How do I get Alexa to announce text messages?
From the Communicate tab of the app, select the Announce button. Then use either the microphone button to record an audio announcement (which will play in the user's voice) or the keyboard to write a text announcement (which will play in Alexa's voice).
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Use the Alexa app to turn Brief Mode on or off and adjust the length of Alexa responses.
- Open the Alexa app .
- Open More and select Settings.
- Select Voice Responses.
- Turn Brief Mode on or off.
Tip: You can turn on Phone Notifications on VIP Filter to choose which notifications Alexa reads. With the VIP Filter, you can choose to turn phone notifications on or off for specific apps or contacts. Select Manage Contacts & Apps to customize which phone notifications Alexa reads.
To listen to the text message, say the following command: “Alexa, play my messages.” If you want to hear your text messages in another room, find out how to connect Alexa to Bluetooth speakers.
Make sure that the sending and receiving device supports Announcements by checking the Alexa App. All receiving devices are turned on and online. Make sure that the sending and receiving devices are on the same Amazon account. Make sure that any devices within an Amazon Household are registered to an adult account.
The originals: Echo, Amazon, Computer
Over the years, you may have interchanged your smart speaker's wake word with the other three options: Echo, Amazon and Computer. These names react in the exact same way as the Alexa wake word, but make it harder to accidentally wake up your Echo device.
Alexa's self-destruct sequence is pretty easy to activate. All you have to do is say “Alexa, code zero, zero, zero, destruct, zero”.
Finally, there's Whisper Mode. The easiest way to turn that on is to simply whisper to Alexa. Say something, like “What's the weather,” but whisper it instead of speaking. Alexa will respond in a whisper. That's it!
- Open the Alexa app.
- Tap the Menu icon in the top left corner of the screen.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Device Settings and tap on the Echo device you want to change.
- Adjust the audio slider to change the volume.
Can Alexa Answer Phone Calls? Yes, Alexa can answer phone calls from callers who have a compatible Echo device or Alexa Calling on the app. However, Alexa cannot answer calls from mobile or landline numbers.
How do I get Alexa to read notifications automatically?
Click on the Search Lens, then type 'Notify Me'. Then click on the 'Notify Me' skill from the list Page 3 Push Notifications to Amazon Alexa D. Click Enable. Once the skill is enabled, go to your Alexa device and say, “Alexa, Open Notify Me”.
Tapping the name of a book will prompt Alexa to start reading. You can also say "Alexa, read [title of book.]" If you have more than one Echo device, you must choose the device you want to play the audio. You can then open the book in the Kindle app on your device and follow along with the audio.

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content. Adjust any of the following: Speak Selection: To hear text you selected, tap the Speak button. Speak Screen: To hear the entire screen, swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen.
Simply turn to your nearest Echo device and say “Alexa, announce that…”, “Alexa, broadcast…”, “Alexa, tell everyone…”, or “Alexa, make an announcement.” Alexa will record your voice and make every Echo device in the house chirp, followed by your announcement.
Drop In is an optional feature that lets you connect instantly to supported Alexa-enabled devices, like an intercom. Use Drop In to open an instant conversation between your devices or with your Alexa contacts.
Ziggy was picked as a wake word to contrast with Alexa and highlight the other end of the alphabet to suggest the voice assistant is a source of all knowledge. Users can ask Alexa to change either or both features if they choose. Having Ziggy as a wake word does offer a couple of extra bonus features.
Select Devices . Select Echo & Alexa. Select your device. Select Edit Name.
Amazon have added a new wake word for their devices in tribute to David Bowie – “Ziggy”. “Ziggy” is the fifth wake word option for Echo devices in addition to “Alexa”, “Amazon”, “Computer” and “Echo”.
You may wonder if Alexa is listening to conversations, or listening to everything you say. You may want to know whether Alexa listens to you when you're not directly interacting with an Echo device. The answer to those questions is no. Alexa and all of our Echo devices are designed with your privacy in mind.
Super Alexa mode is activated with the famous Konami Code, also known as the Contra Code. It invokes a silly response that sometimes includes an obscure League of Legends reference. It's an Easter egg rather than a practical feature.
What happens if you tell Alexa to call 911?
Unfortunately, you can't ask Alexa to call emergency services in most cases. In the US at least this is due to regulatory compliance — FCC rules require that 911-capable devices provide both location data and a callback number, which is theoretically feasible for Alexa, but something Amazon has opted not to implement.
The Magic Door is an Alexa-powered interactive adventure with original stories. You can tell Alexa what choices to make as you embark on various adventures throughout a magical land. You can learn more about the land by looking at the map.
Alexa Guard (available in the US)
Alexa Guard is a free feature available for supported Amazon Echo devices that can detect the sound of smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, or glass breaking when you set Guard to Away mode. Alexa can send you Smart Alerts via notifications to your mobile device.
You have to open the Alexa app, go to settings, choose your Alexa/Echo device, and turn the volume back up.
Amazon Echo Show 5
To turn off Brief Mode, open the Alexa app, tap Settings > Voice Responses, then toggle off the Brief Mode setting.