Today we bring a compilation of Alexa hacks that will change your life! Before you start with your speakers, the first step is always to download and use the Alexa mobile application, available for Android and iOS in Google Play and the App Store. You do this not only because you need it for the initial configuration of the device, but because it gives you total control of the configuration of your Echo and Alexa. All the configurations that we are going to see below will be done from this application. With these Alexa hacks, you will be able to see a timeline with your latest activities, create a shopping list or you can change languages, control how to send messages to other devices – and much more! 

Alexa Hacks You Might Have Missed Out! 

Change the equalizer and default

The Alexa application also allows you to change the equalizer of your Amazon Echo to suit your tastes, as well as the default sounds of notifications, their volume or activate an option so that the alarms have ascending sound. All these options are grouped into the same sound configuration.

In the Alexa mobile application, open the side menu

Click on the Settings option

Within the settings, click on Device settings

In the list, click on the Amazon Echo whose settings you want to change

You will enter the device settings. In it click on Sounds

You will enter an options panel where you can change everything related to sound. 

Flip a coin

If you are in the middle of an argument and want to play something heads or tails, you can have Amazon Echo or Alexa toss a coin for you in a totally random way and tell you if it came up heads or tails. You just have to ask them with the appropriate command.

Tell Alexa, flip a coin, and it will randomly flip and tell you out loud if it has come up heads or tails. You can throw coins as many times as you want.

Get a random number

If you don’t have enough with a coin and a binary result, the assistant can also tell you a random number. You can make it any random or one between one and the number you want.

If you tell Alexa, say a number, the assistant will tell you a random number.

You can say Say a number from one to one hundred, or Say a number from one to a thousand so that the random number falls between those digits.

You can also simulate rolling a die by saying a number from one to six, or by capping the number of faces you want the die to have.

Alexa is of good kitchen help with her minute hand

Ask Alexa for a countdown by asking her to tell you how much time is left. 

If you have an Amazon Echo in the kitchen, Alexa can help you cook by allowing you to program a minute hand to calculate the times in your recipes. All you have to do is ask when you want how much time is left for the countdown to end. 

One of the best Alexa hacks, ask her: how much time is left on the timer,

Alexa will start counting that time, although without emit sounds, and when it reaches zero an application will sound,

Change the default units of measure

Change units with ease in seconds! Even if you live in Europe it is most likely that the Alexa of your Amazon Echo will already tell you the temperature degrees in Celsius, you also have the possibility to change them to Fahrenheit or change the default distance measurements.

In the Alexa mobile application, open the side menu

Click on the Settings option

Within the settings, click on Device settings

In the list, click on the Amazon Echo for which you want to change the units

You will enter the device settings. There, click on Units of measure.

You can change the temperature units, choosing between Celsius or Fahrenheit. You can change the default of the area also by choosing Kilometers or Miles.

Call or send messages to other Alexa users

Amazon is an ambitious company, and is setting up a service with which to receive calls and send messages to other Amazon Echo users. If when setting up the device you allow it to access your address book, use this Alexa hack to check those phone numbers to see if any of them are assigned to an Amazon Echo. If so, you can make calls between devices at no additional cost.

To make a call, say Alexa, call XXXX, replacing XXXX with the name of a contact on your mobile who also has an Amazon Echo.

To send the same message, say Alexa send a message to XXXX, replacing XXXX with the name of a contact on your mobile who also has an Amazon Echo.

If you do not say the name well or in a way that he understands, he will ask you “Do you mean XXX”? Answer yes to confirm.

If you are sending a message, after confirming the name, it will ask you to dictate the content.

Change the language of Alexa

If you want to change the language, do the steps below: 

In the Alexa mobile application, open the side menu

Click on the Settings option

Within the settings, click on Device settings

In the list, click on the Amazon Echo for which you want to change the language

You will enter the device settings. Here, click on the Language option. 

Select a language from the list, but be aware that there will be skills and parameters that do not work correctly. 

Manage your activity history

Alexa is always listening, and everything you say will be recorded in a history command. In it, Alexa will save everything you have asked her and her answers, so that if there has been a joke, song, or any type of answer that you particularly liked, you can always remember it. 

You can also tell Alexa if she has got the answer right or even delete some history entries – this is one of the great Alexa hacks! 

In the Alexa mobile application, open the side menu

Click on the Activity option

Now you can navigate through all the commands that you have sent to Alexa, and see the responses. 

By clicking on More you can replay your response on your mobile.

There is also a Delete button to delete some of the entries. 

Make your purchases through Amazon

If you are a member of the Amazon Prime program, your Echo device will also allow you to make purchases through Amazon. You just have to tell her what you need, and Alexa will tell you the main results so you can decide whether to buy it or not.

Create your shopping list, tasks, or any other

The Amazon Echo shopping experience does not focus solely on Amazon, as it also allows you to create, for example, a textual shopping list for whatever you add and check it on your mobile when you go to the supermarket. 

For this Alexa hack you just have to say Alexa, add popcorn to the shopping list and it will add the term popcorn to a list called Purchase. You can do the same with another pre-built list called Tasks.

Connect your Amazon Echo to external speakers

If the sound that your Echo device has does not convince you, you can always pair it with other external speakers. You can do this by pairing the Echo with a Bluetooth sound device, or by adding a second Echo to create a set of stereo speakers.

In the Alexa mobile application, open the side menu

Click on the Settings option

Within the settings, click on Device settings

In the list, click on the Amazon Echo to which you want to apply the change

You will enter the device settings. In it choose the bluetooth devices option to connect it to bluetooth speakers

If you have another Amazon Echo, you can create a set of connected devices in the Speaker Pair option. 

Synchronize your calendar from Google, Apple or Microsoft

If you already have your calendars and perfectly organized appointments with your Google, Microsoft or Apple account, it is not necessary to pass all the appointments and data to your Amazon account. In fact, the Amazon Echo allows you to import your accounts from these three companies to synchronize their calendars.

In the Alexa mobile application, open the side menu

Click on the Settings option

Within the settings, click on the Calendars option

On this page you can link your Google, Microsoft or Apple account to synchronize the calendars

Now you can use commands as you create an event or what I have on my calendar.

Add an event to the calendar

And whether you do it after syncing your calendars or taking advantage of Alexa’s, you can also add events to your Amazon Echo calendar so that it will remind you when the time comes. 

Tell the speaker: Alexa, add an event to the calendar.

She will ask you what day and what time you want to do it, answer her with the day and time

you want. Then she will ask you for a name for the event, and you will have to answer her with the name you want to put in the calendar entry.

Before finishing, Alexa will recite the entire event to you, including the name, date, and time. When she asks you if you want to confirm, you will have to do it by saying OK.

Ask for the news of the day and configure the sources

One of the best Alexa hacks is to stay up-to-date with current affairs. Not only can you ask it to tell you the news of the day, but you can also configure the sources. And in this case, the Alexa news sources are much more complete and varied than those you can find in other assistants.

Ask Alexa to play the news for you by saying Alexa, news

To change the news source, in the Alexa mobile application open the side menu

Click on the Settings option

In the Alexa Preferences section, click on News summary

You can activate or deactivate the preconfigured sources, and add others by clicking Add content. 

Easily set reminders

Your Amazon Echo will also help you set reminders. This way, you can tell it to remind you of a certain thing at a certain time, and Alexa will save it to tell you.

Say Alexa, remind me in five minutes to turn off the TV, and it will configure the reminder Turn off the TV for today at the time that will be in five minutes

At the time of giving this command, you can specify another specific date and a specific time to the reminder, such as Remind me to ‘lower the garbage’, and when she asks you when you want me to remind you, tell her any day and time. 

The reminders will also reach your mobile if you have the Alexa application configured. 

Translations and conversions in real time

Alexa lets you translate a word or phrase into the language of your choice in real time. In addition, it will also allow you to make conversions between currencies or units as requested. This can be very useful if you have foreign guests at home and you need a second way of communication.

If you simply say Welcome Home in English, Alexa will recognize the command in English and translate everything from before. Alexa will tell you the translation with good pronunciation in the language you have spoken in case you were using it in a conversation. If you say some commands like * How many dollars is 20 euros or How many miles is 10 kilometers, Alexa will do these and any other conversion that you request instantly.

Send content to other devices

Alexa also allows you to link other devices, so that through your Amazon Echo you can execute commands on them or send content to them depending on the type they are. Each device that you add will have certain functionalities or limitations, so the operation and type of orders you have to give will depend on each one. You can link lights, sockets, switches, cameras, locks, thermostats, televisions and a long etcetera.

In the Alexa mobile application, open the side menu

Click on the Settings option

Within the settings, click on Device Settings

You will see the list of devices connected to your Amazon account, and you can add more by pressing the + symbol above to the right.

Alexa as an audiobook player

If you are one of those who never have time to read, you will surely like this trick. Alexa will be able to read you any book you have purchased for Kindle, and all you have to do is ask her. Use commands like Alexa, read the book American Gods, and if you have bought it the assistant will simply start reading it.

You can tell her at any time to stop, but it is that even if you do everything there are advantages, since Alexa will remember where it left off and the next time you ask it to read the same book it will resume from there – this is one of the best Alexa hacks to remember! 

This is valid for any device you have with your Amazon account, and if for example you start the audiobook on an Amazon Echo, you can follow it on another or even on the Alexa mobile application.

Increase the functions thanks to the Skills

And we have saved the best for last, because if there is something that makes the Amazon Echo and Alexa stand out from the competition, it is their immense collection of Skills. Skills are extra skills added by third parties, and can be from games to video applications, through others such as the Direct to the Paladar cooking skill and others related to sports, children’s issues, food, shopping, weather, humor or cinema and TV. 

In the Alexa application, open the side menu

Enter the Skills and games option

Now browse the catalog and install the ones you want.