Amazon Echo devices can do a lot of interesting things out of the box, but if you want to add extra features, you can call the Alexa Skills library. These mini-apps allow you to add new voice commands, connect to third-party apps, and even play games. There is only one problem: many of them are not great. To cut the chaff, we have a list of the best skills that are actually worth activating on Echo.
7 minute workout
Finding time to train during the day is one of those tasks that can feel more overwhelming than it really is. The 7-minute workout helps solve this problem by starting a short, guided workout with a single voice command. Tell Alexa “Start a 7-minute workout” and she will guide you through a few simple workouts that won’t take long to complete.
Headspace: Guided meditation
Meditation can have a profound impact on your health, but it is not easy for most people to do it alone. Guided meditation applications such as Headspace are useful there. Tell Alexa that you are ready to meditate, and the service will begin to guide you on how to relax, concentrate, and focus. You’ll need to have a Headspace account in your regular app, but once it’s set up, you can start a meditation session without touching your phone.
AllRecipes
Smart speakers and displays are great cooking companions because they can help you cook a recipe. Which makes AllRecipes one of the most useful skills you can activate. This skill will walk you through the recipes you find online or the ones you have saved in your personal cookbook.
Our food products
A useful companion app for AllRecipes, the OurGroceries ability allows you to keep track of the foods you currently have in your pantry, add items to your shopping list, and remove items as you use them. If you already use Alexa to help you keep track of recipes and cooking, it’s not too far to keep track of your food and then you won’t have to wonder if you have milk in the fridge.
mixology
If you want to put a cocktail together, but you are not sure what you can do with what you have in stock, Mixologist can help you. He can find cocktails by name, he can look for drinks that use a certain ingredient you have (such as rum or tequila) or he can find a random drink that you may not have tried before. It’s a handy way to branch out with the drink menu without too much effort.
Uber / Lift
When you’re getting ready to leave the house and have to go for a walk, Alexa can offer you an Uber or Lyft with a single order. Both apps allow users to request different types of rides (including budget or premium rides) or to check your ride status. Lyft even allows you to evaluate your driver after he leaves you. Make sure Alexa hears the five-star rating correctly.
Ask my friend
Alexa is equipped with commands that allow you to send messages or call people, but they can be unpleasant. It’s good for everyday communication, but Ask My Buddy is designed to simplify things for one simple purpose: emergency messages. You can set this ability to send text messages or call a specific person when you say “Alexa, ask my friend to send help.” This is useful if you have someone who has trouble moving around the house and may just call for help but not reach for a phone call.
Shade / LIFX
One of the most convenient use cases for a smart speaker is the ability to control your lights with your voice. With smart lighting skills such as Philips Hue or LIFX, you can set light brightness levels, change colors, and turn lights on and off with voice commands. Once you’ve turned off the bedroom lights from the comfortable roofs, it’s hard to go back to anything else.
Sounds of sleep and relaxation
If you have a Spotify or Amazon Music account, you may already have access to a library of white noises that you can play in the background or while trying to sleep. However, you do not have to pay for a separate service. The sounds of sleep and relaxation come with a library of ambient noises such as rainfall, cicadas, train rides or a variety of other soundscapes that you can place with a command.
Danger!
One of the most popular game shows in the history of television, Danger has its own Alexa ability that you can use to play with the currently running episode. Each week, the ability offers accompanying questions that match the categories in the episode so you can play together.
Very special Skyrim edition
In a similar category of fun Alexa skills, Very special Skyrim edition is a version of the popular fantasy RPG game that everyone thought was a joke until it wasn’t. You can activate the ability and follow missions, fight and explore the land of Skyrim, all using voice commands and verbal descriptions. It has a feel of one of those text-old-school adventure games with a modern twist.
More wonderful stories