“Alexa, why are you so amazing?”
This world-famous Amazon voice AI’s only been around since 2014.
Yet she can now do over 100,000 things.
And since I know you’re curious to try some of them…
I came up with this list of Alexa’s best skills.
Continue reading to discover:
- 29 of the best Alexa skills that you can use.
- One Alexa emergency-situation skill that everyone must know.
- Examples of smart home devices that Alexa can easily control.
- And much much more…
What is Alexa’s most popular skill?
Alexa’s most popular skill is her ability to provide accurate information. Such as today’s weather, traffic situation, or the latest news. She’s also capable of controlling smart home devices through voice commands. In addition, she’s also popular for her ability to control music and videos.
29 best Alexa skills
#1: Smart home control
“Alexa, change the LED light in the living room to blue.”
With the sheer number of Alexa’s skills, it’s hard to select which one’s the best.
But her ability to control smart home devices has to be among the most impressive.
Here are just a few of the many devices you can control with Alexa:
You might also like: 5 Ways To Make Alexa Turn Off Lights After a Certain Time
#2: Ask My Buddy
“Alexa, ask My Buddy to alert my family.”
Now I’m hoping for everyone’s sake that we’ll never have to use this feature.
But this is an important Alexa skill that everyone must know.
In case of an emergency where you couldn’t reach your phone…
You can ask Alexa to alert your contacts via Ask My Buddy. She’ll then send messages to all of them to let them know of your situation.
Here’s a video demonstration of how it works:
Editor’s pick: Can Alexa Make Calls Without a Smartphone? 4 Facts Revealed
#3: Best Recipes
“Alexa, ask Best Recipes what’s for breakfast.”
I love to cook. But sometimes I run out of recipe ideas.
And when that happens, I turn to Alexa’s Best Recipes.
What’s great about it is it can give you recipes based on the ingredients you already have.
In addition, with this skill, you’ll have access to featured recipes that suit any occasion. Whether it’s for Thanksgiving dinner or the 4th of July celebration.
#4: Make donations
“Alexa, donate $20 to PETA.”
As they say, it’s better to give than to receive. And this Alexa skill allows you to practice that.
Amazon partnered with over 300 organizations for this.
Some of the institutions you can donate to include:
- Food For The Poor.
- 1000 Dreams Fund.
- World Animal Protection.
- Doctors Without Borders USA.
- American Childhood Cancer Organization.
Donating through Alexa’s possible with Amazon Pay.
#5: 5-Minute Workout
“Alexa, open 5-minute workout. ”
Who says you need to spend hours in the gym to stay fit?
This Alexa skill will teach you short but effective workouts to burn those calories. And help you achieve your fitness goals.
It’s perfect for those who are always on the go. With not much time to exercise.
#6: CalPal
“Alexa, how long will it take to burn 200 calories by running.”
CalPal is excellent for calorie counters out there.
For example, you just ate a 190-calorie Krispy Kreme glazed donut. And now you’re feeling guilty.
So you want to burn all of those extra calories off by biking.
Well, just ask Alexa. And she’ll let you know, through CalPal, how long you’d need to bike.
#7: Send Hugs
“Alexa, send a hug to Mom.”
My favorite Alexa skill.
Life’s never easy. We’re all going through personal battles.
But some are struggling more than others.
So sending a virtual hug’s a simple gesture for me to let my loved ones know that I care. And that I’m always here for them.
With this skill, you can easily send one to any of your Alexa contacts. And she’ll let them know promptly.
#8: My Pet Doc
“Alexa, ask My Pet Doc.”
There are few things more anxiety-inducing than seeing your fur baby sick.
And while it’s always best to go to a veterinarian…
You may also ask Alexa via My Pet Doc to help diagnose your fur baby’s illness.
Just tell Alexa the symptoms you’re seeing. And she’ll be able to give you advice on what to do.
#9: Quick Events
“Alexa, tell Quick Events to add a dentist appointment tomorrow at 2 PM.”
We never run out of errands to perform. There’s always something that we need to do. On a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
And Quick Events is an Alexa skill that can definitely help organize our activities.
You can simply tell Alexa to add an event for a certain date and time.
And she’ll include it in your Google Calendar. Where you’ll get a reminder half an hour in advance of the event’s schedule.
#10: Restaurant Finder
“Alexa, ask Restaurant Finder to find the best steakhouse in San Francisco.”
Craving for some dish but not sure where to find it?
Just use Alexa’s Restaurant Finder skills.
You can tell her what food you’re looking for. And inform her of your preferred restaurant location.
She’ll then provide you with her best recommendations to satisfy your cravings.
#11: Simple math calculation
“Alexa, what’s 57% of 850?”
We deal with numbers daily. Whether it’s money, fitness goal, or cooking recipes.
Numbers are everywhere. And at times we might need to perform some simple arithmetic.
But while phone calculators are convenient…
Simply asking Alexa’s much faster. No need to press any buttons to get an instant answer to your math problem.
#12: Daily Affirmation
“Alexa, open Daily Affirmation.”
This is another one of my most favorite Alexa skills.
There are days when I just don’t feel like doing anything. Where I don’t have the motivation to do what I’m supposed to.
This skill helps me get through those terrible days.
With Daily Affirmation, you’ll get positive thoughts to think about. And it helps turn a bad mood into a good one.
#13: Amazon Prime deals
“Alexa, what are your current deals?”
Who doesn’t love discounts?
If you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber, then this skill’s perfect for you.
You don’t need to browse through the entire catalog. Alexa will let you know of the best Amazon Prime deals currently available.
And once you placed an order, you can also ask Alexa for delivery updates.
This is definitely a smart and easy way to shop.
#14: Ocean sounds
“Alexa, play ocean sounds.”
Struggling to get a good night’s sleep?
Try Alexa’s ocean sounds.
When you use this skill, you’ll start hearing ocean wave sounds. Making you feel like you’re staying near the sea shore.
And with its calming effect, you’ll be able to sleep soundly in no time.
#15: Flash Briefing
“Alexa, what’s my flash briefing?”
As many Alexa users know, giving accurate weather information’s one of her oldest skills.
Well, flash briefing takes it up a notch.
With this skill, you’ll get a short but detailed report on the following:
- Local weather.
- Summary of the latest news.
- The traffic situation in your area.
#16: Opening Bell
“Alexa, ask Opening Bell for the price of an Apple share.”
Warren Buffett became one of the richest men on the planet through stock investments.
And if you want to follow in his footsteps, Alexa’s Opening Bell skill’s for you.
With this, you’ll be able to know the current share price of any listed company. Helping you make informed decisions on which ones to invest in.
#17: Find Electro
“Alexa, open Find Electro.”
The rise of Tesla in recent years inspired many to try out electric vehicles (EV).
And if you happen to be driving one, you should definitely use Alexa’s Find Electro.
It’s an easy way to find an EV charging station.
Just ask Alexa. She’ll then track down your exact location. And let you know exactly where and how far your nearest charging station is.
#18: Sports updates
“Alexa, how many points did Steph Curry score last night?”
I love professional sports.
Basketball, football, baseball, MMA, tennis. I follow all of these as much as I can.
But sometimes, it can be hard to keep track of the scores and other stats. Especially when I’m really busy.
That’s why I love that I can easily ask Alexa for any sports-related info.
#19: Ted Talks
“Alexa, ask Ted Talks to find talks about global warming.”
One of my favorite YouTube channels is Ted Talks. This channel always brings in amazing speakers that inspire or educate me.
But when I can’t go to YouTube…
I simply ask Alexa to play me a Ted Talk on a topic that I like.
As they say, you should never stop learning. And I’m happy Alexa can help me with that through this skill.
#20: Play music
“Alexa, play any Bruno Mars song on Spotify.”
One of Alexa’s best skills is its ability to control music streaming services.
Alexa has several music commands that’ll make it easy for you to go through your playlist.
In addition, she can also give you music recommendations. She can help you move beyond your usual playlists. And introduce to you the millions of other music out there.
Here are just a few music streaming services that are compatible with Alexa:
You might also want to know: 5 Sneaky Ways To Play Music On Alexa For Free
#21: Job interview
“Alexa, interview me.”
Are you currently looking for a job?
If so, I wish you the best, first of all.
And second, you should also know that Alexa can help you prepare for job interviews.
Just ask her to interview you. And she’ll begin throwing questions the way an HR recruiter would.
Definitely an excellent way to get yourself ready. So that the next time you get a job interview, you’ll be able to knock it out of the park.
#22: Jeopardy!
“Alexa, play Jeopardy!”
There’s a reason Jeopardy! has been going on for over 3 decades now.
It’s one of the most fun game shows ever. I grew up watching it. And it’s still one of my absolute favorites.
That’s why I really enjoy playing it with Alexa.
Alexa’s Jeopardy! skill covers a wide variety of categories. Including:
- Sports.
- Science.
- Literature.
- Pop Culture.
- World History.
Great way to test your knowledge.
#23: Spin the wheel
“Alexa, open spin the wheel.”
Now, this is a really simple but fun Alexa skill.
When you use this, you can supply up to 10 names to Alexa. And then she’ll choose one randomly.
This is great for party games.
Or when you’re family’s simply trying to decide who’s turn it is to do the dishes.
#24: Jurassic Bark
“Alexa, ask Jurassic Bark to bark like a puppy.”
Dog barks are music to my ears.
If you’re a fur parent like me, you definitely know how it feels to long for your fur baby. Especially when you’re away on a work trip or something.
This simple Alexa skill can help ease that feeling of longingness. By simply hearing the sounds of dog barks.
#25: Disney Stories
“Alexa, ask Disney Stories for a Beauty and the Beast story.”
Taking care of kids can be hard. And one thing that can help is Alexa’s Disney Stories.
This skill offers brilliant narrations of over 50 Disney classics. Including:
- Up.
- Frozen.
- Toy Story.
- Finding Nemo.
- The Lion King.
In addition, you’ll also be able to hear music and sound effects. Kids will surely love this.
#26: Giant Spoon
“Alexa, ask Giant Spoon for a marketing idea.”
Do you happen to own a business that you want to promote?
Or perhaps you’re working for a marketing firm. And you’ve run out of ideas.
Well, Alexa’s Giant Spoon skill can definitely help you.
With this skill, she’ll be able to give your unique and innovative marketing strategies.
Of course, not all of her suggestions would be practical. And some may be downright comical.
But it’s a fun way to spice up your brainstorming sessions with your co-workers.
#27: TIME Magazine
“Alexa, open TIME Magazine.”
TIME Magazine’s one of the most recognizable publications worldwide.
It’s an excellent source of well-researched articles about current issues.
And with the help of Alexa, you can get daily stories from it.
A great way to stay up to date with the latest happenings.
#28: Word of the Day
“Alexa, what’s the word of the day? ”
I think it goes without saying that I love to write.
I create thousands of words of content on a daily basis.
And as a writer, part of my job’s to continually expand my vocabulary.
That’s why I also enjoy using Alexa’s Word of the Day skill.
With this, I learn a new word every single day.
Aside from the meaning, Alexa also teaches the correct spelling. And how to use it in a sentence.
In fact, you don’t even need to be a writer to see how beneficial this Alexa skill is.
#29: The Tonight Show monologue
“Alexa, open the Tonight Show.”
We can debate all day about who the best late-night talk show hosts are.
Some prefer David Letterman. Others love Conan O’Brien. While there are also many Jimmy Kimmel followers.
But if you’re a Jimmy Fallon fan like me…
You’d definitely enjoy listening to his hilarious opening monologues through Alexa.