Amazon Alexa commands: Our guide to Everything Alexa can do

Alexa commands: Alexa is one of the best example and most successful device of artificial intelligence. The smart speaker voice assistance will help you with your daily tasks at your home, office, or trips.

Amazon Alexa Speakers have so many variants, and now Alexa compatible with more Alexa smart devices than ever, and it keeps on increasing from smart TVs to home appliances, fitness trackers, doorbells, and much more.

Alexa voice assistance can be used for all of the Amazon smart speakers like a tap, Echo, Echo Dot, Scho show, Dash wand, and more. With all these smart speakers, you can collect any information and even operate other devices of your home and office.

What are some Alexa commands?

To communicate with Alexa, you need to command it; there is the endless command you can use to operate Alexa. Alexa is capable of understanding human language, so you don’t have to be accurate with your power and change it a bit until it makes sense.

You might be aware of some of the commands, but there are so many commands you can use for Alexa, in this article, you will find everything.

Waking Alexa

Want to call out to Alexa, if you think there are only one or two ways to summon Alexa than you are wrong, there are many. The default and most used word are Alexxa, but it’s not the only one.

Alternative words to use to summon that you can use in recent times are Echo, Amazon, Computer, to choose these wake words you have to use Alexa mobile app or open echo.amazon.com on your browser.

A few Amazon devices have a remote button for wake feature like Amazon Tap, Dash Wand, Amazon Fire TV voice remote. The tap feature got an update with Hands-free mode that you can enable it on the setting. Alexa is the only wake word you can use for Amazon Tap.

Follow Up Mode is the new feature that Amazon added in recent times, with this feature, you can use many recurring commands to Alexa without using the wake command every time.

Follow-Up Mode makes it easy for you to ask Alexa anything back to back, and it also saves a lot of your time. Alexa will continue to listen to your commands until you tell Alexa to stop.

By follow up Mode, you can combine two commands like play indie music in Amazon at volume 8 or Add Milk and eggs to the shopping list.

Other Devices Where You can Use Alexa Voice Assistance

Alexa was introduced to Amazon speaker, but it’s not the only place where you can use Alexa. There are many ways and devices with which you can call your digital assistant Alexa. Below are some of the examples other than Amazon’s smart speaker.

Cortana on Windows computer: You can use Cortana on an updated windows computer by saying “Open Alexa” after the initial connection is established. You will be connected to Amazon’s assistance through Cortana.
Alexa App iOS version and Android version: When using mobile apps, you will not be able to use the wake word. To access the Alexa app, select the Alexa icon, and click on the queue for an assistant. Don’t expect too much from the app; it cannot beat the smart speaker; it has a minimal number of features.
Amazon Music App
Amazon Shopping App

Complete List of Alexa Commands

After you wake Alexa, the next thing you do is a command or ask a question; so the new command is added by Amazon when further device support and new services. Alexa cannot always be perfect, and no other artificial intelligence can.

Alexa is one of the most used AI that is very fine in understanding language. So, it’s not necessary for you to say the command the same each time you can omit or add words accordingly.

When you consider third party commands with your skills, the apps of Amazon’s Alexa, the list increases. To know skills visit the skill’s page on the Amazon Alexa app or alexa.amazon.com.

Below is the list of all Alexa commands you can use for your Amazon speaker

Basic Commands

In order to Starting with some basic commands, here are some commands that you will require the most at any point in time.

To ask for help: “Alexa help.”
Talk with Alexa: “Alexa let’s chat.”
To Mute and unmute: “Alexa, mute” or “Alexa, unmute.”
Stop or Pause: “Alexa, stop” or “Alexa, Shut up.”
Volume change: “Alexa, set the volume to 8”, “Alexa Turn up or Turn down the volume.”

Echo Show and Echo Spot

Amazon has a series of smart speakers for every preference out of all only two smart speaker devices featuring a touchscreen display. Touch screen display means visual content, which means more commands. Here are the extra set of commands you can use for the Echo Show and Echo Spot.

Ask Alexa directly what it can display with this command: “Alexa, what can you show me?”
See your Calendar: “Alexa, show my calendar.”
With the Echo Show, you can see your calendar and all the marked event, ask “Alexa, show my calendar.”
You can link the Echo Show with your home cameras and ask Alexa to view it anytime, “Alexa, show the outdoor camera.”
You can see your photos on Show captures on your phone or view a picture from the internet, ask “Alexa, show me my photos” or “Alexa, show me photos of Leonardo di Caprio.”
Watch movie trailers “Alexa, show me a movie trailer of (Film name)”
Check Movie timings “Alexa show movie showtime.”
Another great feature of the Echo Show is that you can stream youtube on it. You can do many things like watch cooking recipes in the kitchen while you cook. To enable youtube videos, ”Alexa, show me how to cook pancakes on youtube.” or “Alexa, show me some travel vlogs on youtube.”
Watch forecast by saying “Alexa, show me a forecast of Sunday.”
You can open any webpage on a browser like “Alexa open phoneier.com.”
Unlike other Echo devices, Echo show lets you view your flash briefing: “Alexa play Flash briefing in the video.”
See and set timers: “Alexa, show me all my timers.”
Open an Alexa linked app and view it on the screen “Alexa, open Uber.” “Alexa show me the location to baker’s street.”

Calls and Messaging

All the Alexa devices have speaker and microphone as the basic features, that means they all are communicative. You can ask Alexa to read or send messages or to make a phone call to your friends and family.

In the year 2017, Amazon came with calling and messaging features between two echo speakers. Another amazing feature that it added was known as Drop-in that establishes a connection between different echo speakers of your home. Two of the recent updated feature Echo got was Announcement and messaging sending through voice.

Here are the commands to use all the calls and messaging features on Echo devices.

If you have more than one Alexa devices in your home, you can pass on a message to all the tools through one device. You can even make a big announcement with this feature, day “Alexa, announce it’s dinner time.” or “Alexa, announce it’s school time.”
Make a call to another Echo User: “Alexa, call(name)”
You can ask Alexa to answer an incoming call: “Alexa, answer my call.”
To end your phone call: “Alexa, end the call” or “Alexa, hung up.”
Like calling you can share the message to another echo users “Alexa, send message to (name)” or “Alexa, send a message.”
Tell Alexa to read out your received message if you can’t reach your phone:” Alexa, play a message.”
To use Drop-In feature with another Echo device of yours: “Alexxa, drop in on the living room.”
To use Drop-In feature with other users, “Alexa, drop in on (name).” Note that to send Drop Into other users requires users’ permission allowing you to send drop in.
Have a number check: ”Alexa, open phone number check,” followed by “Tell me about(number)” or “give me information about (number).”
For Echo Show users you can turn off video when you make a phone call: “Alexa, turn the video off.”

Time and Date

Data and time are essential we most need in our day to day life. Echo speakers are the best alarm clock you can have, set alarms or reminders within a second by telling Alexa. Apart from timing setting and marking essential dates like a date for your interview or birthdays and anniversaries, everything will be effortless. Here are all the date and time commands you can use with an echo device.

Mark an alarm: “Alexa, set the alarm for 7 a.m” or “Alexa wake me up of 6:AM” or “Wake, me in 5 hours” or “Wake me at 10 in the morning.”
Set your preferred music to your alarm: “Alexa, wake me up to (song title or artist)” “Alexa, set the alarm to Blank space.”
If you want to set the alarm for multiple days you can ask Alexa for it: “Alexa set a repeating alarm for Monday to Wednesday of 8 AM.”
Alexa has an excellent option for timer setting, you can: “Alexa set a timer for 30 minutes”,
Set as many timers as you want: “Alexa, set another timer of 15 minutes.”
Check timer status: “Alexa, how much time is left on my timer?”
You can also choose music for your timer. “Alexa set 5 minutes timer to single ladies song”,
Give a title to your timer: “Alexa, set a chicken timer.”
You can even cancel your timer anytime ”Alexa cancel by 7 pm timer” or “cancel my chicken timer.”
Ask Alexa about Time and also the date: “Alexa, what’s the time” or “Alexa, what is the date today.”
Ask Alexa about your alarm: “Alexa, tell me about my next alarm.”
Remove and snooze alarm: “Alexa, cancel by 7 AM alarm” and “Alexa, snooze.”
Check special occasion dates like ”Alexa, when is the(even or holiday name)”

Notification

Echo devices are capable of telling you about your notification. Hence, this feature helps you out when your phone is not nearby. So you can ask Alexa to read out your notification while you are busy with your work.

To enable notification feature, go through the Alexa App that or alexa.amazon.com on the browser.

Open setting, select notification, and toggle on the shopping notification. Now every time you receive your notification, the speaker will turn yellow.
Ask about the missed notification: “Alexa, what did I miss?” ”Alexa, read my notification,” “Alexa, what are my notifications?”
Navigate through notification: “Alexa, next” or “Alexa, previous.”
To delete notification: “Alexa, delete all of my notification.”

Purchasing

Being an Amazon product, how can Echo not help you with shopping on Amazon! The smart speaker family eases your shopping task; it can add items on the cart for your, place order and also help you in product tracking.

Track your order: “Alexa, track my order” or “Alexa where is my order.”
Reorder items say, “Alexa, buy more lotion.”
To add items on your shopping cart, tell, “Alexa add (item) to shopping cart” once done, you can complete the order with your mobile device.
Order Uber or Lyft by asking: “Alexa, ask Uber to request a ride” and “Alexa, ask Lyft for a ride.”
Purchase favorite song from Amazon Music, “Alexa, shop for new music(song title) or (artist name)”
Know about the latest deals “Alexa, what are your deals.”
Order another Echo device, “Alexa order an Echo(name)”
To know about top recommended products, ask Alexa, “Alexa, find me a good Android phone to the latest iPhone on Amazon” Alexa will shot list some products based on customer reviews for you.

Shopping and to-do List

Creating a shopping list can be too dull, especially if you have to note it down on a pen or paper, the mobile phone comes, but it is not as good as Alexa. Creating a shopping to-do list with Alexa is super easy and convenient, whenever you remember anything to buy, tell Alexa and it will note it down for you. You can even ask Alexa to place an online order on the Amazon shopping app.

Here are all the shopping commands; you can ask Alexa.

Create and add stuff on your to-do list, “Alexa, create a to-do list,” “Alexa, add go to the doctor to my to-do” “Add chicken, eggs, and pasta to my grocery list,” “Alexa create a new to-do item.”
To check the shopping list: “Alexa, what’s on my shopping list?”
Create a reminder; “Alexa, reminder” or “Alexa, remind me to turn off the oven in ten minutes.”
Go through your reminders: “Alexa what are my reminders for Sunday” or “Alexa, what reminders do I have for Monday.”
Check your American Express balance with “Alexa, open Amex” and look at your account.
Go through your marked events, or create a new event ”Alexa, what’s on my calendar for tomorrow?”, “Alexa, add an event to my calendar.”
Set important event on your calendar: “Alexa, add(event) to my calendar for the day and time.”
You can even edit and change your event day and time, “Alexa, move my appointment from 10:00 AM to 12:00 AM.”

News and Weather Command

You do not have to turn to your TV or open your mobile phone for weather and the new report, just ask Alexa and get all the updates instantly. Here is how:

Alexa has a feature called flash briefings that quickly briefs you about today’s headlines. To ask Alexa for Flash briefing: “Alexa, what’s my flash briefing?”
Instead of the flash briefing, you can even ask Alexa about the news saying,”Alexa What’s New?”
You can ask Alexa for upcoming weather forecasts like “Hey Alexa, what will the weather be like tomorrow or this weekend?” For traffic to you can as “Hey Alexa tell me about today’s traffic” or What will be the traffic like or Alexa what’s my commute looks like.
You will even get the visual representation when you have an eco show and also video flash briefings.

Music

One thing that most people ask Alexa is to play music, and the best part is that Alexa supports several kinds of music streaming services. Music streaming apps that is compatible with Alexa is obviously Amazon music, Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Pandora, SiriusXM, and many regional services.

To play any random song from the default app of Amazon’s music, ask: “Alexa play some songs to play randomly.”
If you want to hear a song from a particular artist, you can ask, “Alexa, play music by the artist(name).”
To know the singer of a particular song, you ask ‘’Alexa, who sings the song (title).”
Know about your favorite album “When did (band name) was released (song or album).”
Want to add music on your playlist, ask ”Alexa, sample song(title)or song by(artist).”
If you aren’t aware of the song title, just mention some lyrics to Alexa like “Alexa, play that song that tells Baby I am sorry but no sorry.”
Switch to another song of your playlist, “Alexa, Next.”
Any time restart song playing with ”Alexa, restart.”
You can add songs to your playlist to Spotify or Amazon prime music libraries or streaming service by asking, “Alexa, add this(title) song.
To play a song on a specific app, ask, ”Alexa, play(title) on Spotify or Pandora or Amazon.”
To use Tuneln say ’’Alexa, play(Radio station) on TuneIn.”
On echo speaker, you can play songs based on a theme like: “Alexa, play baby lullaby songs” or “Alexa play romantic songs ”
You can play songs based on a particular context: “Alexa play latest Jonas brother albums” or “Alexa play songs that go with lover.
Ask Alexa to read you audiobooks through the audible app, “Alexa play (book title) on audible” or “Alexa read “Book title.”
Play and resume audibles by saying “Alexa play/ resume my book” or “Alexa resume my book.”
Skip chapters of audible by saying: “Alexa move to next chapter” or “Alexa next” or “Alexa go back to the previous chapter.”
Play bedtime story for your kids say “Alexa read a bedtime story.”
Alexa connects with Kindle app to ask: “Alexa read me my Kindle book(title)”
You can tell Alexa, songs that you like or dislike, “Alexa, you like this song” so next time Alexa can play your favorite list of the song when asked, “Alexa, I like this song” or “Alexa, I don’t like this song.” or “Alexa, thumbs up the song(title)” or thumbs down.
If you have Amazon Fire TV at your home, you can access it with Alexa, “Alexa, search for Mr.Robot on Fire TV,” or “Show movies of Rock.”
If you have a Fire TV edition television, you operate it on and off or change inputs etc.
Some essential music Alexa commands are “Alexa, What’s playing,” “Stop playing after 15 minutes”, “Alexa, play the song of the day” and “Alexa, play(genre) music.”

Entertainment

There are tons of entertainment things you can ask your Alexa like ask it for jokes, connect it with your TV, music, and more. Are your movies and love fetching information about films and shows you can use Alexa for that.

Hence, Alexa carries you all the information related to movies and actors. Below are some of the examples you can ask Alexa.

“Alexa”

Tell me IMDb rating of the movie(title)”
Tell me about the movie(title)”
When the movie(title) will be released or has been released.”
Which actor is in the movie (title)”
What is the actor (name) latest film.”
Give me a movie(title) quotes.”
Tell me about the actor(name)”
Who plays(character) in (movie or show)?”
Tell new movie releases.”
What are comedy films tonight”

Smart Home

With so many features, the best features of Alexa come with smart home devices. There are tons of home devices and appliances that are compatible with Alexa devices.

Some of the smart devices brands include Wink, Philips Hue, Insteon, Lutron, Belkin WeMo, and more. Some of the smart devices will need you to enable skill while some don’t. This month Echo got a new update. Amazon intelligent speakers are now capable of changing the color of bulbs of LifX, TP-Link, Philips hue, and more.

Commands for Echo Smart Devices

There are numerous commands you can use with Echo for smart devices, here are some of the most prominent controls you can use in your home.

Switch on and off home lights: “Alexa, turn on the lights” or “Alexa turn on the light of my bedroom.”
Change the colors of your smart lights: “Alexa, turn living room light red‘ or “Alexa, turn living room light soft yellow.”
Some smart bulbs allow you to change color temperature ask: “Alexa, make the kitchen lights warmer.”
To dim your room light: “Alexa, dim room lights to 60 percent.”
Set your AC temperature: “Alexa, set the temperature to 30-degree celsius.”
Close or lock the door by asking: “Alexa lock my house doors” or “Alexa, lock my study room.”
To discover smart home devices in your home ask; “Alexa, discover my devices.”
Enable IFTTT recipes: “Alexa, trigger (IFTTT recipe name)”
Some of the appliances can be used to activate scenes such as movie time, dinner time, Bedtime ask, “Alexa, Turn on Movie Time” or “Alexa Turn on Dinner time.”
With the help of Geneva, skills enable GE appliances: “Alexa ask Geneva to preheat oven to 200 degrees” or “Alexa, tell Geneva to dry my laundry.
You can ask Alexa to locate your lost phone with the help of TrackR Lost My Phone skill: “Alexa, ask TrackR to find my phone. “
There are a few advantageous features like you can scare burglars by saying: “Alexa, turn runaway mode.”
With Harmony Hub feature you can control your TV ask: “Alexa, turn on the TV” or “Alexa play Breaking Bad on Netflix.”
The Polk Command Bar features Alexa in the Soundbar that lets you experience excellent sound quality.
Alexa Guard features are capable of detecting smoke and breaking of glass, and it will send you alerts as soon it detects such a situation. It also works with amazon’s smart doorbell. To enable this feature command: “Alexa, I am leaving.”

Businesses and Food

Love cooking or ordering food, Alexa helps you with food recipes or food order. Also, when you promote business, ask Alexa anytime.

To get a cooking recipe: “Alexa, how do you make chocolate cakes?”
To know about nearby food options, “Alexa, find me a nearby place for Chinese” “Alexa, which is the nearest cafe.”
Want to know about the timings or even a contact detail about local business: “Alexa, find the address for Bank of America” or “Alexa, find business hours for target.”

Sports

So you love watching sports? If yes then you would like to know that are many commands you can use on Echo device for games, have a look below:

Know the score of ongoing or played Matches: “Alexa, what is the score of today’s match of the team?”
Check if a team has won “Alexa did the (Team) win.”
Ask about the upcoming game: “Alexa, when do the Team Play next.”
Find your favorite team list “Alexa, give me Sports update.”
You can be updated about Fantasy Football with Yahoo Fantasy Football skills “Alexa, ask Yahoo Fantasy football for a score update” or “Alexa, ask Yahoo Fantasy Football if colin is playing tomorrow ”
For league standings, ask: “Alexa, what are the MLB standings?”

Settle a Score

You can use this feature when you play board games or just want to win a point with your friends. Settle game between you and your friend look on the commands below:

“Alexa, roll a dice” or “Alexa, roll a 26 sided dice.”

“Alexa, flip a coin.”

“Pick a number, “Alexa, pick any number between 1 to 100.”

“Alexa, roll a dice” or “Roll a 26 sided dice.”

Spelling, Maths, and Definition

You can also use Alexa for learning like when you discover a new word, ask Alexa about it, get definition meaning, or spellings from Alexa. Alexa will even solve calculation, converts units and more; you don’t have to look for the calculator, just ask Alexa.

To know word definition ask, “Alexa, what’s the definition of the (word)?”
To know word Spelling ask, “Alexa, how to spell (word)?”
Ask Alexa to convert units, ”Alexa, how many (unit) are in (group)” or “Alexa, how many(units) make(units)”
Solve basic mathematics: “Alexa, what’s 15 plus 35?” or “Alexa, what’s 69 times 45?”
Need some help in advance mathematics ask: “Alexa, tell me 50 factorial.”

BlueTooth

The echo device being a smart Bluetooth speaker delivers a BlueTooth connection. You don’t have to do anything. Give Alexa the following commands.

To pair Echo with a BlueTooth device, “Alexa, pair” or “Alexa, Bluetooth.”

Make a BlueTooth connection: “Alexa, connect to my phone.”

Disconnect from a Bluetooth device: “Alexa, disconnect from my phone.”

Profiles and User Accounts

Switch between profiles and user account so you can use these commands with Alexa.

Switch Profile: “Alexa, switch account.”

In order to check if your profile is active, ask, “Alexa, which profile is this?”

Skills

Skills allow connection between the third party software and echo speaker. They are similar to apps on the phone, they add extra features to your device. With Skills, you can play games with Alexa, add flash briefing sources, and more. Here are some commands for skills with Alexa.

To use a skill: “Alexa, open Earplay.”

To know kid’s skills, ask: “Alexa, what are kids skills you have?”

Turn on a skill: “Alexa, enable flash briefing.”

Turn off a skill: “Alexa, disable Jeopardy.”

There are many skills for Alexa that you can use so to make your work so much easier, IFTTT, Jeopardy, domino’s because, that lets you order pizza and Bartender skills that contain than 12000 cocktail recipes.

A new Amazon update has made using skills simply, you don’t have to ask Alexa to enable skills before using it.

You can enable and disable skills manually if you wish, Open skill(title) will allow the skill for you, but you need to login to your account as and when required from Alexa app. Skills like Starbucks and other food delivery option needs logging of account from alexa.amazon.com

Cortana

cortana

If you use a Windows computer, this skill is what you will be loving. As a result, Cortana is one of the skills on Alexa. This skill connects you to a different digital assistant through echo speakers.

Similarly, you added this skill and enabled all the permissions and connected to Microsoft as well as Amazon account so, you will have to say, “Alexa, open Cortana.”

Hence, you can now ask Cortana about emails, events, calendars, shopping lists, to-do lists, and more because Cortana skills are somewhat limited for now, but the full integration will launch soon.

Search

Looking for information or solutions, Alexa makes searching easier for you so, here are some commands for searching.

Go through Wikipedia information ask; “Alexa, Wikipedia(subject)”
Ask to keep reading Wikipedia information: “Alexa, tell me more.”
A general question: “Alex tell me about Ellen DeGeneres”
Give A Quora question: “Alexa, ask Quora what the health benefits of eating broccoli are.”
Ask Alexa about some quotes and dialogues: “Alexa tell me a quote from Abraham Lincoln ” or “Alexa tell me most famous lines from ”Game of Thrones.”
You can check stock values of bull or bear market ask: “Alexa, open Bell for Microsoft.”

Holidays

What is better than a Holiday? Finding information about holidays from Alexa;

Find out holiday dates ask: “Alexa when is (Holiday name)”
Learn about a holiday ask: “Alexa, tell me about (holiday)” or “Why do we celebrate(holiday)”
Alexa can tell you about Santa ask: “Alexa, how old is Santa?” or “Alexa, where does Santa live” or “Is Santa for real” also ask about Santa’s reindeer “Alexa, who’s your favorite reindeer?” “Tell me about Santa’s reindeer” “Tell me about Red-nosed reindeer Rudolph.”
You can ask Alexa to track Santa Claus by saying “Alexa track Santa” or “Alexa where is Santa.”
Play Christmas Carol ask “Alexa, sing Christmas carols to me.” or “Alexa read ‘The night before Christmas.”
Need some fun ask Alexa these commands: “Alexa, open my gift,” “Alexa, how ugly is my holiday sweater” or “Alexa tell me a holiday joke.”

Fire TV and Fire Stick

All the echo speakers have the capability to control Amazon’s Fire TV and Fire Sticks. Therefore it is so much easier to use these devices with Alexa see below:

Ask Alexa to control Fire TV: “Alexa, (play, pause, resume, stop, fast forward, rewind) on Fire TV.”
Search movies and TV shows, ask “Alexa, show me (movie or TV show) on Fire TV.”
Search show with reference to actors asks: “Alexa, show me titles with the actor on fire TV.”
Launch Apps: “Alexa open (app name) on Fire TV” or “Alexa, launch app(name) on fire TV.”
To open the home page ask: “Alexa, return home.”

Fire TV Edition Televisions

Amazon features Fire TV operating system on TV such as the Element EL4KaMZ17 series. All the above-mentioned commands you can use with Fire TV along with commands made specifically for TV.

Switch On and Off-TV: “Alexa turn (on or Off) Fire TV ”
Control volume of Fire TV: “Alexa, set the volume (10, 50 ..) on fire TV” or “turn up/down the volume Fire TV.”
Mute and unmute Fire TV: “Alexa, (mute, unmute) fire TV.”
Ask Alexa to switch channels, “Alexa, go to (channel) on Fire TV.”
Ask Alexa to change Fire inputs: “Alexa, switch to Xbox” or switch to other inputs by saying, “Alexa, switch to HDMI 1 on Fire TV.”

In Conclusion

In order to, using Alexa commands and all the fun things you can use your Amazon smart speaker. Therefore, echo devices make your home smarter and bring you and your family even more bundle of joy and entertainment.

As a result, it makes most of your echo speakers by using all the above-mentioned commands as and when required.

Hence, for more information like this, visit our website Phoneier.com, we curate information based on mobile phones, technologies, laptops, apps, and websites so if you have any queries feel free to connect with us through the comment section below.