5 Things Alexa Can Do Without Internet (Updated 2023 Guide)

Alexa without any internet connection is like…

A barely functioning smartphone.

“Does that mean it’s useless?”

Nah.

After all, it still looks pretty slick, doesn’t it?

But, really, how limited is Alexa without WiFi?

Read on to discover:

Whether Alexa’s routines feature still works without WiFi.
7 handy things Alexa can’t do without a stable WiFi signal.
5 interesting things Alexa can do without an internet connection.
And many more…

Does Alexa work without internet?

Alexa can work without internet; however, most of its functions are limited. At best, you can use it as a Bluetooth speaker or as an alarm. Setting reminders, volume control, and calling synced contacts are also possible without internet. Alexa can control smart devices too, but only via Bluetooth.

What can Alexa do without internet? 5 things

#1: Use it as a Bluetooth speaker

Even without WiFi, your Echo device still works as a Bluetooth speaker.

Well, sort of.

If you have music stored on your phone or…

Downloaded all your songs on Spotify for offline listening, then you can use Alexa as a speaker.

But if you’re used to streaming music online, sad to say…

Your Echo device won’t be able to do that for you.

#2: Use as an alarm and set reminders

Now, there’s a twist to this.

After your alarm’s set, if your internet shuts down, Alexa’s alarm function will still work.

However, you need to set your alarm first while you’re connected to the WiFi.

As for setting reminders, there shouldn’t be any issue whatsoever.

You don’t need to be connected to the Internet to manage or set reminders.

#3: Control some smart devices

If you’ve already paired all your smart home devices to Alexa, then…

Controlling them without WiFi should work.

However, if your smart device requires a stable internet connection to function…

You can’t use Alexa to control any of those devices.

Fortunately, any smart home device that uses Bluetooth should be fine.

In fact, only a handful of Alexa devices can control smart devices without WiFi:

How so?

Say hello to Amazon’s ZigBee chip.

It allows Echo devices to do certain functions without an internet connection.

Some of these include the following:

Provide the date and time.
Set alarms and reminders.
Connect to smart appliances.

#4: Call another Echo device

Since you sync your contacts in the Alexa app, you can still make calls without WiFi.

But if you want to make calls through Facebook Messenger, for example, it’s simply not possible.

Basically, you need WiFi to access most of Alexa’s calling and messaging functions.

And that includes international calls as well.

#5: Control the volume

Uhm…

This just might be the one voice command that works without WiFi.

You can command Alexa to turn the volume up or down, but that’s about it.

Now, if you want to learn more about Alexa’s offline functions, you can say:

“Alexa, what can you do offline?”

What can’t Alexa do without internet? 7 things

#1: Provide news, traffic, or weather updates

Need a traffic update before heading to work?

How about the weather report for next week’s vacay trip?

Or maybe a small update on what’s happening around the world?

That’s all possible if Alexa’s connected to the internet.

You might also like: 66 Secret Alexa Commands That She Doesn’t Want You To Know

#2: Shop online

“Alexa, add Neutrogena makeup remover to my shopping cart on Amazon.”

Online shopping is as simple as commanding Alexa the items you need.

Of course, you need stable WiFi for that.

Whether it’s groceries, a small batch of health/personal care items, or even a DeskCycle…

All you need to do is say it to your Echo device.

From there, Alexa takes care of virtually picking those items and adding them to your cart.

#3: Stream music

Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, you name it.

Live streaming music on your Echo device is only possible with a stable WiFi connection.

Of course, that also includes switching between playlists or different genres.

For example, let’s say you want to listen to the “All Out 80’s” playlist on Spotify.

Then after about a couple of minutes, you want to switch to the “Songs to Sing in the Car” playlist.

Without WiFi, you can’t command Alexa to do any of that.

Let alone, your Echo device wouldn’t even play any music.

But with a strong internet connection, Alexa can do that seamlessly.

Check out: 17 Amazing Alexa Music Commands (You’ll Love #7)

#4: Alexa routines

Let’s say you want Alexa to do a bunch of things with just 1 command after waking up, like:

Turn on your lights.
Play your favorite songs.
Give a traffic and weather update.

You can do that with Alexa routines.

What does it do exactly?

Basically, it allows you to tell Alexa to perform several tasks/actions with 1 command.

And it works only if it’s connected to a stable WiFi signal.

Editor’s pick: 47 Best Alexa Routine Ideas (#13 Will Blow Your Mind)

#5: Voice commands

Voice commands require an internet connection.

Why?

Because Alexa uses Natural language processing to interpret human language.

What does that mean?

First off, NLP is an artificial intelligence tool.

Second, it allows computers like Alexa to understand written or spoken human language.

Now, here’s the thing.

The only way for Alexa to access NLP is through the Amazon server, which needs WiFi.

In addition, there are over 7,000+ languages spoken all over the world.

As a result, Alexa can’t store all of this information on its own.

Say for example you want to ask a question like:

“What’s the capital of London?”

Alexa processes your request by looking for the answer in a search engine.

It doesn’t have the answer stored locally.

Instead, Alexa still needs to access a search engine like Bing or an Amazon server to process the request.

#6: Calls and messages

Calling through FaceTime? WhatsApp? Viber? Skype?

All these messaging and calling apps require an internet connection.

For example, Alexa needs to be connected to the WiFi if you want to call a friend through WhatsApp.

And that includes all the other messaging apps that require internet, such as:

Interesting read: Can Alexa Make Calls Without a Smartphone? 4 Facts Revealed

#7: Send announcements to other devices

Announcements also work like voice commands, which…

Require a stable internet connection.

How does it work?

If you want to tell everyone at home it’s time to eat dinner, you’d say:

“Alexa, announce Dinner’s ready.”

Then, it connects to all other Echo devices around your home and announces the message.

“But wait – where does the WiFi part come in?”

As mentioned earlier, Alexa processes commands or requests through NLP.

And that includes telling your Echo device what to announce to all other devices at home.

In other words, you’re still giving Alexa a voice command, which requires WiFi to work.

Do Alexa routines work without internet?

Alexa routines won’t work without internet because certain actions require WiFi.

For example.

If your Alexa routine consists of:

Streaming music.
Turning on your smart coffee maker.

Then…

How could you stream your favorite tunes without any WiFi?

Let alone, how could Alexa connect to your smart coffee maker?

And finally, activating Alexa’s routines is done through voice command, which…

As mentioned previously, also requires WiFi.