As the Amazon Echo ecosystem continues to grow with more devices like the Echo Show touchscreen, Alexa skills are also increasing and now number over 15,000. If you don't know what those skills are, just think of them as voice-activated applications that provide just about any service imaginable.
Even though 15,000 is pretty impressive, not every skill is a winner. In fact, many abilities just aren't that smart. For every useful skill, there are three or four skills that literally just play fart noises. That makes it difficult for any beginner to find practical and useful skills that fit her needs.
In this article, we'll show you the best and most essential skills for Amazon Echo and Alexa devices.
After finding that perfect skill, the next task is to enable it. Fortunately, there are more than a few ways to do it. The easiest way is to just ask and tell. “Alexa, enable [skill name]” using any Echo device. That will work for many skills that don't require you to sign in to another service.
You can easily find skills on the Amazon site through the Echo skills portal or by using the Android or iOS Alexa app. In either version, hit the sidebar menu and look for Skills. You can then search and install any skill by pressing the Enable button.
To help anyone new to Alexa, we're highlighting 15 cool (and completely free) skills that should be the first skills you install on any Echo device.
Just say “Alexa, open CNN.”
While you can add a wide variety of news sources to Alexa's customizable flash briefing, CNN also offers its own standalone Alexa skill. You can ask about specific topics or just cover what's making headlines. On the Echo Show Seeing Is Believing:The Amazon Echo Show Review The Seeing Is Believing:The Amazon Echo Show Review Does the voice assistant speaker really need a touch screen? The $230 Amazon Echo Show certainly makes a compelling case, with informative chops in flash video, song lyrics, and on-demand streaming from compatible security cameras. Read More
Just say “Alexa, play Jeopardy!”
Once you're up to speed on the latest news, you can dive right into everyone's favorite quiz show, Danger! . There are tracks from a wide variety of categories such as sports, travel, history, and more. Just like a real competitor on the show, you will have to answer in the form of a question.
Just say “Alexa, open Big Sky.”
While the built-in weather skill that can be accessed through Alexa is accurate, Big Sky takes it one step further. Using the popular Dark Sky API that powers the popular weather app for iOS and Android and Forecast.io Forecast.io - The elegant weather app for the globe that shows the merits of good design Forecast.io - The fancy weather for the globe That goes to show the merits of good design A weather forecast website should be designed to make gloomy weather a bit acceptable. The appropriately named Forecast.io ticks most of the boxes; Including the one that says - elegance. Take a look at the site of... Read More You can also find specific information such as the chance of precipitation at a given time of day.
Just say “Alexa, open dominoes.”
Catching dinner doesn't have to be a chore, especially if you're in the mood for pizza. With the Domino skill enabled, you can reorder your last pizza or any other easy order. After ordering, you can track each stage of the delicious cake, until it's delivered or ready for pickup. If you're a fan of Pizza Hut, they offer a similar skill available.
Just say “Alexa, show me the [camera name].”
Anyone with an Echo Show and a Nest Camera Practical Uses for Your Home Surveillance Cameras Practical Uses for Your Home Surveillance Cameras Home surveillance cameras are becoming more popular with each passing year as technology improves and prices go down. Here are some practical uses for home security cameras, some of which may surprise you. Read More After saying the name of the camera, the live feed will appear on the device's touch screen, perfect for seeing who's at the front door or what's happening in the nursery. Later this year, across the rest of the Echo lineup, users will be able to hear the audio feed from those cameras.
Just say “Alexa, ask Fitbit how I'm doing today..”
Anyone with a Fitbit fitness tracker 13 Fitbit Fitness Tracking Tips You May Not Be Using Yet 13 Fitbit Fitness Tracking Tips You May Not Be Using Yet Your Fitbit is There to Help You Reach Your Fitness Goals physical. There are a few more things you can get out of your favorite fitness tracker. Try these Fitbit tips today. Read More You can get an overview of your day, how well you slept the night before, how many steps you've taken so far, and more.
Just say “Alexa, open Skill Finder.”
It shouldn't be much of a surprise, but there's even a skill that can help you find other skills. 7 Creative Uses for Amazon Echo and Alexa 7 Creative Uses for Amazon Echo and Alexa. You've seen the ads starring Alec Baldwin, but I'm still not sure what the Amazon Echo does or if you need one in your home. We're about to find out. Read more . After enabling, you can discover new skills every day. You can also learn about the latest additions to the skills catalog, hear about the top skills of the day, and even learn about skills in specific categories.
Just say “Alexa, open Where'sMyPhone.”
We've all lost our phone at the most inopportune moment possible. Now, instead of going on a panic search of your home, just open this ability to save the day. Once set up, Where'sMyPhone will call your device so you can track it under the sofa cushion or elsewhere. Just to note, if your phone is on silent or vibrate, the skill won't work.
A similar skill, TrackR How to Find a Lost Phone with an Amazon Echo How to Find a Lost Phone with an Amazon Echo If you ever lose your phone, you can use this app in conjunction with Amazon Echo to locate it on demand no matter where. it is. Read More
Just say “Alexa, start the 7-minute workout.”
After you eat all that pizza, Alexa can even help you burn some calories. The 7 minute workout will guide you through a complete routine of 12 different exercises. If the training is too intense, you can pause it and resume it at any time. The developer promises that a future update will add a mode with more difficult exercises.
Just say “Alexa, ask Flight Tracker for [flight].”
All you need is the airline name and flight number, and you can hear an up-to-date update on every flight. This skill is perfect for when you're walking out the door on your way to the airport to pick up a friend or catch a flight.!
Just say “Alexa, ask AnyPod to play [podcast].”
This is the perfect skill for any podcast fan. 5 Most Popular Podcast Formats:Which One Is Right For You? 5 Most Popular Podcast Formats – Which One Is Right For You? Your podcast could probably be better. Choose one of these five compelling formats and grow your listener count in no time. Read more . In addition to being able to easily subscribe and unsubscribe to specific podcasts, you can even request to listen to specific episodes. Additional Alexa commands can help you navigate through each podcast by rewinding, fast-forwarding, and more.
Just say “Alexa, open better recipes.”
When you're not sure what to make for lunch, the Best Recipes skill can save the day. Just say what ingredients you have to work with and the ability will provide you with up to three recipes. You can narrow down the options by meal to hear specific options for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You can choose to have Alexa read the recipe to you or have her email the recipe to you.
Just say “Alexa, play would you rather?”
When it's time for the whole house game, you can start the conversation Do you prefer family? The game is fun and easy to play as you have to choose between one or two options for each question. As the name implies, all the questions are suitable for families.
Just say “Alexa, turn on the TV.”
Alexa can even be harnessed in the living room. If you have a Logitech Harmony Get the most out of your Logitech Harmony Elite Get the most out of your Logitech Harmony Elite Then you've got a Logitech Harmony Elite. Here are some of our favorite ways to use the universal remote in your home. Read More After turning on the TV with a voice command, you can change channels, control volume, play/pause content, and more.
Just say “Alexa, open Sleep Sounds.”
At the end of the day, Alexa can even help you fall asleep peacefully. 7 Secrets to Sleeping Peacefully, According to Science 7 Secrets to Sleeping Peacefully, According to Science A perfect night's sleep isn't as difficult as you might think. We've compiled this list of ten science-based tips and tricks to help you fall asleep. Read more . As its name suggests, Sleep &Relax Sounds offers over 40 different high quality sleep enhancing sounds to choose from. You can choose from everything from white noise to crickets to city sounds and more. To limit how long the sound is active, you can also set a sleep timer.
After installing these 15 skills, you should be well on your way to experiencing everything the Amazon Echo ecosystem has to offer. And if you're looking for more ways to use Alexa, there are thousands more skills to try!
Is there an Amazon Alexa skill you can't live without? Did we lose an essential skill? Let us know in the comments.
