Skip to main content

7 things you didn’t know Alexa could do on an Amazon Echo smart speaker

There’s no doubt that an Alexa-powered smart speaker is useful. After all, the ability to control your smart home, play games, and choose music with your voice is phenomenal — but did you know there are a lot of abilities that go overlooked?

Alexa is jam-packed with features that don’t get as much time in the limelight. Some will keep you entertained, while others can help you give back to the world around you.

Alexa can make charity donations

If there’s one thing the past year has made abundantly clear, it’s the importance of looking out for one another. Alexa can simplify that by making charity donations for you — just say, “Alexa, I want to make a donation.”

The voice assistant will then ask what charity you wish to donate to. While every charity is not available, there are hundreds that are. Say the name of the charity and confirm the action, and Alexa will automatically debit the funds from your account. Just make sure you have Amazon Pay set up first.

Don’t know what to cook? Alexa can recommend recipes

Alexa’s ability to walk users step-by-step through a recipe is well-known; after all, Alexa could practically have her own cooking show on the Food Network based on all the features aimed at the kitchen. But did you know she can actually suggest recipes for you based on the ingredients you have?

Amazon Echo 3rd gen on table
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Allrecipes Skill allows you to ask, “Alexa, ask Allrecipes what I can make with eggs and rice” (or whatever ingredients you happen to have in the pantry.) Alexa will then suggest recipes for you that incorporate those ingredients. It’s a great skill for when you’re hungry but are also in need of a grocery run.

Alexa can keep pets entertained

For as much as we love our four-legged friends, you never quite know what they will get into while you’re away from home. The good news is that Alexa can help try to keep them out of trouble, although a determined pup won’t be stopped.

There are two Alexa skills that can help: Woof! for dogs, and Meow! for cats. All you have to do is say, “Alexa, enable Meow or Bark.” Then, whenever your pet makes a noise, Alexa will respond and initiate a sort of conversation with your pet. You can also just use the drop-in or broadcast feature to speak to your pets. Maybe shout, “Get off the couch!” throughout the day just for good measure.

Alexa can play white noise

Everyone wants to sleep better at night, and for some people that means using a white noise machine. There’s no reason to spend hundreds of dollars on a dedicated device, though — not when Alexa can do the same thing. You can play white noise straight from your Alexa smart speaker through several different methods.

Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Gen Clock angle
John Velasco / Digital Trends

The first is Amazon Prime Music, the in-house music service included as part of your Prime subscription. Just ask Alexa to play white noise through Prime Music and you’ll hear thunderstorms, ambient sounds, and more. (Or you might hear the Josh Turner album if you don’t specify.)

You can do the same thing through Spotify if you aren’t a Prime subscriber. If neither of those options work for you, there are dedicated Amazon Skills for ambient noise that include sounds like babbling brooks, birds, crickets, and more.

Alexa can order pizza

On those nights when you really don’t want to cook, order a pizza! Rather than picking up your phone or going to the website, let Alexa order for you. You’ll first need to enable the relevant Skill, though — Domino’s, Pizza Hut, or Papa John’s. Or enable all three if you want options!

Amazon Echo Studio Alexa Smart Speaker
Amazon

After you’ve done this, all you have to do is say, “Alexa, order a pizza,” or “Alexa, order a pizza from (specify a location.)” Each Skill has different options, but the easiest by far is Domino’s. Save an “Easy Order” and ask Alexa to order it. It’s the fastest way to get food to you when you’re too hungry to drag yourself into the kitchen.

Alexa can whisper to you

Do you find yourself trying to quietly issue commands to Alexa at night while your spouse sleeps beside you? The last thing you want to do is wake them up. The good news is that Alexa’s Whisper Mode allows Alexa to respond with a whisper, too.

Just go into your Alexa  app, open Settings > Voice Responses, and turn on Whisper Mode. When you speak in a normal voice, Alexa will respond at a normal volume — but when you whisper a command, she will answer with a whisper, too.

Alexa can listen for the sounds of breaking glass

Your home security uses motion sensors and a variety of other tools to watch out for illicit activity, but Alexa can act as the first line of defense by listening for the sound of breaking glass through Alexa Guard.

Alexa Guard offers both a free version and a paid version. When enabled, it listens for the sounds of breaking glass, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and more. You can even use smart lights with Alexa Guard to simulate the presence of someone in the home so that your house doesn’t look deserted.

Editors' Recommendations

Patrick Hearn
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Patrick Hearn writes about smart home technology like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, smart light bulbs, and more. If it's a…
5 reasons I still use the Echo Show 15 everyday
Amazon Echo Show 15 hanging horizontally on the wall in a kitchen.

The Echo Show 15 first released in December 2021. Much of the initial conversation around the smart display was that it was a large novelty -- a huge display that didn't have the same functionality as the Echo Show 10. It released in the midst of the work-from-home surge, and without video conferencing capabilities, the Echo Show 15 just didn't seem like it offered much.

That couldn't have been further from the truth. The large amount of screen real estate introduced a lot of utility that previous models didn't have. Widgets make it one of the most useful smart displays I've ever used, and that's saying a lot for someone who routinely works with these devices.

Read more
Can your smart home save you money on homeowners insurance?
Nest devices grouped together on a counter.

Smart home devices provide more than just convenient assistance -- they also help us complete tasks more efficiently and protect our homes. And now, they may actually be able to save you money on your homeowner's insurance.

Homeowners insurance protects or aids you if an incident happens. Yet the best days are when nothing goes wrong, and life is easy for everyone. Smart home devices can be your first line of defense against things that could cause your home harm.

Read more
Alexa, May the Fourth be with you
Kylo and Rey fighting in Rise of the Skywalker

Star Wars is among the most popular multimedia franchises in the galaxy, so it should come as no surprise that it's been given its own annual holiday. Celebrated on May 4 (for obvious reasons), most fans will dedicate Star Wars Day 2022 to rewatching their favorite movies, running through their favorite games, or picking up some discounted merch. But there's another way to celebrate Star Wars Day that's a bit more obscure -- having a quick chat with Amazon Alexa.

Whether you own a smart home device like the Echo Dot or just want to run the app through your smartphone, Alexa has a surprisingly robust knowledge of all things Star Wars. To access that knowledge, however, you need to know the right prompts. From chatting with Chewbacca to taking a Star Wars Trivia quiz, here are some fun Alexa commands to get you in the Star Wars spirit.

Read more