So, you recently bought or received an Echo, Echo Dot, or another Echo device as a present, and it’s now sitting in your kitchen, silently awaiting your next order. So, what’s next?
Before you can ask your Alexa-powered Echo to play your favorite Spotify playlist or turn on your living room lights, you’ll need to adjust a few settings. Learn how to train Alexa to recognize your voice (Sometimes, Alexa voice not responding for several issues. It needs to fix.), prohibits anybody from buying anything on Amazon, and tell her where you live and work, and more.
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1. Make A Voice Profile
As soon as you switch on your new Echo, Alexa will start answering your queries and performing your bidding. Having said that, it’s a good idea to start training Alexa to recognize your voice as soon as possible. You can teach Alexa to hear and identify your speech by building a voice profile, which comes in useful when you ask Alexa to buy or send messages to others.
Your Echo device should have offered you to create a voice profile during the first setup process, but if you disregarded it (as I did the first time), there is an easy fix.
In the Amazon Alexa app for iOS or Android, tap the menu button, then Settings > Alexa Account > Recognized Voices > Your Voice, and finally the huge blue “Begin” button.
Alexa will prompt you to speak four short words in your Echo. After that, she’ll have a lot better idea of how you sound.
2. Customize Your Voice-shopping Preferences
By default, your Echo allows you—or anybody within hearing distance—to purchase goods from Amazon simply by asking Alexa. While saying “Alexa, purchase laundry detergent” is certainly handy, you might not want your children casually asking Alexa to get them the latest Bakugan.
Fortunately, you can easily add some protections to Alexa’s voice shopping capability so your rugrats don’t start ordering toys, sweets, or whatever else comes into their adorable greedy little minds. You may even disable voice buying entirely if you choose.
To begin, run the Amazon Alexa app on your iPhone or Android smartphone, then select Settings > Alexa Account > Voice Purchasing from the menu.
If you want to maintain the voice purchasing function but prohibit your children from using it, you may set a four-digit voice code that you must speak before Alexa agrees to purchase anything for you. Simply toggle the Voice code setting and enter a four-digit code.
When you or anybody else asks Alexa to buy something, she will first ask for your voice code. The issue with children is that they remember everything you say, even voice codes, in addition to being intelligent. As a result, if Alexa knows your voice, you should generally tell her to bypass the voice code. (That voice profile you made will come in helpful soon.)
Simply return to the Voice Purchasing screen and enable the Recognize Speakers option. Now, when you ask Alexa to buy anything on Amazon, you won’t have to utter a voice code, and even better, no one else will overhear your code. Last but not least, you may disable voice purchasing entirely by deactivating the “Purchase by voice” feature.
3. Establish A “do Not Disturb” Routine
Once you’ve gotten to know your new Echo, you may have it announce forthcoming calendar items, news headlines, incoming messages, and a variety of other events. You probably don’t want Alexa jolting you up at 3 a.m. just because you have spam in your mailbox.
To make Alexa silent after you’ve gone to bed, open the Alexa app and click to Settings > Device Settings. Tap Do Not Disturb after selecting the name of your new Echo. Then, hit the Scheduled toggle and enter the times when you want Alexa to be silent. When it comes to alarms and timers, Alexa will disregard your Do Not Disturb settings, so prepare accordingly.
4. Select A Music Service
One of the most appealing things you can do with your new Echo is to ask it to play some music. Alexa, on the other hand, plays music from Amazon Music by default. If you have a subscription to another music service, such as Apple Music, Pandora, or Spotify, you may link your music account to your Alexa account and designate it as your preferred music provider.
On the Alexa app, tap the menu button, then Settings > Music, and finally Link New Service. Once you’ve discovered your preferred music service, touch it to activate an Alexa “skill” for it, and then sign in. Finally, from the Music page, hit Default Services and choose a new default option for your music collection and music stations.
After that, you can tell Alexa, “Alexa, play some Bruce Springsteen,” and you’ll soon hear The Boss crooning from your preferred music service.
5. Set Your Home And Work Addresses
If you want to know how long it will take you to go to work on a certain morning, just ask Alexa—that is, after she knows your work address. In the Alexa app, touch the menu button, then Your Areas, and then Add Location to teach Alexa where you live, where you work, and any other locations you want her to be aware of.
6. Include Your Smart Gadgets
Do you want Alexa to operate any devices, such as a smart light, a thermostat, or a security system? In only a few clicks, you can begin configuring them.
In the Alexa app, first hit the menu button, then Add Device. You’ll find a selection of smart gadgets ranging from lights and plugs to cameras and microwaves. Choose a category, then a brand, and then proceed to build a new skill for the gadget or smart service.
After you’ve configured the talent, you can say things like “Alexa, set the basement temperature to 78 degrees,” or “Alexa, turn off the living-room lights.”