Amazon’s Alexa can help keep you organized and on schedule with its built in features to set up reminders, set alarms and timers, and make lists. 

With your Echo device, you can set up reminders so Alexa will notify you when a task or appointment is due. Create an alarm and use Alexa to wake up in the morning or alert you when a message arrives. Set up a timer for everything—from an egg to a race. You can even add items to a to-do list or shopping list.

 

Reminders 

Reminders serve as short-term alarms that can help you remember certain activities or events. When a reminder comes due, Alexa chimes out “Here’s your reminder,” and then she tells you twice.

The one downside is that the reminder only sounds off on the Echo device on which you set it. So if you have more than one Echo, make sure you set the reminder on the one you use the most frequently. As a backup, the reminder also appears on your mobile device via the Alexa app.

 

Set up a reminder from your Echo device: 

There are several ways to set up a reminder with Alexa. Say: “Alexa, create a new reminder,” at which point Alexa will ask you what the reminder is for.

Tell her what it is, such as “go to the dentist,” “start the laundry,” or “begin cooking dinner.” Alexa then asks you for the date and time. You can say something like: “Today at 3pm,” “Tomorrow at 4pm,” or “July 10 at 10am.”

You can also give all the details of the reminder in one shot, like: “Alexa, remind me to go to the dentist today at 2:30pm.”

When the appointed time arrives, Alexa will voice the reminder to you. 

 

Set up reminders in the Alexa App: 

Alternatively, you can set up a reminder through the Alexa app. To do this, open the app and tap the hamburger icon (the three horizonal lines in the top left corner of the screen). Select the entry for Reminders & Alarms. If you have more than one Echo device, click the current device at the top and select the Echo on which you want to set and hear the reminder. At the Reminders section, tap Add Reminder.

 

 

Fill in the appropriate fields with the reminder itself, the date, the time, and the Echo device on which you want to hear the reminder. Tap Save to save the reminder.

 

Check a Reminder: 

You can check your own reminders at any time. Say: “Alexa, what are my reminders?” and she’ll read them to you. You can also check the Reminders section in the Alexa App even if you are not near your Echo device to see them.

 

 

Remove a reminder by saying, “Alexa, delete [name of reminder]” or all reminders by saying: “Alexa, delete all reminders.”

 

Alarms

You can use Alexa as a replacement for the traditional alarm clock by setting up an alarm. When the alarm goes off, your Echo device will play the sound you set up. You can say: “Alexa, stop” to turn it off or “Alexa, snooze” to postpone the alarm for nine minutes.

 

Set an Alarm: 

You can set an alarm for a specific day and time. Say: “Alexa, set an alarm.” Alexa asks you for the day and time and then sets the alarm after you provide the details. You can also include the information in one shot. Say: “Alexa, set an alarm for 10:45 am today” or “Alexa, set an alarm for 8am tomorrow.”

You can ask for a recurring alarm to sound off every day, specific weekdays, or every weekend. Say: “Alexa, set a recurring alarm for 7am every Monday.”

 

View and Edit Alarms:

You can keep track of your alarms by asking: “Alexa, what are my alarms?” Check the Alarms section in the Alexa app to review your existing alarms, or create new ones (follow the steps above but select Alarms from the menu to view your Alarms in the app). Tap a specific alarm to alter its time, change its sound, modify its interval, or delete it.

 

 

You can even set an alarm to trigger a certain piece of music instead of the typical alarm sound. Delete an alarm by saying: “Alexa, delete [time of alarm]” or remove all alarms by saying: “Alexa, delete all alarms.”

 

Timers: 

Don’t use the microwave as an egg timer anymore—use Alexa instead. When you set up a timer on your Echo device, Alexa will chime in and tell you the countdown has hit zero. Say: “Alexa, turn off timer” or just “Alexa, stop” to shut it off.

 

 

Set a timer: 

You can create a named timer to juggle multiple timers at one time. Say: “Alexa, set an egg timer for 3 minutes” if you’re boiling an egg or “Alexa, set a laundry timer for 30 minutes.” Your timers appear in the Timers section of the Alexa app, where you can pause or cancel each one, or change its volume.

You can also ask: “Alexa, what are my timers?” and she’ll give you the names and countdowns of your current timers. Want to delete a timer? Tell Alexa to cancel or pause a specific timer or cancel them all in one command.

 

To-Do Lists

You can create shopping lists or general to-do lists to help you juggle all the tasks in your life. These can be created by voice, and Alexa can count the items back to you. The to-do lists you create can also be edited inside the Alexa app.

 

Create to-do lists on an Echo device: 

Add something to your to-do list by telling Alexa directly. Say something like: “Alexa, add milk to my shopping list” or “Alexa, add take car to the mechanic to my to-do list.” You can then say: “Alexa, what’s on my shopping list” or “Alexa, what’s on my to-do list,” and Alexa rattles off the items on either list. You can tell Alexa to remove a specific item from either list. This feature can be really helpful since you can add things to your list as you run out of them. 

 

Create to-do lists in the Alexa App:

You can check both your shopping list and to-do list in the Alexa app. Open the app, tap the hamburger icon, and then tap the entry for Lists. Swipe the item to the right to mark it as completed.

 

 

Items can also be moved between your shopping list and to-do list. In either list, swipe a specific item to the left and tap the More icon. You can now search Amazon for that item. Tap Delete to remove the item from the list. Add an item to either list by tapping the plus icon in the upper right.

 

Source: 
PCMag