These 5 Easy Amazon Alexa Tricks Make for a Smarter Smart Home This Summer
With summer now very much around the corner, you've got better things to do than worry about your smart home. But with garden parties and the pool calling your name, there has never been a better time to make sure that your accessories are working for you, not against you. Smart home devices bring a lot of convenience to our day-to-day lives, but that doesn't mean they can't be improved.
Amazon's Alexa is one of the most popular choices, and you can tell it to turn the lights on or off, play your favorite music, set a timer for you while cooking in the kitchen and more. But you don't have to use the same Alexa as everyone else, and you can really upgrade your experience with just a few customizations. If you've got a smart speaker like the Echo Dot, an Echo Show 15, the powerful Echo Studio or the rotating Echo Show 10, there are plenty of ways to make Alexa feel more helpful and less like just another gadget.
A few small changes can seriously improve your experience. From making hands-free calls to connecting Bluetooth and Wi-Fi or even using Alexa in the kitchen, there's a lot worth setting up.
It might take a little effort to get everything just right, but once you do, your Alexa devices will feel like they're working for you instead of the other way around.
Watch this: Alexa gets new features to make it a better listener
07:02
1. Enable Brief Mode on your Amazon Echo
When you ask Alexa to do something, such as play a song or turn on the lights, Alexa will say something like, "OK, turning on the lights." This is to help you determine why Alexa did something if it wasn't what you asked. If you don't want Alexa repeating what you just said, you can change that setting so that it plays a short sound instead of a voice response.
To do so, open the Alexa app's More menu and select Settings > Talking with Alexa. Then toggle on the switch for Brief Mode.
Tyler Lacoma/CNET
2. Set up your preferred music streaming service
When you set up your Amazon Echo, the music service defaults to Amazon Music. If you use Spotify, Apple Music or another streamer, you may want to link your Echo to that instead.
Go to Settings > Music & Podcasts, then link to a service. On the same page, tap Default Services and switch to your preferred music provider. Now the Echo will play from the music streaming service of your choice when you say, "Alexa, play music." Note that you can select defaults for family or personal listening.
Tyler Lacoma/CNET
3. Change the wake word from Alexa
If TV commercials keep triggering your Amazon Echo when they say "Alexa," you can change the wake word to something less likely to trigger the speaker. The other traditional options are Computer, Echo and Amazon, but there are several newer wake word additions you can use like Ziggy and Hey, Disney.
If you want a change, just say, "Alexa, change the wake word" and make your selection. You can also open the Alexa app, go to Settings > Device Settings. Select your device, then tap the Settings icon and select Wake Word to make a choice. Unfortunately, you can't come up with your own name for the speaker, like "Tallulah" or "Digital Overlord."
Tyler Lacoma/CNET
4. Enable voice purchasing on your Amazon Echo
You don't always have time to search Amazon for something you're out of, like toilet paper. That's why it can be helpful to set up voice purchasing on your Amazon Echo, so Alexa can order products for you.
To get started, you'll need to turn on voice ordering and 1-Click ordering. Open the Alexa app and navigate to Settings > Account Settings > Voice Purchasing > Purchasing controls > Select who can make purchases. For instance, you can set up a voice code or profile so that only you can make purchases when you type in a four-digit code.
Tyler Lacoma/CNET
5. Set up household profiles on your Amazon Echo
If you have multiple people in your house, you'll want to set up voice profiles for each member who uses the Echo speaker. This will help Alexa learn your voice and distinguish you from others in the house. To create voice profiles, go to Settings > Your Profile & Family > Voice ID and follow the onscreen prompts.
Tyler Lacoma/CNET
You can make sure your voice profile is correctly set up by asking, "Alexa, who am I?" The voice assistant will say, "I'm talking to [your name]."
If you have favorite customizations and settings, share them in the comments. Now that you've updated these six Echo settings, here are five creative uses for your Amazon Echo device, five essential tips for your new Echo device and CNET's roundup of every Alexa command you can give right now.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
WySE Products Launches Total Pet Kitchen, The First-of-Its-Kind Multicooker for Fresh Pet Food Preparation at Home
Englewood Cliffs, NJ, June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WySE Products LLC, a company committed to redefining pet nutrition, is pleased to announce the launch of Total Pet Kitchen Multicooker (TPK), the first-of-its-kind countertop appliance designed specifically for cooking and dispensing healthy food for pets using human-grade Products Total Pet Kitchen Multicooker The Total Pet Kitchen multicooker was developed over two years through collaboration with chefs, veterinarians, pet nutritionists, engineers, and pet owners. The team focused on addressing common barriers to home-prepared pet meals, including time constraints, nutritional uncertainty, and inconsistent results. The result is a patent-pending appliance designed to simplify fresh pet food preparation at home. Every component was designed with a focus on safety, efficiency, and user experience. 'Fresh food can make a difference in a pet's health, but until now, there wasn't an easy, practical way to prepare those meals at home,' said Paul McGrath, a representative for TPK. 'That's why we invested significant time in development to create a system that helps pet owners prepare meals with real, recognizable ingredients that get great results no matter what your skill level in the kitchen. Total Pet Kitchen is more than a cooker, it's a movement to bring real, whole food back into our pets' lives in a way that's practical for modern households.' Built for Pet Health and Everyday Use The TPK multicooker offers pet owners a smarter, more efficient way to prepare fresh meals without the time, mess, and guesswork of traditional home cooking. According to the company, meals made in the Total Pet Kitchen can save pet owners up to 75% in costs as compared to subscription delivery food services. This all-in-one appliance combines mixing, cooking, and extrusion into a single streamlined process to make it easier to serve nutritious pet food made from real ingredients. Key features: A 4.5-qt ceramic-coated inner pot that's BPA-, PTFE, and PFOA-free Easy-read control panel with illuminated progress indicators. Four programmable settings for beef, chicken, fish, and grain-free meals. Easily removable inner cooking components are dishwasher safe. Automatic extrusion and dispensing of cooked food mixture. Recipe support through video and written guides. The device can prepare up to a week's worth of food in a single batch, helping pet owners save time. Expert-Approved Recipes and Ongoing Support Beyond the multicooker, Total Pet Kitchen offers a growing library of expert-reviewed recipes and guides available through online videos and written resources. All content is developed and approved in collaboration with TPK's veterinary consultant team to help pet owners prepare meals that are balanced, safe, and tailored to their dog's needs, whether for a full home-cooked diet or as a healthy supplement to existing meals. Processed pet foods often contain low-quality ingredients, fillers, artificial preservatives, and additives that offer limited nutritional value. Switching to fresh, home-prepared food, even as a partial replacement, can significantly improve a pet's diet and potentially reduce long-term costs associated with poor nutrition, such as frequent vet visits and chronic health issues. To support pet owners in this transition, Total Pet Kitchen provides comprehensive educational materials, from meal planning guides to step-by-step cooking tutorials. These resources are updated regularly based on in-house testing and user feedback to ensure they remain practical, accessible, and aligned with the evolving needs of the modern pet household. Responding to Growing Demand Recent trends in pet care point to increasing awareness about the ingredients in commercial pet food. More owners are seeking alternatives that align with their own dietary values, favoring fresh, whole foods over ultra-processed options. This shift in consumer priorities has created a need for tools that support healthier feeding practices without adding complexity to daily routines. The TPK multicooker meets this demand with its combination of food-safe materials, automated cooking programs, and an easy-to-clean design, offering a practical and user-friendly option for households focused on improving pet wellness. 'Launching the Total Pet Kitchen multicooker reflects our ongoing commitment to improving how pets are fed at home,' said McGrath. 'It's a solution developed for modern pet owners who value health, safety, and simplicity, and we're excited to make it widely available.' The company notes this launch is just the beginning. Future updates will continue to expand recipe offerings, refine functionality, and add new content to support pet owners in keeping their pets healthy and thriving. Availability The Total Pet Kitchen multicooker is available for purchase at the company website and Amazon. It's also gearing up to roll out in select retailers in the near future. For more information, updates, or to view the complete product specifications, visit the official website at or contact Total Pet Kitchen by phone at (201) 603-2597. About Total Pet Kitchen Total Pet Kitchen is a brand dedicated to making fresh, homemade meals easy for pet owners. Born from personal experiences with pet health challenges, the company developed the first all-in-one multicooker designed specifically for preparing pet food using real, human-grade ingredients. With features tailored for safety, simplicity, and convenience, Total Pet Kitchen empowers pet parents to take control of their pets' nutrition. The brand also offers vet-reviewed recipes, nutritional guides, and instructional videos to support every step of the journey. Total Pet Kitchen is a trademark of WySE Products Media Contact Company Name: WySE Products LLC Contact Person: Paul McGrath Contact Number: 201-285-4731 Email: paulm@ Country: United States Website: Socials: @totalpetkitchen
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Lake Street: AMT-130 Could Be Game-Changer For ClearPoint
uniQure N.V. (NASDAQ:QURE) is among the 11 Best Genomics Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds. Lake Street Capital reiterated its Buy rating and $30 price target for ClearPoint following uniQure N.V. (NASDAQ:QURE) regulatory update on AMT-130, an experimental gene therapy for Huntington's disease. A team of scientists in lab coats studying a microscope, working on developing gene therapy solutions. uniQure N.V. (NASDAQ:QURE) declared that it has partnered with the FDA to seek an expedited approval process for AMT-130. If the trials go well and the FDA approves it, Lake Street sees AMT-130 as maybe ClearPoint's first 'meaningful partner asset.' ClearPoint provides disposables valued at almost $20,000 for each AMT-130 infusion, suggesting a significant financial benefit associated with the therapy's effectiveness. The FDA's support might result in the approval by the end of 2026, which would have a big effect on ClearPoint's financial standing and confirm its strategic focus on image-guided neurosurgery and gene therapy delivery. According to Lake Street, this regulatory milestone increases clarity on ClearPoint's contribution to the advancement of clinical-stage gene treatments and provides further assurance regarding the clearance timeline for AMT-130. While we acknowledge the potential of QURE as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 10 High-Growth EV Stocks to Invest In and 13 Best Car Stocks to Buy in 2025. Disclosure. None. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Twist and Element Biosciences Expands Pact for Sequencing Workflow Solutions
Twist Bioscience Corporation (NASDAQ:TWST) is among the 11 Best Genomics Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds. The firm has expanded its relationship with Element Biosciences to produce end-to-end Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) solutions. A scientist holding a test tube in the lab, surrounded by equipment used in synthetic biology and drug discovery. Twist Bioscience Corporation (NASDAQ:TWST)'s library prep and target enrichment workflows are now integrated with Element's AVITI™ devices and Trinity™ flowcells. Twist will be the only supplier of the new Trinity kits for the AVITI platform as a result of the deal. Both businesses will collaborate on commercial efforts to increase customer access to high-performance NGS technologies. The expanded relationship builds on past success, including Twist Bioscience Corporation (NASDAQ:TWST)'s Trinity solution for one-hour quick hybridization. The partnership will improve workflows for agbio, genomics, and clinical research by streamlining hybrid capture both off and on sequencers, according to Twist CEO Emily Leproust. Element Biosciences CEO Molly He highlighted that the combination of Twist Bioscience Corporation (NASDAQ:TWST)'s prep capabilities and Trinity's focused sequencing is essential to advancing science. The partnership will provide researchers with platform flexibility, uniformity, and quality by extending NGS capabilities beyond exome sequencing. While we acknowledge the potential of TWST as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 10 High-Growth EV Stocks to Invest In and 13 Best Car Stocks to Buy in 2025. Disclosure. None. Sign in to access your portfolio
