Krist S
So, you’ve got yourself a brand-new Amazon Echo—whether it’s the Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show, or Echo Studio—and you’re wondering how to make the most of it. Since its debut in 2015, the Amazon Echo lineup has revolutionized smart home technology, and Alexa, the built-in voice assistant, has only gotten smarter with time.
But are you truly unlocking its full potential? Sure, you could spend hours playing around with Alexa, asking it random questions, or having it tell you jokes. But wouldn’t you rather make your life easier, more organized, and even more fun?
7 Best Things You Can Do with Your Amazon Echo to Enhance Your daily Routine.
1. Make Hands-Free Calls and Send Messages
One of the most convenient features of Amazon Echo is its ability to function as a smart speakerphone. You can use Alexa to make voice and video calls to any of your contacts who also have an Echo device or the Alexa app. This means you can chat hands-free while cooking, working, or lounging on the couch.
Here’s what you can do with Alexa’s calling and messaging features:
✅ Call mobile numbers and landlines in supported countries.
✅ Drop in on other Echo devices in your home, like an intercom system.
✅ Send voice or text messages to your Alexa contacts.
✅ Enable emergency contacts so Alexa can quickly dial them for you.
📌 New for 2025: Alexa now integrates with WhatsApp and Zoom, allowing you to make voice or video calls through these services.
2. Order Groceries, Food, and More
Amazon Echo is like your personal shopping assistant. You can use Alexa to order groceries, household essentials, and even restaurant food with just a voice command.
How to shop with Alexa:
🛒 Order directly from Amazon: Say, “Alexa, reorder my dog food,” and it’ll be added to your cart.
🍔 Get restaurant deliveries: In select cities, Alexa now works with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub to place food orders.
🥑 Use Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh: If you’re a Prime member, you can shop for groceries and schedule a delivery.
📌 New for 2025: Alexa can now suggest meal ideas based on the ingredients in your fridge and automatically add missing items to your shopping list.
3. Plan and Organize Your Day
Alexa is more than just a voice assistant—it’s a personal productivity powerhouse. It can help you stay on top of your schedule, manage tasks, and even improve your morning routine.
Ways Alexa can keep you organized:
📅 Set alarms and reminders: “Alexa, remind me to water the plants at 5 PM.”
📩 Sync with Google and Outlook Calendars: Alexa can read out your schedule for the day.
🗞️ Get news and weather updates: Start your day with a “Flash Briefing” from sources like BBC, CNN, or The New York Times.
📋 Manage to-do lists: Say, “Alexa, add ‘buy birthday gift’ to my to-do list.”
📌 New for 2025: Alexa now integrates with AI-powered planners like Notion and Evernote, helping you create a smarter, more personalized schedule.
4. Control Your Smart Home with Voice Commands
One of the biggest reasons people buy an Amazon Echo is to turn their house into a smart home. Alexa can control a wide range of smart home devices, from lights and thermostats to security cameras and door locks.
Smart home devices Alexa can control:
💡 Smart lights: “Alexa, dim the living room lights to 50%.”
🌡️ Thermostats: “Alexa, set the temperature to 72 degrees.”
🔒 Door locks: Lock or unlock your front door with a voice command.
📷 Security cameras: View live feeds from Ring, Arlo, or Nest cameras on an Echo Show.
📌 New for 2025: Alexa now supports Matter, a new smart home standard, making it easier to control a wider variety of devices across different brands.
5. Listen to Audiobooks, Podcasts, and News Without Lifting a Finger
Alexa makes multitasking easier by allowing you to enjoy audiobooks, podcasts, and news updates hands-free.
Audio content you can enjoy with Alexa:
🎧 Audiobooks: Alexa integrates with Audible so you can listen to your favorite books while doing chores.
🎙️ Podcasts: Listen to shows from Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon Music.
📰 News briefings: Get daily updates from news sources like NPR, Reuters, and Bloomberg.
📌 New for 2025: Alexa can now summarize key points from long articles or podcast episodes, saving you time.
6. Play Music From Any Streaming Service
Want to listen to music while you cook, clean, or work? Alexa makes it effortless to play your favorite tunes.
How to enjoy music with Alexa:
🎵 Stream from your favorite services: Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and more.
🔊 Multi-room audio: Sync multiple Echo devices to play music throughout your home.
🎤 Karaoke mode: Some Echo devices now display lyrics while playing songs.
📌 New for 2025: Alexa can now curate playlists based on your mood, activity, or even the time of day.
7. Expand Alexa’s Skills to Do Even More
Alexa isn’t limited to just built-in functions—it can be customized with thousands of “Alexa Skills.” These are like apps for your Echo, adding even more functionality.
Some useful Alexa Skills:
✔️ Find My Phone: “Alexa, find my phone” will make your phone ring.
✔️ Guided workouts: Get voice-guided fitness routines.
✔️ Meditation and sleep sounds: Use apps like Calm or Headspace for relaxation.
✔️ Cooking and recipes: Alexa can guide you step-by-step through recipes.
✅ Real-time translation: Supports over 50 languages.
✅ Pronunciation help: “Alexa, how do you say ‘thank you’ in French?”
🚦 Check commute times before leaving home.
🚗 Find parking spots with integrated apps.
🛠️ Create personalized commands: “Alexa, start movie night” (dims lights, turns on the TV).
📲 Trigger smart home actions with one phrase.
🎥 View live camera feeds on Echo Show.
🚨 Arm your security system with Alexa Guard.
🔦 Turn on lights automatically when you’re away.
🎲 Play trivia games: Jeopardy, 20 Questions, and more.
🕵️ Escape room and mystery games.
🎭 Storytelling games: Alexa can create interactive stories.
📌 New for 2025: Alexa’s AI now learns from your habits and suggests skills tailored to your daily routine.
Final Thoughts
The Amazon Echo is more than just a smart speaker—it’s a versatile home assistant that can streamline your life, keep you entertained, and even make your home smarter. Whether you want to make hands-free calls, order groceries, listen to audiobooks, or control your smart home, Alexa has you covered.
And with new updates rolling out every year, there’s always something new Alexa can do. So, if you haven’t explored all these features yet, now is the perfect time to start!
