15 Unexpected Ways to Use Alexa
Updated: Apr. 03, 2023You know her as "Alexa," Amazon's virtual assistant which is built into devices such as the Amazon Echo. But beyond playing music and greeting you when you arrive home, what else is she good for? Once you set up Alexa with certain skills, she can help you in many ways. Here are 14 unexpected ways you can use Alexa.
Send Messages
Have your hands full but need to send a message before you forget? You can make calls and send messages to other Alexa users!
Or, if you’d like your voice assistants to have a little less access, here’s how to turn them off.
Drop In
Do you have an aging loved one living alone? Alexa allows you to “drop in” so you can check on them if they also have an Alexa and approve you for this feature. It’s like a phone call, except the other person doesn’t have to answer.
In the mood for a good laugh? This is a Saturday Night Live sketch about Alexa for seniors.
A Night Light
Need a night light but don’t have an outlet available? Just use Alexa. Once you enable the skill, her ring will pulse for 45 minutes to add a light glow to the room.
Intercom
If you have a larger home and add some Echo speakers in various rooms, you can tell Alexa to communicate to other parts of the house. She can tell the kids to get downstairs for breakfast in the morning!
Order Items From Your Shopping List
Since Alexa is connected to Amazon, just tell her you need her to order items from Amazon Prime. Running low on toilet paper or need to order a last-minute gift? No problem! Have her help you with your shopping list.
Track Packages
Once your order those items from Amazon, you can ask her to track your packages. Just say, “Alexa: Track my order.”
Find Easter Eggs
No, not that kind of Easter egg! These Easter eggs are little surprises programmers put in software. To find some of these eggs, ask her to tell you a joke or ask her, “Alexa: What is your quest?” Be creative with your questions and she might surprise you with her answers.
Feed the Dog
You can connect Alexa to a dog feeder app like Furbo or Petnet so food will automatically disperse for your dog while you’re out in case you forget or can’t make supper on time. Catch a whiff of these outstanding tech toys you can give your doggie.
Order Food and Find a Complementary Wine
There are a number of delivery restaurants that connect to Alexa, which means you can tell Alexa to order your favorite dish. If you add the MySomm skill you can ask Alexa for the right kind of wine to pair with the dish. Alexa can do all that for you but it’s not going to help you open a bottle of wine if you don’t have a corkscrew. We’ve got 10 solutions to open a wine bottle when you don’t have a corkscrew.
Tell a Story
If you read to your child before bed every night, Alexa can give you a break if you ask. Alexa will even personalize the story to use your child’s name. But Alexa can’t build one of these totally awesome bunk beds and kids’ beds.
Order a Ride
Alexa connects to Lyft so you can call for a ride just by asking her versus reaching for your phone. Make sure you add these apps to help you with home improvement work.
