The best Amazon Alexa skills will aid you in getting the most out of Amazon’s personal voice assistant, which is built into Amazon Echo smart speakers and the best Alexa speakers, as well as a variety of other smart home devices. When the newly updated Alexa app is active, you can even summon Alexa hands-free on your smartphone.
Amazon has added a slew of new capabilities to Alexa, but the true key to tailoring the smart assistant to your specific requirements is to use the finest Alexa skills. There are already over 100,000 Alexa skills available, allowing you to manage the greatest smart home gadgets, order pizza, play trivia games, listen to the news and weather, buy online, and even start your car.
After sifting through hundreds of Alexa skills from various companies and developers, we’ve compiled a thorough list of the top Alexa skills to help you get the most out of Amazon’s assistant. In addition, several of the most recent additions to the skill catalog, such as Daily Music Pick, are included.
What are the Best Alexa Skills?
Because everyone’s requirements and habits are different, ranking the top Alexa skills is tough. Certain ones, however, stand out if we believe they will be beneficial to the vast majority of Alexa users. Right now, we’re huge supporters of Alexa Guard, which uses the microphones in your Echo speakers to notify you when an alarming sound (such as glass shattering) happens in your house.
Send a Hug is another one of our favorite abilities. It’s a simple way to let folks you care about know you’re thinking about them, even if you’re miles apart.
Alexa Donations is one of the greatest Alexa skills for giving back right now. You may direct Alexa to make a donation to a non-profit organization such as the Children’s Miracle Network, Doctors without Borders, Feeding America, or any other charity that is important to you. It’s never been easier to give back.
Some of the greatest Alexa skills can also assist you in medical crises. Although Alexa cannot phone 911, you may use the Ask My Buddy talent to notify a ‘in case of emergency’ contact when you want assistance. But, sometimes Alexa can’t respond but it is fixable anyhow. Similarly, through Alexa you may utilize the MyPetDoc skill to obtain help for your sick or injured pets. If your cat or dog requires an in-person visit, Alexa can offer advice and direct you to a nearby veterinarian.
1. Alexa Guard
Alexa Guard transforms your Echo smart speakers into security devices, listening for warning indications such as glass shattering or your smoke alarm going off. Your Alexa app will then inform you if it detects anything odd, which may be quicker while you’re not at home.
You may also be interested in Alexa Guard Plus, which is effectively an upgraded version of the Alexa Guard. Alexa will not only notify you if there is an issue, but it will also contact authorities on your behalf. At $50 per year, it is the most affordable expert monitoring service available.
Check out: Amazon Web Services – Some Common Myths Busted
2. Get Exclusive Amazon Deals
If you ask Alexa, “Alexa, what are your deals?” you’ll get a list of Amazon Prime member-only discounts that require an Alexa-enabled device to access. After you’ve made a purchase, you may ask Alexa for shipping status updates and make a reorder. To acquire the phrases you’ll need to speak to activate one of the greatest Alexa skills available right now, go to Amazon’s Voice Shopping website.
3. Get a Weather Report
While Alexa includes built-in forecast capability, Big Sky is one of the greatest Alexa skills for providing accurate, up-to-date weather information. This is due to the fact that it gives hyper-local forecasts based on your street address. The program uses Dark Sky data and can give statistics such as wind speed and humidity.
4. Get Nutrition Tips
Trying to make some healthy dietary changes? If you need a place to start, you may ask Alexa for short dietary recommendations. Although you should consult a trained nutritionist if you have persistent concerns about your food, your voice assistant can provide some general advise based on Mayo Clinic-sourced healthy living themes. Simply ask Alexa, “Alexa, give me a nutrition suggestion.”
5. Talk to Alexa in Different Languages
Every household does not speak the same language. If you live in an area where members of your family are proficient in more than one language, Alexa has a mode designed specifically for you. Multilingual Mode is one of the finest Alexa abilities since it allows you to converse in two distinct languages while Alexa understands both. The service is offered in the United States (in English and Spanish), India (in Indian English and Hindi), and Canada (where Alexa will understand both English and Canadian French).
6. Make a Donation
You may give to a charity or organization using Alexa. Simply say “Alexa, contribute $20 to the American Cancer Society,” or “Alexa, make a contribution,” and you’ll be prompted to select an organization and a monetary amount. This function now works with over 270 organizations, including the American Heart Association, ASPCA, and Doctors without Borders, One Laptop per Child, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and the Wikimedia Foundation. The following is a comprehensive list of organizations that take voice donations using Alexa.
7. Get Assistance For Your Pet
If your pet is ill or acting abnormally, MyPetDoc is one of the best Alexa skills for determining what’s wrong. Describe Fido’s symptoms, and Alexa will follow up with questions and recommendations. If Alexa is unable to determine what is wrong, it will pass your conversation and phone number to a veterinarian, who will contact you within a few minutes. (Please keep in mind that, while Alexa can provide some assistance, it is not a substitute for a professional vet visit.)
8. Get Recipe Ideas
It’s difficult to choose just one of the finest Alexa skills for cooking because there are so many that cater to different demands. Some of our favorite skills include Easy Meal Ideas for quick and easy recipe recommendations, America’s Test Kitchen Daily Cooking Q&A, from the editors of Cook’s Illustrated, which posts new recipes, tips, and techniques in its weekly Q&A, and Cook’s Illustrated, which posts new recipes, tips, and techniques in its weekly Q&A. Morton’s Salting Sous Chef can tell you just how to salt whatever you’re preparing, as well as provide general salting suggestions. If you have an Echo Show 8 or Show, simply say “Alexa, show me recipes” and choose your favorite, and Alexa will take you through the process.
9. Listen to Audiobooks
If you like reading, you may appreciate audiobooks, which allow you to’read’ a book while doing other activities. Audible is the finest Alexa skill for audiobooks out of all the options. Audible, a mobile audiobook service, allows you to manage your current read with your voice by playing it through your Alexa speaker. Alternatively, even if you don’t have one of the top Kindles, you can listen to specific Amazon Kindle books using an Alexa speaker.
10. Play Music
Alexa allows you to stream music from a variety of services (Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Sirius XM, iHeartRadio, Deezer, Tidal, Gimme, TuneIn, Pandora, Pandora Premium, and Vevo) and up- or down-vote songs as well as play specific playlists. You may also use Amazon’s music collection to create playlists based on certain activities, eras, musicians, or even your mood. You can even mix categories, such as “80s music for jogging,” or ask Alexa to play hook-up music if you’re feeling frisky. Did you know that you can receive Amazon Music for free on your Echo?
11. Make Alexa Your Personal Trainer
Alexa’s 7-minute exercise skill will get your rear in shape. If you say, “Alexa, start 7-minute workout,” the virtual assistant will provide activities that have been purportedly tested to raise your metabolism, improve your energy, and eliminate fat. The best thing is that you can take breaks whenever you want. These are Alexa’s finest health and fitness talents.
Alexa is also incorporated into some of the top fitness trackers. As we said in our Wyze Band and Fitbit Versa 2 reviews, Alexa can serve as your exercise coach from the palm of your hand.
12. Verify the Balance on Your Credit Card
American Express cardholders may use the Amex Alexa skill to manage their accounts. You may link your account by saying “Alexa, open Amex.” Then you may check your account balance, make a payment, examine charges, and check your available credit, among other things. This is one of the greatest Alexa skills for keeping track of your finances.
How We Test the Best Alexa Skills
We spend a lot of time browsing the Alexa app and asking Alexa for ideas to identify the finest Alexa skills for our readers. We analyze what type of questions you could have while in that location if you have an Alexa speaker there. We also assess a range of abilities that aid with housework, errands, scheduling, communication, and other tasks.
To create confident suggestions in Alexa skill categories such as ‘Start Your Day,’ ‘Get Exercise,’ and ‘Music & Audio,’ we test the top offers and look at user ratings. Because some skills aren’t as clever as they appear, we’ve verified the ones listed above to ensure they operate and make Alexa the most effective personal assistant it can be.
Check out: How to Develop Your Skill Set to Advance Your Career