Alexa can do more than playing music and setting timers. Here’s our guide to getting the most from your Amazon Echo, and how to play games with it.<\/b>
\nSo you\u2019ve got an Amazon Echo. It\u2019s a great gadget which is capable of doing a surprising amount. But in order to make the most of it you need to know what to say to Alexa and, in some cases, how to set things up.
Here we\u2019ll outline some of the best features, along with our tips and tricks for using Alexa.
First, after you\u2019ve read our separate guide on how to set up an Echo, spend a little while going through the \u2018Things to try\u2019 section in the Alexa app.
If you have an Echo Show or Spot, you’ll see these tips appear on screen. Unfortunately, there is no option to turn these off.
You\u2019ll find these in the main menu of the Alexa app. To get to this menu, swipe right on the screen or tap on the three horizontal lines in the top left corner.
Things to Try is divided up into many categories, so just pick one and try saying a few commands. One section to look at is ‘What’s New’ as this tells you the latest features.
From setting timers and alarms to finding out information and converting units and measurements, Alexa can be useful in many situations (especially when cooking).
What\u2019s important is to understand that \u2018Alexa\u2019 is the wake word. It\u2019s no use saying \u201cStop the timer, Alexa\u201d as all she will hear is \u201cAlexa\u201d with no command afterwards.
You must say Alexa first, but there\u2019s no need to pause and wait. For example you can say \u201cAlexa, what\u2019s the weather on Sunday\u201d. As long as you watch to see that the LED ring on top lights up to indicate she has heard the wake word, keep speaking.
We\u2019ve put together a list of Alexa\u2019s capabilities and what you need to say to use them.
One of the Echo\u2019s main features is playing music. By default, Alexa will play from Amazon Music, or Amazon My Music. The latter will include any MP3 albums you\u2019ve bought from Amazon or music you\u2019ve uploaded yourself.
But if you have a Spotify subscription you can say \u201cAlexa, play Billie Jean from Spotify\u201d to specify which service to use. You\u2019ll need to configure your Spotify account first, so open the main menu in the Alexa app and tap on Settings > Music & Media.
Then tap on Spotify and then on \u2018LINK YOUR ACCOUNT\u2019.
Alexa also supports TuneIn, and this means you can listen to the radio. Just say \u201cAlexa, play Radio 4 on TuneIn\u201d and it will start playing. This applies to any station on TuneIn, so your favourite FM or digital radio station should be there.
Pro tip: If you have more than one Echo, you can add them to a group and have music play in sync across them. You\u2019ll find this under Devices > Speaker Groups.
Pro tip 2: You can tell Alexa to play music on a specific Echo if you have more than one. First, make sure you\u2019ve named your Echo. Usually it makes sense to name it after the room it\u2019s in. Do this under Settings > Device Settings > [Your Echo device] > Edit Name.
Then you can say \u201cAlexa, play festive music everywhere\u201d or «Alexa, play 90s music in the lounge».
Alexa can remind you of things. Just say \u201cAlexa, remind me to pay my TV licence tomorrow at 11am\u201d. Obviously you won\u2019t hear the reminder if you\u2019re not within earshot, but she will remind you at that time nonetheless.
You can also check those reminders in the Alexa app, of course, so they don\u2019t disappear after the set time and date.
Lists are separate to reminders. There are two: Shopping and To-do. Just ask Alexa to put something on a list by saying \u201cAlexa, add cornflakes to my shopping list\u201d. Then, when you\u2019re in the supermarket you can check the list within the app.
The to-do list isn\u2019t sophisticated enough to include deadlines, but you can similarly say \u201cAlexa, add put out the bins to my to-do list\u201d.
As well as Alexa\u2019s core functions, you can enable a lot more by looking through the library of Skills. There are thousands, but some require you to have hardware (such as a smart light or switch) or a subscription to a particular service. Most, though, are completely free to use and will work straight away.
They include everything from a Skill to check train times through to games and \u2018silly\u2019 features like Meow Meow, where Alexa will make cat noises.
If you already know the name of the skill just say \u201cAlexa enable the [name of skill] skill\u201d. Otherwise, in the Alexa app, from the main menu choose Skills & Games and browse through or search. Star ratings help to see whether others think it’s a good skill or not.
You can also create and customise your own personal Alexa skills, which is great for when you have house guests or when it’s someone’s birthday.
Here’s how to make a Skill with Alexa Skill Blueprints .
Another handy feature is the ability to set up a series of actions which happen on your command. So although Alexa can\u2019t accept multiple requests in one go, Routines is sort of a workaround for this.
You could configure, for example, that Alexa will turn on the lights and read your Flash Briefing when you say \u201cAlexa, good morning\u201d.
The former will happen only if you have compatible smart lights (see Control your stuff below). The latter is a built-in feature which gives you a news and weather update.
To customise the Flash Briefing, go to Settings > Flash Briefing. Tap the boxes next to the services you want included, and tap \u2018Get more Flash Briefing content\u2019 to add more.
Bear in mind that not all of the services offered are recorded audio: some use Alexa\u2019s text-to-speech function. Unfortunately, this isn\u2019t really good enough yet compared to listening to a pre-recorded news bulletin. But you can switch off anything you don\u2019t like easily enough.
Many companies have added Alexa support for their smart home gadgets, including Wi-Fi light bulbs, smart plugs, security cameras, temperature and motion sensors, thermostats and radiator valves.
You\u2019ll have to enable the relevant Skill, then enter your login details and authorise Alexa to control those devices through your account.
Then it\u2019s just a case of learning exactly what to say to control them, as well as what\u2019s possible. For example, you can group multiple smart bulbs and get Alexa to turn them on and off at the same time by saying «Alexa turn off the lights».
When naming any device, keep it as simple as possible to ensure Alexa doesn\u2019t miss-hear you.
If you have an Echo Show or Spot, you can view the video feed from compatible cameras. Again, enable the Skill from the camera’s manufacturer and enter your account details. Then say «Alexa, show me the front door» or use whatever name you have given that camera. Remember, rename your camera if the current name isn’t easy to say or easy for Alexa to understand.
Alexa can send messages and make voice calls to another Alexa users.
Once you allow her to access your phone (or tablet) contacts, she can identify who has an Echo or the Alexa app.
You can then say \u201cAlexa, tell Marc I\u2019ll be round in 15 minutes\u201d. Your voice recording will then be played on their Echo when they check their messages.
Alternatively you can type your message in the Alexa app, and she will then read it out in her voice instead of using a recording of your voice.
For more details see our guide to Alexa messaging and calling .
There’s also the ability to broadcast messages on all your Echo devices. Ask Alexa on any Echo and say «Alexa tell everyone dinner is ready» and she will announce it around the house.
Alexa has been criticised for not having as much of a sense of humour as the Google Assistant. But that\u2019s really not true.
Amazon has given Alexa many witty responses: you just need to know what to ask. We\u2019ve put together a great list of questions you can ask to get funny responses. One quick example is «Alexa, tell us a joke».
And there\u2019s a selection of games you can play. So try saying the following:<\/p>\n

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