Do you know that Amazon has over 80,000 Alexa skills? If not, then you’re in for a real treat. Alexa devices, like Amazon Echo and Echo Dot, are powered by artificial intelligence (AI) which means they can do things that you cannot do alone. With the help of Alexa, you can easily play music, get weather forecasts, order groceries, and so on.
Alexa is not just a voice assistant; it’s also an AI engine. Alexa can literally do everything for you, and she’s constantly learning all the time.
For instance, whenever you ask her to help you with a particular chore, she remembers that chore next time you ask for help. With Alexa skills, you can also do away with all the tedious tasks by using a skill.
This article lists out the top 11 Alexa skills that can make your life easier and more convenient.
Table of Contents
1. Amazon Music
This skill lets you control your music playback from anywhere in the world. You can ask Alexa to play music from your Amazon Music account, your Spotify account, or any other streaming service.
Just say “Alexa, play music from (service).” You can also ask Alexa to add a song or album to your queue. Just say “Alexa, add this album to my queue.” or “Alexa, add this song to my queue.”
2. Grocery Shopping
If you’re tied up with your office work or household chores and don’t have time to go to the grocery store, then Alexa can certainly be helpful here.
If you’ve got an Amazon Prime membership, using the “Alexa, order groceries” skill will let you order your groceries from Amazon without having to leave the comfort of your own home (or get up from sofa). Just say what you want and Alexa will take care of the rest!
3. Timers and Alarms
If you’re looking for timers and alarms to keep your everyday life running smoothly, there are a few Alexa skills that can help. For timers, there’s the Timer skill. This skill lets you create timed events, such as cooking a meal or washing the dishes. You can also set alarms for specific times, or have them go off at random intervals.
For alarms, there’s the Alarm skill. This skill lets you create custom alarms with different sounds and vibration patterns. You can also set up automatic alarms that wake you up at certain times each day. Whether you’re looking for timers or alarms to help manage your daily routine, these two Alexa skills are sure to come in handy!
To set a timer, just say “Alexa, set a timer for (amount of time).” For example, “Alexa, set a timer for 10 minutes.”
To set an alarm, say “Alexa, wake me up at (time).” For example, “Alexa, wake me up at 7am.”
4. Traffic prediction
If you’re like most people, you use your phone to plan your routes and avoid traffic. But what about when you’re not driving or specially getting ready for work? You can use Alexa to help predict traffic conditions.
Alexa can give you traffic updates so you know how long it will take to get to your destination. Just say “Alexa, what’s the traffic like on the way to work?”
Interesting read: Check out our blog which details hundreds of funny and hidden Alexa commands that you can use today with your Alexa device.
5. Sports Scores
With the help of Alexa, you can easily get updates on scores for your favorite teams and sports. You can even ask Alexa to play specific sports highlights or to give you live commentary on the game.
Alexa can give you up-to-date scores for your favorite sports teams. Just say “Alexa, what’s the score of the (team name) game?”
Also, to know about the schedule of your favorite sports team, you can simply ask “Alexa, when will (team name) play next game?”
6. News Briefing
Alexa can give you a customized news briefing each morning. You can also ask Alexa for updates on specific topics that you’re interested in. Just say “Alexa, what’s in the news?” or “Alexa, tell me about (topic).”
You can ask Alexa to give you a brief rundown of the day’s top stories using one of your favorite news skills e.g. NPR One, The New York Times, or The Economist. Just say, “Alexa, ask NPR for the news.” “Alexa, ask The New York Times for the news.” “Alexa, ask The Economist for the news.”
7. Weather Updates
Alexa can give you live weather updates for your current location. Just say “Alexa, what’s the weather like?” or “Alexa, what’s the forecast for (city name)?”
You can also ask Alexa to tell you about past weather conditions in a specific city. Just say “Alexa, tell me about the weather in (city name) yesterday.” This feature can come in handy when you are planning your day which involves lot of outdoor travel or when you are planning your holiday schedule.
8. Movies and TV Shows Information
If you’re a fan of movies and tv shows, there are plenty of Alexa skills that can help with your everyday life. For example, you can find showtimes for new movie releases or watch your favorite movie or tv show right from the comfort of your own home.
You can also get information about actors and actresses, learn about movie trivia, and more. So whether you’re looking to catch up on the latest release or just want to learn more about popular TV shows, there are plenty of Alexa skills designed to help.
Following commands can come in handy for you:
”Alexa, when is (movie/show) playing?” or “Alexa, who stars in (movie/show)?”
Interesting read: Check out the list of fun family games that you can play on Alexa.
9. Calendar Management
If you’re like most people, you probably use a calendar to keep track of your commitments and plans. But what if you could manage your calendar using voice commands? That’s where Alexa comes in!
With a few simple skills, you can easily add events, check the status of meetings, and more. Here are few handy commands for calendar management:
Add an Event: Say “Alexa, add an event” to create a new event on your calendar. You can also specify the date, time, and location of the event.
Check the Status of a Meeting: Ask “Alexa, how is my meeting with Jane going?” to get information about the status of your meeting with Jane.
10. Home Automation
Alexa is a voice-activated assistant that can be used to control smart home devices. These devices can include Tv, music systems, lights, thermostats, and security cameras.
Some of the most popular Alexa skills for home automation include controlling your lights and heating using the Amazon Echo, setting a timer using the Amazon Echo, and controlling your security cameras using the Amazon Cloud Cam.
Once the device is mapped properly, you can use commands such as “Alexa, turn on the living room light” to control your lights.
11. Games
If you’re looking for some fun games to play on your Amazon Alexa device, you’re in luck!
There are a variety of games available, from card games to trivia contests. Some of the more popular games include QuizUp and Trivial Pursuit. If you’re looking for something specific, there are also dedicated skills for board games, video games, and more. Whether you’re a fan of traditional boardgames or prefer digital versions, there’s sure to be a game that appeals to you on Amazon Alexa.
Boltd has released several high-rated and successful quizzes in the past. This includes Daily Cricket Trivia, Impossible Bollywood Quiz, Khel Quiz, etc.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoy our list of top Alexa skills that can make your day-to-day life efficient. Whether you’re looking to save time by controlling your home’s lights and temperature, keeping track of your calendar, or just checking the weather, these Alexa skills will help you get the most out of your day. So whether you’re trying to stay on top of your to-do list or just relax after a long day, we’ve got you covered!
Boltd is a top Google Assistant and custom Amazon Alexa Skill developer. We’ve assisted several multinational corporations in launching voice experiences for Alexa and Google Assistant over the last five years.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
1. What are Alexa Skills?
- Alexa skills are custom made voice applications that run on Alexa.
2. How many Alexa Skills can I use?
- At this moment there are over 100,000 Alexa Skills available. Some of the common ones let you control smart home devices, listen to music, news and weather updates, play games, order food or even book a taxi.
3. Do I need to pay any subscription for using these Alexa Skills?
- All the skills are available for free and can be enabled for free. For a very few select skills a subscription fee might be required to be able to use it to its full potential. However, enabling these skills and using their basic features is free of cost.
4. How do I add skills to Alexa?
- All you have to do is invoke the skill by its name. For example, you can say Alexa give me news from CNN, or Alexa play song quiz.
5. What is the most popular Alexa skill?
- While everyone’s routine is different, a varied set of skills are used by people on a daily basis. But some of the most commonly used Alexa Skills are Amazon Music, Audible, Calendar management and Games.
6. Where can I find a list of Alexa Skills?
- In this blog we’ve mentioned the most commonly used Alexa Skills in everyday life. Additionally you can explore your Alexa App or even the Amazon shopping app to know what skills are available.
