entered our hearts through the Repeat, the Bluetooth-enabled speaker that does just virtually everything you desire, from playing music to ordering pizza.
Then, what else can the Echo do? Here'south a guide to some innovative ways you tin can adapt the Echo into your life and brand the about of its capabilities.
Amazon Echo's Hidden Cloak-and-dagger Features
Here is our list of dandy hidden features on the Amazon Echo device.
Feature #1: The Proper name Game
Out of the box, your virtual assistant is called Alexa, simply sure words can exist problematic for some stutterers, and there'due south plenty of telescopic for confusion if y'all have a child or pet with a similar name. Fortunately, unlike other AI and smart home assistants, Amazon gives you some options to change the activation name. Instead of addressing your Echo as "Alexa," you can cull to say "Echo," "Amazon," or more depending on the version used.
To change this setting, exercise this:
- Open the Alexa app and tap on Devices at the bottom.
- Tap on Alexa & Echo.
- Tap on the Settings cog in the upper right-paw corner.
- Tap on Wake Word under the General section.
- Tap on the Wake Word you'd like to use to engage Alexa.
Every bit a bonus tip, you tin can add an Alexa skill to talk to your favorite celebrity. Merely say the celebrities proper name and they'll respond to you.
Characteristic #2: Prepare Up Multi-Room Music
If you have multiple Echo devices in your home, y'all can hands stream ane playlist or radio station to several (or all of them) at in one case. Only first, you need to put them into groups: you tin can do this via the Alexa app by clicking Settings > Multi-Room Music.
Create as many groups as you like, but annotation that each device can only appear in one group. So, if you have two Echos downstairs and ii upstairs, you lot could create a "downstairs" grouping for the first two, simply you couldn't and then add together them to a "whole-business firm" group.
To fix your first grouping, all you need to practise is
- Tap the '+' sign from the Devices page.
- Tap Combine Speakers.
- Tap Multi-room Music, requite the grouping a proper noun, and tick the boxes beside the devices you want in the group.
Now, if yous want to play music on your two downstairs Echo devices, you can say, "Alexa, play Kylie downstairs." If Kylie's non to your taste, modify the command as needed.
Feature #3: Create Multiple Profiles
Alexa will mind to anyone, but that doesn't hateful she has to treat anybody the same. Suppose y'all prepare separate profiles for each person in your household. In that example, yous can switch betwixt them to ensure that whatever music played, calendars accessed, and accounts used for shopping will be appropriate to that particular user.
Creating a new profile has to be washed past the registered owner of the Repeat device. Here's how:
- Open the Alexa app and tap More than in the bottom right-corner.
- Tap on Settings.
- Tap on Your Profile & Family unit.
- Now, tap on Add someone else to create another profile.
At present get the other member to log in using the same device and link your accounts.
Note: When you tell Alexa to club an item from Amazon, the arrangement volition use the default payment method in the "active" profile. So to avoid mix-ups, it's worth checking before you place the lodge. To do so, ask, "Alexa, which contour is this?"
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Characteristic #4: Protect Your Purchases
On the subject of voice purchases, if you've got kids in the house, y'all'll desire to set up a Pivot lawmaking for online shopping to ensure they don't lodge a new LEGO kit every two weeks.
- To practice this: Open Settings in the app and tap on Account Settings.
- And so, scroll down to Vocalisation Purchasing in the Alexa app.
- Tap on Purchase Controls.
- Add a pin to the "Require voice code" field.
- This procedure requires spoken commands when making a purchase, and then ensure the kids don't overhear you.
Feature #5: Connect External Devices
Everyone knows that the Echo, Echo Plus, and Echo Show tin stream music from various online sources. What you lot might not realize is that these devices tin can all also be used as external Bluetooth speakers, meaning you tin can, for example, use them to play music directly from your telephone. To make the connectedness, either search for the Repeat device in your phone's Bluetooth bill of fare or make your phone discoverable and say "Alexa, pair Bluetooth" or "Alexa, pair phone."
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Once connected, y'all can control the music with all the usual vocalisation commands, including "play," "intermission," "previous," "next," and "book." To close the connection, say "Alexa, disconnect Bluetooth" or "Alexa, disconnect phone."
Additionally, caput over to 'Settings' once the devices pair. Ready a new Skill to connect your favorite music source (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.). Alternatively, ask Alexa to link your music service, and she'll send it right to your phone. Y'all can besides tell Alexa to "Resume Bluetooth," "Intermission Music," or "Skip Vocal" for hands-free enjoyment.
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Feature #6: Use IFTTT
Y'all probably already know about the costless-to-utilize automation service known as "If This And then That (IFTTT)." Supermarkets now utilize the web service among other parties. Notwithstanding, the numerous Alexa integrations the service currently offers are perhaps handier for home use.
To go started, go to ifttt.com/amazon alexa and click 'Connect.' Enter your password on the Amazon page that appears and authorize the connection. Yous can now utilize the pre-rolled applets to link Alexa to a vast range of services and devices, from a Roomba vacuum cleaner to Facebook Messenger and Google spreadsheets.
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Characteristic #7: Create Your Personalized Routine
If you frequently fire off the same group of commands in a row, why non create a routine, so you tin can launch the sequence with a single instruction and save time?
To practice this, tap 'Routines' in the Alexa Account section of the Alexa app, followed by the "+" to get started. Tap "When this happens," then "When you say something," and blazon the trigger phrase. We're using "Alexa, open the office" to set up a routine that will run when we go to our desk in the morning.
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Save the phrase, then tap "Add activeness" and choose what should happen from the News, Smart Dwelling house, Traffic, and Weather options. In the example prototype above, we're turning on two lights and asking Alexa to tell us what the day'southward weather is.
Feature #8: Let Alexa Discover Your Phone
Information technology isn't uncommon to misplace your phone in your home. Whether it roughshod in between the couch cushions or yous left it on the patio just outside, Alexa is hither to help. Bold you've verified your telephone number via the Alexa app, all you need to do is say, "Alexa, Find my telephone." Alexa will call your device, revealing its location in your home.
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When she calls, she'll testify up every bit a Private Number. Unfortunately, this won't help too much if your phone is set up to silent mode because y'all however won't hear it ring.
Feature #9: Use Alexa as a Hands-Free Phone
The hands-gratis speakerphone characteristic may sound similar complicated stuff, just information technology's easy to gear up upwards.
First, to enable Alexa's intercom capabilities, open the Alexa app, and ensure that all your devices take logical names (we suggest yous name them after their room locations). If you demand to change a name, click through Settings, select the one you want to adjust, and tap Edit on the "Device name" line.
Once you've done this, you can easily open a channel betwixt two Echo devices using the "drop-in" command. For example, to brand a phone phone call from the chamber to an Echo speaker in the kitchen, say, "Alexa, drib in on the kitchen."
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A discussion of warning: your microphone will become live equally soon as you activate this characteristic. So, don't brand whatsoever snarky comments while you're waiting for whoever's in the kitchen to reply.
Setting up phone call capabilities is just slightly more than involved. First, open the Alexa app on your phone and tap the speech bubble on the toolbar. When you initially set up the app, information technology asks for your phone number and authorization to pull in your contacts from your address book, and at present you should see them there.
To call or text 1 of these contacts, tap the person icon at the meridian of the screen and select their proper noun. You lot will come across options to send either a text or make a telephone call. SMS/text messages go read aloud past the recipient'due south Echo device, besides as appearing on their telephone, while a phone call will make their device band so you can speak hands-free.
What if you don't desire to be disturbed? Tap a name and apply the "Permit Drop In" switch to enable or disable their access. Coil to the bottom of their card, and there's a link to block them if you want.
Feature #ten: Personalize Your Wink Briefing
Flash Briefing is Amazon's name for a quick info dump that draws content from multiple sources like news publishers, weather condition forecasters, and exchange rate trackers. To personalize your news, open the Alexa app and select 'Flash Briefing' in the Settings section. Click "Get more Flash Briefing content" and choose the elements you would similar to add (BBC World Service, The Guardian, MTV, Joke of the Day, etc.)
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Each Flash Briefing content element you add automatically gets enabled, but you can remove whatever source from the briefing if you choose: return to the Flash Conference section and toggle the switch beside each one'south proper name.
You can too enable sports content within the Flash Briefing, but Alexa already knows a lot almost football and other sports. Click Sports Update on the Settings screen, so utilize the search box to detect your desired teams.
Characteristic #xi: Deregister Alexa
If you're upgrading from a Dot to a Plus or from a regular Alexa to a Evidence, y'all might make up one's mind to pass your old device on to a friend or sell it online. Before you do, make sure you deregister information technology and so that the new owner can't place online orders using your account. Open the Alexa app, click Settings, then click on the name of the device you're donating. You will find the deregister option in the About department.
Don't worry well-nigh the record that Alexa keeps of things yous've said to her: this won't follow the device to its new home. However, if you want to purge this information from your account, delete individual recordings from the Alexa app's homepage or switch to your Amazon account to delete the unabridged lot.
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To delete recordings, open your Alexa app and select 'Devices.' Click on the device you're saying bye to and click 'Deregister.' Follow the on-screen prompts, and you're all set.
Feature #12: Follow-Upwardly Style
The only problem with AI personal assistants is needing to wake them up repeatedly. Saying "Alexa, set a reminder to call the doctor tomorrow," then maxim "Alexa, as well set a reminder to go milk" can be a bit annoying.
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With Follow-up fashion, you won't have to use the wake word so much. To plough this feature on, tap on 'Devices' at the lesser of the app, so tap on your device. Scroll down and toggle 'Follow-up Way' to the 'on' position. Now, y'all can simply go on your conversation with Alexa.
Repeat Features FAQs
The Amazon Echo is an invaluable device. There'southward ever more to learn near Alexa. If y'all accept more questions, this section is for you!
Where exercise I find more than Alexa features for Echo?
When you lot first open the Alexa app, you'll encounter a 'Popular Skills' department on the home page.
If you tap 'Browse Skills', you volition run across more options. Scroll through the list and wait for the 'Latest Skills' section to see recently added skills. Of course, there are also Editor's Picks and Categories too. Using the Categories tab at the summit of the Skills & Games page, you tin can narrow your search and find what you need.
What is an Alexa Routine?
A routine is different from a skill considering it'due south something you create and customize (of course, you can build your skills also). When you lot make a routine, you set a 'wake phrase,' and Alexa responds appropriately.
For example, you tin create a 'Good Morn' routine where Alexa reads you a daily news brief, plays music, or even sets your thermostat. If y'all set a 'Saturday Morning routine,' Alexa tin can power your robot vacuum, play music, or fifty-fifty give y'all a list of chores to keep you lot on track.
Source: https://www.alphr.com/amazon/1009596/hidden-secrets-amazon-echo-alexa-tips-tricks/
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