Even if you’re a regular Alexa user, there’s a good chance you haven’t discovered some of its most efficient features.
Actually, strike that: There’s a good chance you’re only using your Alexa device to set timers and play music.
But Alexa does so much more! Here are five commands to add to your vernacular that could save you tons of time with regular use.
“Alexa, check traffic”
Once you link your home and work addresses in the Alexa app, simply asking to check traffic will give the time between your home and office by default—always handy when you’re heading out the door.
You also can ask for traffic conditions to a certain destination. Alexa just told me that traffic from my house to the nearest Whole Foods is “sluggish”—it’d take me a whole six minutes to get there. Good thing I saved so much time asking for traffic conditions, eh?
“Alexa, add jelly to my shopping list”
Writing a shopping list by hand? A fool’s errand. Opening an app and typing a list by hand? A sucker’s gambit.
As you notice ingredients running low, just say “Alexa, add [blank] to my shopping list.”
The items will appear in your Alexa app’s shopping list, ready for your next grocery run. You can even check what’s on your list by asking, “Alexa, what’s on my shopping list?” before running to the store.
“Alexa, announce that it’s time for lunch”
It’s 2025—enough shouting up and down the stairs. Instead, say, “Alexa, announce that it’s time for lunch.”
Your message will immediately be broadcast to all Alexa devices in your home at the same time, just like a fancy-schmancy intercom system.
“Alexa, find my phone”
My wife never reads these articles, so I’m safe telling you that while she was frantically searching for her phone the other day, it turned out that it was in her hand.
Not all lost phones are so easy to find! For the tougher tests, Alexa can call your wayward device and you can follow the ringtone.
There are a couple slight catches: You’ll need to do a one-time setup so Alexa knows which number to call, and you only get three free calls each month. If you’re asked whether you want to sign up for a free trial of the premium phone-finding service, just say no and Alexa will place the call.
“Alexa, remind me . . . ”
Just as a glorified note-to-self, Alexa is a lifesaver. There are a few ways you can ask it to remember things for you.
First, just ask Alexa to remember something. It’ll store it in the notes section of the Alexa app on your phone.
Second, ask it to remind you of something at a certain time. It’ll . . . well, you get the idea.
And the best one is asking Alexa to remind you of something when you’re at a certain place. If you’ve enabled location in the phone app, it can remind you to get Band-Aids the next time you’re at Walgreens. It’s almost too easy.
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