5 Amazon Alexa features you didn't know existed

More often than not, we've turned to our virtual assistants to carry out our simple, day-to-day tasks. And why shouldn't we? Technology has levelled up, and we have so much convenience at our fingertips. Today we have a host of smart devices wired to perform an extensive spectrum of functions, many of which are missed easily! So, if you've relied on Alexa to order you a sumptuous pizza from your favourite place, you're probably already well-versed with the chores it can carry out for you. However, there are numerous witty tips and tricks you probably didn't know about -- and we're here to brief you with them! So, read on to find out about five lesser-known Alexa features.

What's in a name?

You already know that Alexa responds unflinchingly after being called out by its wake word. But what you probably don't know is that it responds to a few other titles as well. Amazon has allowed a couple of options if you wish to change the name 'Alexa'. You may choose to call your virtual assistant 'Echo' or 'Amazon', or you may even call it 'Computer' if you're a Star Trek fan! To change this setting, you need to click on the 'Device' tag at the bottom of your Alexa app and choose 'Wake Word' to replace the existing one with the options available. Keep in mind that you will have to change each Alexa device in your house individually.

Introduce yourself to a celebrity

Your Alexa device cannot just change its wake word, but also the voice assistant itself! While Alexa's voice is soothing in its own way, there's no harm in waking up to a celebrity's voice every now and then. Of course, there's a catch. It comes with an additional fee and limited celebrity voices, but the idea of switching up your routine is worth it, isn't it? Keep in mind that celebrity voice assistants can only answer a handful of predetermined queries and cannot perform other witty commands that Alexa otherwise can. To change your voice assistant to a celebrity, all you have to do is say, "Alexa, introduce me to [Celebrity Name]". Alexa will change to your desired celebrity voice. It won't switch over permanently until you make the purchase, so if you like who you're speaking to, make sure to add your billing details for convenience.

 

Your bedtime fix

Wouldn't it be comforting if virtual assistants could put your kids to sleep? While it practically cannot be present to ensure your toddler drifts off to bed, it is equipped to recite a bedtime story to make sure the process is more manageable. All you have to do is enable the Skill on Alexa's Skillz app. In fact, you can also customise to add your child's name to the story. So, the next time your little one makes a fuss during bedtime, all you need is to say, "Alexa, tell bedtime story to [Child's Name].

 

Alexa, roll the dice

If you've misplaced the dice to your board games, you're only human. But that doesn't mean your virtual assistant can't do the trick for you! Involve Alexa into your next game night by asking it to 'roll the dice'. Your faithful voice assistant can roll a dice of six, twelve or even twenty if required.

 

Create a personalised routine

You already knew about Google Assistant's ability to whip up with the news and weather every morning, but what if we tell you Alexa can also perform these functions -- and a couple more? If your morning starts with rattling off the same five commands to Alexa, you can choose to string them together to create a routine for yourself. Go through with this function, tap on the '+' sign in the Routine section of your Alexa app. Further, you can choose 'When this happens' or 'When you say something' and type in your trigger phrase. So, the next time you're planning to make an excuse about not going to the gym, your Alexa device can remind you at the same time -- day after day -- to make sure you let it slide!