Little do certain Amazon Alexa device owners know, they can install 'skills' to their smart devices to extend the functionality of them. The Alexa voice assistant can do many things for owners, such as play music, interact with smart devices, and serve as useful tools like a calculator or alarm clock, but, after spending a couple of hours with their new Alexa devices, users might end up disappointed with the limited knowledge and entertainment that it can provide. However, there are many updates that one can give to an Alexa device so that it can, indeed, do more.
Alexa skills are voice-activated commands that can be downloaded to an Alexa device in a comparable way to apps on a smartphone. By downloading a new skill, users will be able to command their Alexa devices in new ways, such as to play the infamous teleport sound from Star Trek if somebody says, "Alexa, beam me up." There are hundreds of Alexa skills that exist - many of which are voice-controlled variations of popular apps, trivia challenges, newsreels, and other fun and humorous concepts. The list of companies to develop a skill for Alexa include Bethesda, Domino's Pizza, ESPN, Fitbit, and Toyota.
New skills can be downloaded to an Alexa device by first going to the Alexa skills store, located on Amazon's website or the Alexa app. Almost all skills are free to download, though some come with in-skill purchases. By clicking or tapping "enable", the skill will be downloaded to the Alexa device connected to the home's WiFi. From there, owners can start to use the skill by giving a command from the list provided by its developers. Like an app for phones, that is pretty much all there is to it, and owners can use the skill as they see fit, but while Alexa owners will find downloading and using new skills simple, are they worth using as an alternative way to perform tasks?
Should You Use New Skills For Your Alexa Device?
Again, like downloading apps, some users will find some skills to be more worthwhile than others. While one person might get only five minutes of enjoyment from using the "Skyrim Very Special Edition" game skill, that same person might find it particularly convenient to use Alexa for ordering pizzas from Domino's or checking how much gas their car has. None of these skills are considered revolutionary or life-changing, but they can still be enjoyable or useful for users.
One tip for looking for Amazon skills is to simply ask what you would like to have Alexa do that it cannot do already, and look for a skill that might give a solution. Another tip is to look for a skill equivalent to an app one might already have on his or her phone and decide whether or not it works more favorably in comparison. If certain Alexa device owners don't see the need for a new skill, there would still be no harm in browsing the store every once in a while to see if there's a skill that grabs them.
Source: Amazon