There are several ways to make Alexa seem more useful and less like just another device, regardless of whether you have an Echo Dot, an Echo Show 15, the powerful Echo Studio, or the spinning Echo Show 10.

Your experience may be greatly enhanced by a few minor adjustments. There are several features worth setting up, such as hands-free calling, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections, and even Alexa in the kitchen.

Getting things exactly right may need some time, but once you do, your Alexa devices will seem as like they are working for you rather than the other way around.

Take a look: New capabilities are added to Alexa to improve its listening skills.

1. Turn on your Amazon Echo’s Brief Mode

Alexa will say something like, “Okay, turning on the lights,” when you ask her to do anything like play a song or turn on the lights. If Alexa performed anything that wasn’t what you asked for, this will help you figure out why. You may adjust that option so that Alexa plays a brief sound rather than a spoken response if you don’t want it to repeat what you just said.

To do this, choose Settings from the More menu in the Alexa app. Toggle on the Brief Mode option after selecting Voice Responses under Alexa Preferences.

On the arm of a wooden lawn chair is a gray echo device.
To have your Echo play a brief sound rather than a vocal answer, turn it on Brief Mode.

2. Install the music streaming provider of your choice.

Amazon Music is the default music provider when you first set up your Amazon Echo. You may wish to connect your Echo to Spotify, Apple Music, or another streaming service instead.

After selecting Settings > Music & Podcasts, click on a service link. Select the music source of your choice by tapping Default Services on the same screen. The Echo will now play music from the music streaming service of your choosing when you say, “Alexa, play music.” Keep in mind that defaults may be chosen for personal or family listening.

All the Alexa Music Commands You Must Use to “Alexa, Play Beyoncé”

3. Modify Alexa’s wake phrase

Should TV ads continue to activate your Amazon Echo when they mention “Alexa,” you may switch the wake word to something that won’t activate the device as often. You may utilize a few more recent wake word additions, such as Ziggy and Hey, Disney, in addition to the more conventional choices, such as Computer, Echo, and Amazon.

Simply ask “Alexa, change the wake word” and choose anything you want to modify. Another option is to launch the Alexa app and choose Settings > Device Settings. After choosing your device, press the Settings button and choose Wake Word. Regretfully, you are unable to call the speaker anything like “Tallulah” or “Digital Overlord.”

4. Turn your Amazon Echo’s voice purchase on.

You don’t always have time to look for toilet paper on Amazon when you run out of it. To enable Alexa to place orders for you, you may want to configure voice buying on your Amazon Echo.

You must enable voice ordering and 1-Click ordering before you can begin. Go to Settings > Account Settings > Voice Purchasing > Purchasing controls > Choose who may make purchases after launching the Alexa app. For example, you may configure a voice code or profile so, when you enter a four-digit code, only you can make purchases.

5. Configure your Amazon Echo with household profiles.

You should create voice profiles for each person using the Echo speaker if you have a large household. By doing this, Alexa will be able to recognize your voice and tell you apart from other people in the home. Navigate to Settings > Your Profile & Family > Voice ID, then follow the on-screen instructions to establish voice profiles.

You may ask “Alexa, who am I?” to ensure your voice profile is configured appropriately. It will say, “I’m talking to [your name].”