The Alexa is a voice-activated digital device that acts like a personal assistant, search engine, web browser, and jukebox rolled into one. It is the brainchild of Amazon, so naturally, one of Alexa's prominent features is shopping.
As well as being voice-activated, the Amazon Alexa app lets Alexa owners control their device remotely to manage a host of its features, including alarms, music, news updates, shopping lists, answering questions, getting a weather forecast, and a whole lot more.
In his end-of-year review, Alexa's senior vice president, Tom Taylor, hinted at what lies ahead recently.
Among the innovations he trailed was Alexa becoming even more proactive in understanding users' needs, whether at home or on the move. He said we could expect further development of Alexa's Proactive Hunches.
Taylor said that 2021 would also see even more new content added and better ways for users to find what they are most interested in.
With more people staying at home and working from there too during 2020, Alexa would continue its commitment to supporting customers to stay connected and organized.
Manage your Alexa and Alexa-enabled devices remotely from your phone
Useful for Echo to obtain customized recommendations
Resume what you were doing via the home feed
Control and check compatible smart lights, locks, and thermostats
Build routines to help automate smart home devices
Connect to Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio
Thanks to the app's functionality with music streaming services, you can select a song or playlist to listen to on any of your Alexa-supporting devices. A rather neat touch is the ability to create groups for multi-room music on your compatible Echo devices.
However, using Drop-In from within the app lets you connect with your compatible Echo devices like an old school intercom. No doubt you will think of a use for this feature.
Arguably, the app's most useful feature is organizing your day across to-do lists while away from home, viewing and editing your shopping lists, getting the weather forecast and real-time news updates, and managing your timers and alarms, and more besides.
As Alexa is stored in the cloud, it continually learns and updates itself about your likes and dislikes, vocabulary, and preferences. The more you use Alexa, the better it understands you and offers content that will interest you.
It's a free download
Available for Android and iOS
Manage your Alexa at home or remotely while on-the-move
Call or instant message other Alexa-enabled devices for free
Compatible with Amazon Echo, Echo Plus, Echo dot, and Echo Show
Privacy concerns
Sometimes has difficulty understanding you
The Alexa app is easy to use and can be installed on a phone or your tablet.
Tap"Set up a new device,"then log in with your Amazon account. Your phone should be on the same WiFi network as the device. You will then be prompted for login details.
After that, tap on the three lines or gear icon to start customizing your Alexa.
