Alexa Command Guide

Change volume: "Alexa, set the volume to 5," "Alexa, louder" or, "Alexa, turn up/down the
volume."

Alexa commands to control media

• Adjust audio settings: "Alexa, set the bass to four."
• Play music: "Alexa, play some music."
• Play music on other (or multiple) Alexa devices: "Alexa, play [artist/album/song/genre] in
the living room" or, "Alexa, play [music] everywhere."
• Cue specific song or artist: "Alexa, play music by [artist]."
• Play a song based on context: "Alexa, play the latest Avett Brothers album" or, "Alexa, play
that song that goes 'Gotta gotta be down, because I want it all.'"
• Play music based on a theme: "Alexa, play baby-making music" or, "Alexa, play rock music
for working."
• Play the song of the day: "Alexa, play the song of the day."
• Play Spotify music: "Alexa, play [playlist] on Spotify."
• Play Pandora station: "Alexa, play [artist] station on Pandora."
• Play a radio station: "Alexa, play [radio station call letters, example: WEBN]."
• Play an audiobook: "Alexa, play [title] on Audible," "Alexa, read [title]" or, "Alexa, play the
book, [title]."
• Resume the last played audiobook: "Alexa, resume my book."
• Skip audiobook chapters: "Alexa, next chapter" or, "Alexa, previous chapter."
• Play a bedtime story: "Alexa, open Storytime."
• Listen to Alexa read you a Kindle book: "Alexa, read my Kindle book."
• Set a sleep timer: "Alexa set a sleep timer for 45 minutes" or, "Alexa, stop playing in 45
minutes."
• Song information: "Alexa, what's playing?"
• Music controls: "Alexa, play" or, "Alexa, next."
• Control music playback on another Alexa speaker: "Alexa, stop in the kitchen" or, "Alexa,
next in the office."
• Restart song: "Alexa, restart."
• Add a song to your Prime Music library: "Alexa, add this song."
• Create a playlist in Amazon Music: "Alexa, create a new playlist," or, "Alexa, create a
'Friday Chill' playlist."
• Add a song to a playlist in Amazon Music: "Alexa, add this song to my playlist," or, "Alexa,
add this to my [playlist name] playlist."
• Like or dislike a song on Pandora and iHeartRadio: "Alexa, I like this song" or, "Alexa,
thumbs down."
• Start Amazon Music Unlimited trial: "Alexa, start my free trial of Amazon Music
Unlimited."
• "Alexa, wake me up every day at 8 a.m. to music" allows users to set their mornings off
right with music from Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn, iHeartRadio and Vevo.
Alexa commands to control time and dates
• Set an alarm: "Alexa, set an alarm for 7 a.m." or, "Alexa, wake me up at 7 in the morning."
• Set a music alarm: "Alexa, wake me up to [artist, song, genre, playlist or album] at 8 a.m.,"
"Alexa, set an alarm to Band of Horses" or, "Alexa, wake me up to Kiss FM on TuneIn."
• Set a repeating alarm: "Alexa, set a repeating alarm for weekdays at 7 a.m."
• Set a timer: "Alexa, timer" or, "Alexa, set a timer for 15 minutes."
• Set a music timer: "Alexa, set a 15-minute timer to My Heart will Go On"
• Create a named timer: "Alexa, set a pizza timer for 20 minutes."
• Set multiple timers: "Alexa, set a second timer for 5 minutes."
• Check timer status: "Alexa, how much time is left on the pizza timer?" or, "Alexa, what are
my timers?"
• Cancel a timer: "Alexa, cancel the pizza timer" or, "Alexa, cancel the 15-minute timer."
• Ask the time: "Alexa, what time is it?"
• Ask the date: "Alexa, what's the date?"
• Ask when the next alarm is: "Alexa, when's my next alarm?"
• Cancel an alarm: "Alexa, cancel my alarm for 2 p.m."
• Snooze alarm: "Alexa, snooze."
• Check dates: "Alexa, when is [holiday] this year?"

Alexa commands for calls and messaging

You can make calls and leave voicemails to other Echo users, as well as "Drop In" to your own echo
devices, either to voice or video chat with whoever's in the room (or just to monitor the space like a
security camera). If you have an Android, you can send text messages with Alexa.
• Call another Echo user: "Alexa, call [name]."
• Answer an incoming call: "Alexa, answer the call" or, "Alexa, answer."
• Hang up: "Alexa, hang up" or, "Alexa, end the call."
• Message another Echo user: "Alexa, message [name]" or, "Alexa, send [name] a message."
• Play messages: "Alexa, play messages."
• Send an SMS: "Alexa, send an SMS to [contact name]" or, "Alexa, send an SMS."
• Use Drop In on one of your own devices: "Alexa, drop in on the living room."
• Drop In on another user (requires the other user to allow you to Drop In anytime): "Alexa,
drop in on [name]."
• Turn off the video during an ongoing call (only works with Echo Show): "Alexa, turn video
off."
• Make an announcement: "Alexa, announce it's dinner time," "Alexa, broadcast it's time to
go" or, "Alexa, tell everyone good night."
• Number check: "Alexa, open phone number check" → "tell me about 301-555-5555" or
"please provide information about 301-555-5555."

lexa commands for food and businesses

• Get a recipe: "Alexa, how do you make chocolate chip cookies?"
 • Discover nearby restaurants: "Alexa, find me a nearby pizza restaurant" or, "Alexa, what's
the nearest coffee shop?"
• Get operating hours or a phone number for local businesses: "Alexa, find the address for
Bank of America" or, "Alexa, find business hours for Harris Teeter."
• Saying "Alexa, open Wine Finder" lets Alexa help you match the best vino with your meal.
If you tell Alexa you're eating shrimp, it will tell you the best wine.

Alexa commands for help with math

• Convert units: "Alexa, how many [units] are in [units]?"
• Convert units: "Alexa, how many [units] are in 2 [units]?"
• Basic math: "Alexa, what's 5 plus 7?" or, "Alexa, what's 56 times 33?"
• Advanced math: "Alexa, 70 factorial." (Warning: Alexa will list numbers you didn't know
existed for about a minute.)

Alexa commands that can settle a score

• Roll a die: "Alexa, roll a die" or, "Alexa, roll a 26-sided die."
• Flip a coin: "Alexa, flip a coin."
• Pick a number: "Alexa, pick a number between 1 and 50."

Alexa commands for help with definitions and spelling

• Get the definition of a word: "Alexa, what's the definition of [word]?"
• Get the spelling of a word: "Alexa, how do you spell [word]?"

Alexa commands for your smart home

Alexa can integrate with loads of smart home platforms, such as SmartThings, Philips Hue, Wink,
Insteon, Lutron, Belkin WeMo and many more. Some require you to enable skills, and some don't.
Here is a selection of the commands you can use for controlling your smart home, although there
are dozens more.
• Turn lights on or off: "Alexa, turn on the lights" or, "Alexa, turn off the living room lights."
• Dim the lights: "Alexa, dim the lights to 50%."
• Change the color of the lights: "Alexa, make the living room lights red" or, " Alexa, turn the
lights to soft white."
• Change the color temperature of the lights: "Alexa, make the kitchen lights a little warmer."
• Adjust temperature: "Alexa, raise the temperature 1 degree."
• Set temperature: "Alexa, set the temperature to 72."
• Lock your doors: "Alexa, lock my back door."
• Close your garage door: "Alexa, ask Garageio to close my garage."
• Discover smart home devices: "Alexa, discover my devices."
 • Use IFTTT recipes: "Alexa, trigger [IFTTT recipe]."
• Activate a scene (limited to Control4, Insteon, Lutron Caséta Wireless, Philips Hue,
SmartThings and Wink): "Alexa, turn on Movie Time" or, "Alexa, turn on Bedtime."
• Control GE appliances with the Geneva skill: "Alexa, tell Geneva to preheat my oven to 400
degrees" or, "Alexa, ask Geneva if my laundry is dry."
• Locate a lost phone with the TrackR Lost My Phone skill: "Alexa, ask TrackR to find my
phone."
• Control the TV via Harmony hub: "Alexa, turn on the TV" or, "Alexa, turn on Netflix."
• The Polk Command Bar has Alexa embedded in its soundbar that provides great sound
quality.
• Saying "Alexa, run Away Mode" produces conversations to scare off any potential burglars.
• Alexa Guard can help keep your home safe by alerting you when it picks up the sounds of
smoke alarms or breaking glass. It works with the Amazon smart door bell, a Ring and an
ADT security system. To set this feature, simply say "Alexa, I'm leaving."

Use Alexa commands with Cortana

Microsoft's Cortana is available as a skill -- but rather than just being a skill, it opens the door to a
completely separate digital assistant through your Alexa speakers.
Once you've added the skill, enabled permissions and connected your Microsoft and Amazon
accounts, just say, "Alexa, open Cortana." When you're speaking to Cortana you can check your
emails, ask for the next event on your calendar or add items to your to-do list.
For now, the Cortana skill is limited because it's a public preview of what the full integration will be
in the future.

Search using Alexa commands

• Get Wikipedia information: "Alexa, Wikipedia: [subject]."
• Tell Alexa to continue reading a Wikipedia entry: "Alexa, tell me more."
• Ask a general question: "Alexa, how tall is [person or object's name]?"
• Ask Quora a question: "Alexa, ask Quora if crustaceans feel pain when you boil them."
• Get a Game of Thrones quote: "Alexa, give me a Game of Thrones quote."
• Whether it's a bull or a bear market, you can check your stock values by saying, "Alexa, ask
Opening Bell for Microsoft" (or any other publicly traded company).
Alexa, start x sounds

• Thunderstorms
• Rain
• Ocean Waves
• Babbling Brook
• Fireplace
• Airplane
• Fan
• Oscillating Fan
• City
• Rainforest
• Train
• Crickets
• Frogs
• Birds
• Clock
• Cat
• Vacuum
• Pink Noise
• Brown Noise
• White Noise
• Wind
• Windy Leaves
• Windy Trees