Originally launched in 2014, Alexa consists of a virtual assistant programmed with artificial intelligence guided by voice commands🇧🇷 Currently, the device has numerous versions and is available in some specific languages such as Portuguese, English, Spanish, German, French, Hindi, and also Japanese.
As much as it is very easy to use, there are some features that may be somewhat hidden for most users.
In order to present a little more about its tools, below, you can check a list of 11 hidden functions in Alexa that you need to know. Enjoy!
1. Quotation and conversion
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If you are a person connected to finance and want to know the dollar (or other currencies) exchange rate in real time, just ask Alexa a question about your question.
However, if you want to make conversions in relation to the real, you need to inform the values so that it can say how much a certain currency is worth over another.
2. Purchase tracking
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By questioning your Alexa by simply asking “where are your things” or “where is your package”, the virtual assistant will check your last orders made by Amazon and do proper tracking.
In this way, the device will inform about the last update of the purchased items, including location, time and how long it will take until it reaches the final destination.
3. Transit
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When it rains, traffic generally becomes more chaotic, isn’t it? Also, it may be that certain events, such as music concerts and football matches, and accidents also disrupt vehicle traffic on the city’s main thoroughfares, right?
For that reason, how about asking Alexa how is the transit from one point to another before leaving home? Authorize the search by location and have very useful information at your disposal.
4. Climate
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Another hidden function, but which many people are already used to accessing through smartphones is the weather forecast.
But with a virtual assistant by your side, nothing fairer than ask the temperature of your city or region at certain times of the day. You can also ask about the chances of rain and wind in a given period.
5. Horoscope
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Mercury may even be retrograde, but if your horoscope indicates that the day will be amazing, don’t miss these important details. So, trigger Alexa on the day’s predictions for your sign, be it air, earth, fire or air.
Furthermore, by informing the assistant about her birth chart, she will be able to bring more detailed information about the stars.
6. What’s the song?
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When that fun song gets stuck in your head, there’s no app that can help you figure out what its title is, let alone the artist who sings it, right? But if you ask Alexa for help, maybe it’ll be easier to figure it out.
So ask “Alexa, what’s the song?” or “Alexa, what song is this?” and start humming so she can finally figure it out.
7. Regional news
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Often, we just need to know if the corner store will be open on holidays or if a specific product is available at that location.
If regional establishments are registered with Google, Alexa can search for this information and present all the news from your neighborhood or your city. But don’t forget to turn on location huh!
8. Create new lists
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On Amazon, you can create lists with items you want to purchase to add the products and facilitate price quotation. With Alexa, you can manage them and also find out more about the products already entered.
But there is a particularly useful command for when you are away from your computer or smartphone, which is to create new lists – especially so you don’t forget something you remembered in the shower, for example. So, say “Alexa, create new list”, and it will actually be created.
9. Tell a story
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As it is directly linked to the Amazon store, there are many free ebooks available, as well as access to platforms such as Prime Reading and Kindle Unlimited.
If you are a subscriber to any of them, you can ask Alexa to read one of the stories offered from beginning to end or continue reading a book that you have already started through Kindle.
10. I Never
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There are games made to get together with friends and that, in some way, can leave us pressured to remember something interesting. One of these games is “I Never”, in which participants need to say things they have never done to avoid suffering the consequences.
Alexa can help think of something to just throw in the wheel. In this sense, it is necessary to say: “Alexa, play I Never”.
11. Heads or Tails
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Finally, how about asking Alexa to toss an imaginary coin in the air and decide something through heads and tails? Just request the command “Alexa, flip a coin” and the result will soon be announced. Who could be winner?
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