If you've had your Alexa smart speaker for a while, then you'll know she's a real clever clogs. Alexa can answer almost any question, play music, control your other smart home tech, and much more.
But if you're not clicking with some of the features on your Alexa-enabled Amazon Echo device, we've got some great tips on how to customise the settings to make your ideal version of Alexa.
Before you start:
If you haven't got the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet yet, read our tips on getting started with Alexa first. You'll need the app and an Amazon account to customise Alexa.
If you're living with an Alex or an Alexa, then you'll certainly want to change your Echo device's wake name to something else. Otherwise, it'll trigger a response every time you try to tell them dinner’s ready!
There are two ways you can change Alexa's wake word. And no, you can't choose a custom name. You'll have to rename her Computer, Amazon — or if you prefer less syllables — Ziggy or Echo. And the quickest way to do this is by simply saying "Alexa, change your wake word to (name)."
If you'd prefer to change your Amazon Echo speaker’s name from your phone or tablet instead (maybe you've lost your voice?) — just follow these steps:
Open the Alexa app on your Apple or Android device.
Tap 'Devices' in the menu at the bottom of your screen.
Choose your Alexa device to open its settings.
Select the gear icon at the top-right corner of your screen.
Tap on 'Wake Word'.
Pick one of the four different names from the list, then tap 'OK'.
And that's it. Just bear in mind that it might take a few minutes for the new wake word to update. So, be patient before trying out Amazon, Ziggy, Echo, or Computer (if you're boring).
Not a fan of Alexa's voice? Don't worry — she won't be offended if you want to swap it out for something else. And you can do this by simply saying "Alexa, change your voice." She'll then cycle through a few different male and female voices that you can choose from, with American, Australian, English, or Indian accents.
Alternatively, you could just head to the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet and follow these instructions:
Select the 'Devices' tab in the menu.
Choose the Alexa gadget you want to edit.
Tap 'Device Settings' and click on the 'Alexa's Voice' option.
Pick your favourite new voice from the list.
Tech tip: If Alexa’s talking too slowly for your liking, you can speed up her speech via a speaking rate slider at the top of the Alexa app’s voice menu.
If you want to converse with your Amazon Alexa devices in a different language, you'll have to lean on the mobile app once again. Here’s how to change Alexa’s language:
Tap open the Alexa app.
Open 'More' from the menu, then click 'Settings'.
Select 'Device Settings' and choose your Echo device.
Tap the gear icon in the top-right of your screen.
Under the 'General' section, pick 'Language'.
Choose the language you want to set your device to.
Just keep in mind that you'll get the best Alexa experience when you select the language supported for your marketplace (i.e. where you live). Also, changing the language she speaks via the Alexa app won't also change the language of the text in the app. This will always match the language you've set in your phone or tablet's settings.
Did you know?
Alexa offers bilingual language settings too. This means she can understand and respond to two different languages at the same time — like English and Spanish, or German, Italian, French, Arabic, plus many more languages and dialects.
This can be really handy for households where more than one language is spoken. Or if you're learning a new language, it can be a great way of getting some practice in without feeling embarrassed.
Creating an alarm on your Alexa gadget is as easy as saying "Alexa, set an alarm for 7am." But if you're tired of waking up to the same sound every morning, just use the Alexa app and these steps to change her tune in a matter of seconds:
Select 'More' on the bottom-right corner of the Alexa app screen.
Tap on 'Alarms & Timers'.
Select 'Add Alarm' to set a new alarm.
Scroll down and tap on the 'Sound' option.
Choose your new alarm sound from the list. There are loads of standard jingles, plus celebrity sounds like 'Grand Tour' — where Jeremy Clarkson yells "wake up!"
Tech tip: Fancy waking up to a favourite song or music genre to ease you into the day? Just say "Alexa, set an alarm for (time) to (song or music genre)."
You can create custom responses for your Alexa device if you want to give her a little more personality. This can be a great party trick too, by making Alexa reply with witty answers to your own custom questions.
To craft Alexa custom responses, you'll need to use Amazon's Alexa Skill Blueprints tool. Here's how to find and use it:
Open Alexa Skill Blueprints in a web browser on your phone, tablet, or computer.
Select 'Custom Q&A' on the homepage.
Tap or click on the 'Make Your Own' button.
Create a custom question and type a few variations of that question into the available fields.
Type in Alexa's custom response.
Once you're happy, click or tap the 'Next: Create Skill' button in the top-right corner of your screen.
Celsius is a unit of measurement us Brits are more than familiar with. So, if your Amazon Echo device is giving you weather updates in Fahrenheit — just say "Alexa, change temperature unit to Celsius".
Or get out your phone or tablet, load up the Alexa app, and follow these steps instead:
Tap 'Devices' at the bottom of your screen.
Select your Echo device from the list.
Scroll down and choose 'Measurement Units'.
Under 'Temperature', select the 'Celsius' option.
You should have sorted out the correct time on your Amazon Echo Dot, Show, or Pop when you set it up for the first time. But if you've moved it or taken it to a different location, the clock may have slipped.
Here's how to get it ticking right again, so your alarms and reminders are accurate and reliable:
Open the Alexa app and tap on the 'More' tab.
Select 'Settings' and choose 'Device Settings' from the list.
Click on the Echo device you want to change the time on.
Tap the gear icon on the top-right and pick 'Time Zone' from the options list.
Select your country and time zone.
What's the difference between Amazon Alexa and Echo?
Lots of people use Alexa and Echo interchangeably, but they're not actually the same thing. Alexa is the AI voice assistant service built into Amazon Echo devices and other tech like TVs. Whereas an Amazon Echo speaker is a physical smart home device that you can use to interact with Alexa.
Can you change Alexa’s voice to a celebrity?
You used to be able to. Yep, we're not joking. Back in 2019, Amazon unveiled a Celebrity Personality voice program for Alexa — kicking off with the iconic timbre of Hollywood A-lister Samuel L. Jackson. You could ask him what his favourite line in a movie was, or just interact for the most common day-to-day tasks.
Amazon later released voices for Bridesmaids star Melissa McCarthy and basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal in 2021. But all three celeb voices were discontinued by Amazon in the summer of 2023.
Any more questions?
Now that you know how to personalise your Alexa-enabled device, why not learn a few more tips and tricks for Alexa? Like how to use Alexa for music and podcasts, or how to connect Alexa to your home.
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