FabSwingers.com forum: Alexa uses....

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

What witty or helpful things do use alexa for?

Mine announces snack time so I don't get asked for snacks every 5 mins.

I've also set mine to remind when it's tidy up time, time to brush teeth etc. And more recently when I get asked how to spell something I say go ask alexa.

My personal favourite is the reminder to put the bins out.

So what have you got?

And what pranks have you played on others with their alexa and amazon orders?

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By *hysoseriouslyMan
over a year ago

Kent

I used to have a “put the kids to bed” command

It turned off the tv, Xbox. Turned all the bedside lights

Then told each child the school things they needed and finally after twenty mins starting reading the youngest a story.

Was brilliant for nearly three weeks and they loved it!

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"I used to have a “put the kids to bed” command

It turned off the tv, Xbox. Turned all the bedside lights

Then told each child the school things they needed and finally after twenty mins starting reading the youngest a story.

Was brilliant for nearly three weeks and they loved it!

Three weeks? Dam that lasted a while.

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By * Sophie xTV/TS
over a year ago

Derby

The best one I ever saw was a workmate and what he did with his while we were at work on nights.

So he had a couple of them at home and could control them from his phone at work, his brother was his lodger and had his girlfriend staying over with him so at roughly 3am, he got them all to scream at full volume!!!

The ensuing phone call from his brother was put on loudspeaker and is still talked about now 2 years later.....apoplectic doesn't quite cover how nuts he went hahhaahaaa

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"The best one I ever saw was a workmate and what he did with his while we were at work on nights.

The ensuing phone call from his brother was put on loudspeaker and is still talked about now 2 years later.....apoplectic doesn't quite cover how nuts he went hahhaahaaa"

Oh that's evil!! But I bet it was funny to listen to.

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By * Sophie xTV/TS
over a year ago

Derby

"The best one I ever saw was a workmate and what he did with his while we were at work on nights.

The ensuing phone call from his brother was put on loudspeaker and is still talked about now 2 years later.....apoplectic doesn't quite cover how nuts he went hahhaahaaa

Oh that's evil!! But I bet it was funny to listen to. "

It was brilliant and far from a one off...did you know you can also get them to sound exactly like a smoke alarm too

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By *ackandsashaCouple
over a year ago

West Dublin

Newest useful thing I discovered is the shopping list. At any stage, say Alexa, add flour ( or whatever you've run out of ) to the shopping list. When you are doing your shopping, say , Alexa, what is on the shopping list. She will recite whatever items you asked her to

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Ask Alexa why are fire engines red.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

Tell alexa to say....

Boris Johnson carrot 100 in Welsh.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Ask her to beatbox

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By *ackandsashaCouple
over a year ago

West Dublin

"Tell alexa to say....

Boris Johnson carrot 100 in Welsh.

Love it !

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By *andyfloss2000Woman
over a year ago

ashford

Ask her to fart x

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By *ympho6969Woman
over a year ago

glasgow

Controlling the hive heating. Best thing ever. Even though I have an app, its amazing to do verbally

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Ask her to fart x"

Or burp

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By *uke olovingmanMan
over a year ago

Gravesend

If you've got two of them you can get them to announce stuff out of the other one ..like a posh intercom

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By *chilles and RavenCouple
over a year ago

Guernsey

We have a few useful ones, like the lights in the bedroom are all synced so we can switch the lights off without getting out of bed. It is really great in the winter no one has to freeze to switch the lights off. Also if there is an issue like one of the dogs having a seizure during the night we can get to the dog as the lights come on, no faffing. We also have her play who let the dogs out when it is time for wee wees, for the 6 dogs. We have off to work, which switches on the longest ever classical playist for them.

We love playing quizes on ours. Trying to get her to swear is great fun.

Also find her so useful for spelling, timers, stupid questions that you think of during the day. When is high tide is a really common question.

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By *mmabluTV/TS
over a year ago

upton wirral

When I go to peoples houses and they have alexa tells me they are lazy show offs

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It's took me nearly a year to figure out how to Alexa to connect to the bedroom TV for sound properly. I daren't ask anything more complex than that.

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By *og-ManMan
over a year ago

somewhere

Ask Alexa is she better than Google home

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By *evonshireboyMan
over a year ago

North Devon

We've got four of them in the house now, but they just get used for radio/music streaming.

I set up some WiFi plugs but can never remember what they are called, same with the lights. It's quicker and simpler to just flick a switch than to shout out "Alexa, turn off lounge light"....

"Alexa, turn off living room light"...

Ah, bollocks, I'll do it m'self

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Have four in the house, set timer for cooking , but mainly use it to play music, set all up as a home group so all 4 turn on . Set up to turn heat on too

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By *ig1gaz1Man
over a year ago

bradford

After putting up with that thing for a few years id never have it.

First off it wasnt mine, I was staying with a couple whilst repairing 2 propertys.

It interfered when you didnt want it to do. ( told it to shut up more than anything )

They liked it but I didnt

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"After putting up with that thing for a few years id never have it.

First off it wasnt mine, I was staying with a couple whilst repairing 2 propertys.

It interfered when you didnt want it to do. ( told it to shut up more than anything )

They liked it but I didnt "

Must admit I do tell alexa to stop or shut up more than anyone else in my household.

But it is useful for playing music especially if you know the name of the songs you like but can't spell yet.

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By *ig1gaz1Man
over a year ago

bradford

"But it is useful for playing music especially if you know the name of the songs you like but can't spell yet. "

I can find a song more by its lyrics

Have plenty of favorates to play so find bluetooth speakers far better.

Enough so id been asked to list the songs I had on phone and laptop as they wanted them.

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By *B69Woman
over a year ago

Wiltshire

We have 4 in the house mainly used for music and great for telling kids dinner is ready

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"We have 4 in the house mainly used for music and great for telling kids dinner is ready "

Do you have 1 per kid?!

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By *B69Woman
over a year ago

Wiltshire

"We have 4 in the house mainly used for music and great for telling kids dinner is ready

Do you have 1 per kid?!

Only 2 but you never know which room their in

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By *inky_couple2020Couple
over a year ago

North West

"We've got four of them in the house now, but they just get used for radio/music streaming.

I set up some WiFi plugs but can never remember what they are called, same with the lights. It's quicker and simpler to just flick a switch than to shout out "Alexa, turn off lounge light"....

"Alexa, turn off living room light"...

Ah, bollocks, I'll do it m'self"

Handy if you're disabled though. My mate from wheelchair basketball has his house wired up to Alexa and it's made his life a thousand times easier. Brilliant for things like that.

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By *andyfloss2000Woman
over a year ago

ashford

"When I go to peoples houses and they have alexa tells me they are lazy show offs"

I'm deffo not lazy my kids bought me mine x

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By *nliveneTV/TS
over a year ago

Selby

Can Alexa be used just using the internet of the mobile phone?

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By *ntrigued32Couple
over a year ago

Nottingham

I think it’s fantastic

from controlling all the lights, controlling the heating and most of the electrical equipment to heating the car up 15 mins before I leave

announces dinner time! Plays games with you (and you can use your echo devices as buzzers if you all have one)

Plus she definitely likes to flirt but only with me and my youngest!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Mostly use it for reminders and shopping list...feed snakes etc

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"We have 4 in the house mainly used for music and great for telling kids dinner is ready

Do you have 1 per kid?!

Only 2 but you never know which room their in

Haha you've basically got a Tannoy system going on in your house

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By *inkyChrissy99TV/TS
over a year ago

Bristol

We have 4 in our house- 1 main one in our kitchen/diner area and a dot in 3 bedrooms.

We use it mainly for music but it's announce feature is handy for getting the kids to come downstairs for tea etc.

On the run up to Christmas asking it how many sleeps till Christmas gets a nice little Santa message too

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By *lan157Man
over a year ago

a village near Haywards Heath in East Sussex

Ask Alexa if she had a good Christmas

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I used to have a “put the kids to bed” command

It turned off the tv, Xbox. Turned all the bedside lights

Then told each child the school things they needed and finally after twenty mins starting reading the youngest a story.

Was brilliant for nearly three weeks and they loved it!

For me, that's brilliant excerpt the bedtime story. That's such a precious time of the day, I couldn't hand it over to a machine.

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By *innMan
over a year ago

edinburgh

When I am Skyping with friends (face time or teams) if the person leaves the room I ask Alex a to play Thin lizzy loud

“guess who just got back today, them wild boys that have been away, haven’t changed, not got much to say......... the boys are back in town!”

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By *itzimadCouple
over a year ago

harwich

"Newest useful thing I discovered is the shopping list. At any stage, say Alexa, add flour ( or whatever you've run out of ) to the shopping list. When you are doing your shopping, say , Alexa, what is on the shopping list. She will recite whatever items you asked her to "

if you have the app on your phone you can do it in the supermarket

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By *itzimadCouple
over a year ago

harwich

"Can Alexa be used just using the internet of the mobile phone?

yes but it will lose connection when you leave the housemost of what alexa can do can be done on your phone using google and a bluetooth speaker

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By *verready5000Man
over a year ago

mansfield

I use mine for cooking timer.

And asking questions and what’s a 100 in Welsh!!

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By *B69Woman
over a year ago

Wiltshire

"We have 4 in the house mainly used for music and great for telling kids dinner is ready

Do you have 1 per kid?!

Only 2 but you never know which room their in

Haha you've basically got a Tannoy system going on in your house

Saves me shouting or going up the stairs so win win

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By *inkyChrissy99TV/TS
over a year ago

Bristol

"We have 4 in the house mainly used for music and great for telling kids dinner is ready

Do you have 1 per kid?!

Only 2 but you never know which room their in

Haha you've basically got a Tannoy system going on in your house

Saves me shouting or going up the stairs so win win"

Lol we use ours for exactly the same reason- I hate shouting upstairs.

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By *pursChick aka ShortieWoman
over a year ago

On a mooch

It’s still in the box and I think that is where it will remain

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By *inky_couple2020Couple
over a year ago

North West

"We have 4 in the house mainly used for music and great for telling kids dinner is ready

Do you have 1 per kid?!

Only 2 but you never know which room their in

Haha you've basically got a Tannoy system going on in your house

Saves me shouting or going up the stairs so win win

Lol we use ours for exactly the same reason- I hate shouting upstairs."

We WhatsApp each other between up and downstairs

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Brother controls his from his phone when he is at work and g.friend is at home. For weeks randomly he would make creaking noises and broken glass sound. This went on for weeks he had to come clean when she was convinced house was haunted and was moving out lol

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By *orraine999Woman
over a year ago

Somewhere

"Tell alexa to say....

Boris Johnson carrot 100 in Welsh.

I just did this and I can’t stop laughing.

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By *ountbattenMan
over a year ago

Chester

Girlfriend set up her Spotify on my Alexa and given the year of working from my bedroom, one day while she was out she set her music off and scared the bejesus out of me!

At the start she would also love to set random reminders for when she was away. Things like how lucky I am to have her, and others in that vein.

On a serious note, uncle lives by himself and a good thing I managed to do last year was set up Alexa across his house with smart bulbs to make life a little bit easier for him, given he's older and not as mobile now. Been a boon being able to drop in every so often to make sure he's okay. It's a feature I wish I had taken advantage of by setting up for my gran before she passed but oh well.

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By *ountbattenMan
over a year ago

Chester

"Tell alexa to say....

Boris Johnson carrot 100 in Welsh.

Wow, I expected something rude but I guess I wasn't Quite prepared for it. How does one even discover something like this?!

On another note, another great feature of Alexa is asking for ambient music to play. Was a boon the week before an important interview when as luck would have it, the neighbours decided to host shouting matches and parties well into the night

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By * and M lookingCouple
over a year ago

Worcester

Will never have the “spy in your home” products in ours.

We prefer our privacy thank you.

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By *itty9899Man
over a year ago

Craggy Island

Alexa, I have a cunning plan"

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By *ountbattenMan
over a year ago

Chester

"Will never have the “spy in your home” products in ours.

We prefer our privacy thank you."

In all honesty though, even if you didn't have a smart speaker, be it Google or Amazon or whatever, the fact you'd likely have your smartphone nearby and the proliferation of connected devices, there really just isn't getting around this "spy" scare. At this point it's practically swimming against the tide.

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By * and M lookingCouple
over a year ago

Worcester

"Will never have the “spy in your home” products in ours.

We prefer our privacy thank you.

Yes but by inviting it into your homes, you can't really argue when it comes on top at a later date.

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By *inky_couple2020Couple
over a year ago

North West

"Will never have the “spy in your home” products in ours.

We prefer our privacy thank you.

Yes but by inviting it into your homes, you can't really argue when it comes on top at a later date."

I can tell you that many disabled people are very grateful for them and have made life a great deal easier and more independent.

You're being tracked by your smartphone (if you have one), via the IP address on your computer (you must have either phone or computer to be posting here) and via your debit card transactions, your in-car navigation system (that's a basic feature on most modern cars). Etc.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

To bark at the cat

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Tell alexa to say....

Boris Johnson carrot 100 in Welsh.

Iv just done that.

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By *ustforfun49Man
over a year ago

chesterfield

How about asking her to make the sound of woman having an orgasm

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By *inkyChrissy99TV/TS
over a year ago

Bristol

"Tell alexa to say....

Boris Johnson carrot 100 in Welsh.

Iv just done that.

I just did it too, glad my kids weren't about! Lol

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By *ackandsashaCouple
over a year ago

West Dublin

Tell Alexa "I love you "

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By *elle xWoman
over a year ago

Doire Theas

Ask her to fart

I never realised there was so many different types

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By *ooking4othersMan
over a year ago

Here ...

I set a reminder on my friends Alexa for my birthday

Still didn't get a present though

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

We've got a Jim Bob, far more user friendly.

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