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What can Alexa do? How to get the most out of any Amazon Echo device

Dave Johnson   

What can Alexa do? How to get the most out of any Amazon Echo device
Tech6 min read
  • Alexa is Amazon's virtual voice assistant that can answer your questions and help you manage your smart home.
  • With very few exceptions, every Echo and Echo Show device has the same overall set of features and capabilities, and Alexa is exactly the same in each.
  • There are hundreds of thousands of apps, services, and products that work with Alexa.

Even if you don't own an Amazon Echo device, you've almost certainly heard the name of its virtual voice assistant, Alexa. Alexa has become so embedded in popular culture that it is routinely referred to on late night talk shows and primetime television.

Alexa is the software that runs at the core of every Amazon Echo device, from the miniature speaker known as the Echo Dot to the large touchscreen Echo Show 8 - plus more unusual devices like the Echo Auto.

In fact, Alexa support is also built into many smart home products from other companies. The Facebook Portal+ and Portal Go, for example, are designed primarily to enable Facebook Messenger video conversations, but also have Alexa built in.

Here's an overview of what Alexa can do and what devices you can find it in.

What can Alexa do?

Alexa is a "smart" virtual voice assistant, which means it understands your voice and responds to questions and commands with a voice of its own.

Related Article Module: The most important Alexa voice commands you can use with your Amazon Echo

Using plain English commands (or about eight other languages and a half-dozen dialects for non-English speakers) you can ask Alexa to perform a large number of common household chores like set timers, tell the time, read weather and news, control smart home devices, play music, and tell jokes. In addition, you can ask Alexa knowledge-based questions which it will research online.

To get Alexa's attention, you need to preface any question or command with the "wake word," which by default is "Alexa," but can be one of several other options including "computer," "Amazon," or "Echo."

A large number of other smart products integrate with Alexa, which means you can send them commands using your voice.

What can Amazon Echo do?

In the family of Amazon Echo devices - primarily smart speakers and displays - Alexa is the voice-based interface you primarily use to control it.

Quick tip: Most of Alexa's intelligence comes through an always-on connection to the internet. If your Echo device loses its WiFi connection or your internet access is offline, Alexa will be unable to respond to commands or answer questions.

Echo Dot (4th generation)

While the Amazon Echo was the first Alexa-powered speaker, the miniature Echo Dot is generally more common because it's more affordable and has a smaller footprint, yet it does all the same things as the larger Echo. The hockey puck-shaped Echo Dot 3rd generation has been replaced by a fabric-covered globe in the 4th generation model.

Regardless of its size and shape, the Echo Dot is almost exactly the same as the larger Echo; Alexa has the same features and capabilities. The only real difference is that the Echo Dot doesn't offer the same sound quality, since the Echo has larger audio drivers for better music reproduction.

Echo Flex

For people who want the ability to command Alexa but don't need high quality audio for music playback in a particular room, the Echo Flex is a value-priced device that can fill this need affordably. It's a small device that plugs into an electrical outlet, similar to a plug-in air freshener. It has a microphone to process voice commands and a very small speaker to respond, as well as a USB input to charge a mobile device.

There have been ongoing industry rumors that Amazon is discontinuing the Echo Flex, and it has been unavailable at Amazon for some time. It's likely that the Echo Dot will replace the Flex as the entry-level Echo device.

Echo Studio

While the Echo and Echo Dot are the smart speakers that most people turn to, depending on the size of your room and what kind of audio quality you desire, the Echo Studio is Amazon's high-end smart speaker with premium audio components. It features five full-range speakers and supports Dolby Atmos 3D audio that can simulate surround sound.

Like the other Echo speakers, Echo Studio doesn't offer any additional capabilities compared to the standard Echo aside from the enhanced audio quality. For the best audio quality, though, it can be paired with a standalone wireless subwoofer.

Echo Show

Unlike Echo devices, the Echo Show family of products are smart displays - they combine Alexa software with a touchscreen display and stand on a counter or desktop. That means the Echo Show (available in a number of sizes from five inches to 15 inches) is optimized for tasks like displaying photo slideshows, playing video, and conducting video calls. The Echo Show 5, for example, is a good size for the kitchen, where it can help with meals by playing cooking videos.

The Echo Show has a handful of clever features not found in other devices. Setup is easier, for example, because you can do all initial configuration on the touchscreen and not use the Alexa mobile app. And the Echo Show 10 is mounted on a motorized stand that lets the display turn to follow you around the room when on a video call.

Echo Auto

As the name suggests, Echo Auto adds Alexa to your car. It's a small, thin rectangular gadget with built-in microphones designed to hear voice commands while driving despite road and car noise. It connects to your car's sound system via an AUX cable or Bluetooth, and gets power from the car's cigarette lighter port. Finally, it connects to the internet through a Bluetooth connection to your smartphone.

This enables you to send questions and commands to Alexa while driving. You get the same standard capabilities as with an Echo speaker at home, including the ability to remotely operate smart devices at home from the road.

Apps, services, and products that work with Alexa

As mentioned earlier in the article, Alexa works with an array of apps, services, and other products. Amazon has built an enormous platform for Alexa that enables Alexa-powered products to be at the center of almost any smart home.

According to Statista, by 2020 there were over 100,000 products that had the "Works with Alexa" logo. Common products include smart lights, smart alarm systems and door locks, smart kitchen appliances, TVs, speaker systems, and more. Likewise, Alexa integrates with services like music streaming apps - Spotify and Pandora are two obvious examples.

In addition, third-party companies and developers are able to create custom Alexa skills. Users can easily enable these skills, adding them to Alexa's feature set as well. There are more than 100,000 of these add-on skills.

With so many ways to use Alexa, no two people may have quite the same experience with the virtual assistant. Common commands include:

  • Alexa, wake me at 7AM tomorrow.
  • Alexa, tell me the news.
  • Alexa, set a 30-minute timer.
  • Alexa, what's on my calendar today?
  • Alexa, play the Beatles.
  • Alexa, what's the weather?
  • Alexa, tell me a joke.

Quick tip: Some products are advertised as "Works with Alexa," while others have "Alexa Built-In." Works with Alexa products are smart home devices that can be commanded by Alexa - like smart lights and security systems. Devices with Alexa built in, like the Echo and Echo Show, come with the Alexa virtual voice assistant and can respond to questions and commands directed to Alexa.

How to set up Alexa on your Amazon Echo and customize your settingsA complete guide to the Amazon Echo family, the smart speakers that will change your home foreverHow to add new skills to your Alexa-enabled device in 3 different ways'What is the Amazon Echo Dot?': Everything you need to know about Amazon's compact smart speaker

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