What Is Alexa? And What Exactly It Does?

Well Alexa is nothing but a Voice assistant like google in your smartphone which can be enabled by long pressing your home button.
Alexa is a Voice assistant created by Amazon.
Not only Google and Amazon are in the game, Apple and Microsoft also has it’s own Voice assistant that can use wake up by calling  Siri, Cortana. I think you are quite familiar with Siri right!
But in this competitive generation, Only Google and Amazon users are more than the other. The reason is Android users are quite bigger. And Amazon’s Alexa has much more capabilities than the other that’s the reason for Alexa.

If you already have Alexa or you’re planning to buy it, you’ll be astonished after seeing how much stuffs Alexa can do for you. It has pre-loaded functions and hidden features and a lot more is upgrading as the day passes.

The best features of Alexa including Make to-do list for you, provide weather information, read messages or PDFs documents, warn you of traffic or raining, stream podcasts, set alarm, control your smart home.
Alexa can set the alarm for you, and you can use as a countdown while doing yoga or cooking food and many more.

On Amazon’s Echo Show device, you’ll able to see many options that will display on the screen as a result and you can use by touching. Example you can cut or pick up the call and a lot more.

Alexa is also capable to connect with your smart technology around your home. If you want to turn of the light by using Alexa, then you’ll have to get Phillips Hue Smart light bulb. This bulb has a Wi-Fi connection in it and whenever you call Alexa to turn off the light, Alexa will send command to your Bulb and your bulb will turn off immediately.


Well the word Alexa contains a letter X in it and that makes it sound little different when pronounced. The reason behind this because whenever you speak usually and you say the word in which Alexa’s wake up setting is enabled, Alexa get confused and end up by turn on or off without any reason.
Alexa will wake up whenever you say even a similar word to that.

So the X word in Alexa is kind of uncommon word that we often use and that make sense too. So that’s the reason why they choose the name Alexa.
But what if someone’s name is Alex or Alexa in your home?
Well the solution is, There are three more different words are available by which you can use to wake up Alexa. Words are including Computer, Echo, Amazon.


Amazon Echo Dot with Clock inside
The Echo Dot which was introduced in 2018, and that was also a first released by Amazon. And the design was quite good.
Built by Fabric material and the sound quality was also a good enough. Since it was first launched but that was pretty enough.

The Amazon Echo is the third generation, which has some similarities from Echo Plus which has launched in 2018.
Some similarities including sound quality and a 3 inch woofer.


Amazon Echo Studio which came in 2019, and it has not much similarities from before launched Echo.
It has a feature of High-end speaker to call home, it has a great sound quality with a 5.25 inch woofer at the Bottom.
This time Amazon also introduced 3D audio for better sound experience to users.


Amazon Echo Plus, which introduced in 2019 with smart functionalities including Smart home hub, security sensor and also offline controls.
 It’s supports direct connection to compatible devices without a bridge, the feature called ZigBee hub.



Amazon Echo Show
Amazon Echo show comes with a better look and with many new features. It works as a Zigbee hub just like the Echo Plus.
It supports video call via Skype and can be used as to see live television through Prime videos.



Amazon Echo Show 8
Amazon Echo Show launched with a 10 Inch size. It can be also used as a ZigBee hub. And it has low price range although it gives us many smart features.


The Echo supports many music platform not just Amazon music.
You can use Spotify, Apple Music and many more. In order to change the default settings of Echo. You have yo go to Alexa app > Settings > Music & Media. And then it will take you to the page where you will get option to switch your default music service to your personal favourite one.
Once you enable settings as per your suitable service, Then whenever you say “Alexa Play music” then Alexa will play music by which you enabled rather that Amazon Music.


Listen to Audible or Kindle books
If you have an access on Audible or Kindle account, so you’ll be able to use it easily by just calling Alexa play Kindle book.
Then Alexa will automatically detects the book and page where you have stopped reading and from that point Alexa will play.
You can also ask Alexa to provide you a list of books based on related search, and if you have Echo Show then you’ll able to see book cover also.
With Alexa, Audible and Kindle pretty much works same, only you just have to ask Alexa to provide you playing books.


This is Alexa’s one of the smartest feature to connect with compatible smart devices around your home. And work efficiently as per you give the instructions.
You can ask Alexa to Turn on or off your Fan and bulb. And even you can turn on the TV also by just saying “Alexa, turn on the TV”.
But only it happen if your device has a smart features pre-loaded in it so that it get connected to Alexa easily.

If you want to set up your new smart home devices, first set up, connect and power-up your device. and then ask Alexa to scan your device by saying “Alexa, discover my device”. Then Echo will detect device near by what’s available.
First you must set up the relevant device as compatible to Alexa, and then Introduce Alexa to have a command on these.


Alexa has also the smartest feature to analyze daily schedule and make it routine if Alexa see these stuffs are repeating in a regular or daily basis.
For example, for few days before going to bed, you say Alexa to good night and you also say to Alexa to “Turn off the light, switch on the security camera”
If you say this to Alexa for few days then Alexa will Analyze, repeat these everyday when you say “Good night”.
But keep in mind, these process can only be done once you got compatible smart devices.


Sometimes you ask Alexa to do something and she also reply back before completing your work.
So if you don’t want to wait and listen Alexa reply and if you just want to get your work done immediately.
You can enable the 'Brief mode' settings and after that whenever you say Alexa to get your work done, she will immediately start her process to getting your work done without taking with you and reply back to you.
Once the 'Brief mode' is on, she will reply just 'Okay' or 'Ding' sound.


Alexa’s Whisper Mode
Alexa has one awesome feature called “Whispering”. If you use Alexa in midnight and if you normal ask Alexa to do some work then she will reply back with loudly.

And if you say Alexa in a whisper tone then she will detect your voice and she will also reply you back in a low sound and with a whisper.
The benefit of this is if someone is sleeping around you and you don’t want to wake them up by taking with Alexa loudly, you can use Whisper mode while taking to Alexa instead.


Alexa Guard mode will protect your house when you go outside.
You just only have to say “Alexa, I’m leaving the house” then Alexa Guard Mode will activate until you came back home.
After leaving your house, If Alexa will sense smoke or glass breaking sounds, then she will immediately text you on your smartphone to inform you that there is something wrong going on in you house.

And another intelligent feature is. If you go outside, So Alexa will randomly turn your light on and off in the evening. Alexa will do the just to let everyone know that you are inside you house.


If you want to change Alexa default voice speed to have more either more fast or more slow.
In order to change voice is you only have say “Alexa, speak slower” or “ Alexa, speak faster”
Once you find the best suitable voice speed for you, Alexa will always say in that voice speed.
And you can change these voice speed as many time you want.
There are total seven types of speed in Alexa voice.
You can change by asking Alexa, and it will increment or decrement by one each.
And if you want Alexa to use her Default voice, you just have to ask “ Alexa, speak in you default tone”



When you say “Alexa, what’s new”? Then  Alexa will get you the information according to your customisation. If you want to change it, you will have to go to the Settings > and then Flash Briefing > then you’ll have many options to change the content as per your requirement.


If you have multiple Echo device in your home, you can connect them together and these devices will give many useful and enjoyable experience to you.
If you want to listen music, instead of using just one Echo device, if you have multiple, you can do some settings then these will play your music in each devices simultaneously and believe me it will give you much better experience of music.


Alexa's Accent
There are tons of different accent in Alexa voice that you can easily choose by your suitable once by selecting various languages and different countries.
But if you unable to find you native country’s voice accent in Alexa’s voice.
Then you will have to wait. Amazon is working on to feature as many country’s accent as possible.
Just check frequently that Amazon Introduced your country’s accent or not after getting and update from Amazon mobile application.