(Just a heads up: some of these activities will require you to download skills that hook to your Alexa app. Don’t worry, though—Alexa tells you when she needs a new skill to complete a request.) “You see, there’s a rhythm to it,” said my father as he bounced from one edge of the court to the other, trying to teach me how to play pickleball. “If you think too much about it, you’ll fall apart. It’s like dancing.” I noticed that my father moved like a much younger man. Alexa’s stories are short: just a minute or two. But they can be delightfully wacky. (She once told us a story about the life cycle of a can of cranberry sauce.) And, to break up Alexa’s sometimes-monotonous inflections, there are subtle sound effects. Or, if you’re trying to clear out your pantry, you can work backward by saying, “Alexa, find a recipe for olives and potatoes.” Once you’re satisfied with the recipe, Alexa will send it straight to your phone. Sadly, you can’t order with DoorDash or Postmates/Uber Eats. Ask Alexa to tell you a joke, and she’ll gladly oblige. Or you can get more specific and ask for any of the following:
A knock-knock joke A Shakespeare joke A Harry Potter joke A Disney joke A Star Wars joke An Avengers joke
(Those are just the ones we’ve uncovered ourselves; there could be more we don’t know of.) There’s also Dungeon Adventure. This D&D-style choose-your-own-adventure game requires you to roll for attributes, hit points, attack impact—you name it. Other Alexa adventure games include Magic Door, Earplay, and Bosch (based on the Harry Bosch detective novels). The sky’s the limit when it comes to Echo-based derring-do. If the board game you got at the thrift shop doesn’t have dice, Alexa will roll virtual dice for you. If you want to play Truth or Dare, Alexa will generate questions. If you want to move around, Alexa can lead you in a rousing game of Freeze Dance or Escape the Room. On its own, Guard sends you notifications when it hears a smoke alarm or breaking glass. When paired with smart lights, it turns the bulbs on and off to make it look like you’re away. We wouldn’t recommend Alexa Guard over a full security suite, but it’s a neat way to be safer until you get better security. You can also use it in conjunction with Ring Alarm or ADT home security systems. Here are some of our favorites:
“Alexa, make me a sandwich.” “Alexa, what’s the meaning of life?” “Alexa, do you wanna date me?” “Alexa, who you gonna call?” “Alexa, may the force be with you.” “Alexa, I am your father.” “Alexa, set phasers to kill.” “Alexa, beam me up.” “Alexa, avada kedavra.” “Alexa, alohomora.” “Alexa, wingardium leviosa.” “Alexa, lumos.” “Alexa, do you want to build a snowman?” “Alexa, where’s Waldo?” “Alexa, find Chuck Norris.” “Alexa, meow.”
But we do know a few things that Alexa definitely can’t do. She can’t call 911 or any emergency services on your behalf, for instance. She also can’t do voice memos.¹ But Alexa can’t actually tell you if you have a disease. She can only help you rule it out through a lack of symptoms. If you do have telltale symptoms for an illness that requires treatment, you need to contact a medical professional, stat. But if you’re an audiophile, we recommend the Echo Plus or Echo Studio. Or, if you have kids, try the Echo Dot Kids Edition. It comes pre-equipped with parental controls.
