Reviews ethics statement. Open the Alexa app on your iPhone or Android device. Follow. Now try out some commands. Just select the Alexa widget and begin to command away. Alexa now lets you unlock your smart lock with a voice command, but youll need to say a PIN code first. Currently unlocking by voice is only available in a few countries so if the option is not available in your location you will not be able to use unlock by voice. Will You Invest in More Smart Home Products in 2020? Alexa, on the other hand, is nearly always available, accurate and downright friendly. However, the biggest hindrance is walls, and if you want to control the Echo from the next room over, it may not hear you. Amazon told TechCrunch the feature is rolling out from 7 July 2020 to users worldwide, and that you might not immediately see the option. Readers like you help support Pocket-lint. After Alexa is turned on, tapping the microphone will automatically cue up the voice assistant, and you can begin speaking a command. Once finished, you wont have to tap the Alexa icon to talk to Alexa anymore. After that, you may need to sign in to your Amazon account. Recommendation for a replacement remote for Amazon Fire TV. After updating the Alexa app, you should see the option to enable hands-free detection and can then start to use the feature. Amazon Alexa is free to download for Windows 10 and 11 in Microsoft Store. Clear search Alexa will then ask you for your voice code. Currently, to use the Alexa App hands-free, you have to leave the screen unlocked. On Android, you can also set Alexa as the default digital assistant (replacing Google Assistant). She works to help teach others how to get the most from their devices, systems, and apps. Tell Alexa to lock, unlock, or check the status of your front door. Once you do . Delivered Tuesdays and Thursdays. Your Echo device will listen for glass breaking, smoke alarms, or carbon monoxide alarms. First, you'll want to make sure you've installed or are running the latest version of the Amazon Alexa mobile app for iOS or Android devices. Your lock will automatically detect battery polarity and lets you activate your screen and enter your Access code to unlock. Also, if you already have a device with Alexa hands-free enabled by default, this option is already enabled, and you dont have to do anything. Do you want to easily talk to Alexa while on the go? Not to mention, Siri sometimes gets choked up and stops responding to basic requests (at least, it does on my iPhone). Just remember: If the Alexa app isn't open and your screen is locked, you'll be out of luck. If your wake word is detected, a blue line will appear at the bottom of the screen. Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories? How-To Geek is where you turn when you want experts to explain technology. Search for "SimpliSafe" and the skill will pull right up as SimpliSafe Home Control. When enabled, Alexa blocks responses on personal topics, such as your Amazon account, contacts, shopping, location, and smart home devices. When Macy isn't writing, she's volunteering, exploring the town or watching sports. Now, lets jump into five smart ways Alexa can enhance your life: Alexa Guard is like a pair of ears you leave at home. On the Lock Settings page, tap Edit in the top right corner. Of course, you can only do this if you have smart locks. The feature is turned off by default, so youll need to log into the Alexa app on your Android or iOS device and select the unlock by voice setting to turn it on. RELATED: Six Things to Consider Before Installing a Smart Lock. Select Amazon Alexa. This won't work with hands-free activation, however, and it will prevent the "Hey, Google" wake phrase from working. A handful of smartphones including the Moto X4 did enable the hands free experience through the preloaded Alexa app in the past, however you could use the feature even with the phone locked.. Amazon has said that the new experience is available for both Android and iOS devices through the latest Alexa app. Download the Amazon Alexa app from the Apple App Store. Macy has been working for CNET for coming on 2 years. In most cases, youll need to add the Alexa skill created by your smart lock manufacturer. If you. Open the Alexa app and tap the More icon, then Skills & Games. Homeowners could also recruit Amazon Pro Services to assist with installation. On an Android device, open the Play Store app and tap on the hamburger icon () in the upper. Alexa, sell me something. Thanks to a new feature being rolled out by Amazon in July, you can now use the Alexa app hands-free. You can open the app with Google Assistant and Siri, too. Amazon truly wants Alexa to be ubiquitous and available everywhere. Resident Evil 4 hands-off preview: Another sparkling update? On Android devices, go to Settings and choose Display. 4. Siri is fine (and Apple added a couple updates for its virtual assistant in iOS 16), but if you would rather conversewith Amazon's trusty voice assistant, you can just add the iOS Alexa app widget to your iPhone or iPad home screen. To create and manage your calling groups, open the Alexa app and tap the Communicate button, then tap the contacts icon in the top-right corner. From her lofty position somewhere in the Amazon cloud Alexa can, via her Echo and Echo Dot minions, respond to an impressive array. Inside the next screen, make sure that the toggle associated with Allow Drop In is enabled. Navigate: My Verizon > My Device > View All. With Alexa, only people with this four-digit code can use the command "Unlock the door." How secure is your code? And Amazon's voice assistant even has a different name and voice option. Simply tap to unlock using your iPhone or Apple Watch when paired with Apple HomeKit and home keys. She stays on top of the latest trends and is always finding solutions to common tech problems. When it comes to the mobile phone industry, people naturally think of phone devices as Android phones and iPhones. Open the Alexa app and tap on the action button in the top-left corner of the screen. You can do things like streammusicfrom Amazon Music, listen to your audiobooks (or have Alexa read your Kindle books to you), control yoursmart home, listen to the news and so on. Start the Alexa app. Change the Alexa wake word The first step Dixon recommends users take on their Alexa-enabled. You may need to unlock your phone using face recognition or a passcode. You already know you can give Alexa commands on yourEcho devices, but did you know that you can also talk to Alexa on your iPhone? The built-in screen gives you another helpful security feature if you have an Echo Show. To enable Alexa Guard, put it into Away mode by saying Alexa, Im leaving. Turn it off when you get home by saying, Im home.. A toggle will also become available under settings that will allow you to turn off the feature at any time. in English and Journalism. 1) Go to the devices tab in the Alexa app, and tap on your smart lock, 2) Tap on the settings icon in the top right corner. From the home screen click on the devices icon " " in the bottom right corner of the screen. But the main difference between using Alexa within the Amazon Shopping app and from an Alexa speaker is the lack of a wake word in the app. We select and review products independently. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today's digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. However, its easy to change your settings to manually lock your device. Then Huawei added Alexa to itsMate 9 phone. If you're on a Samsung Android phone, the steps are different. Then select "Add Device" and tap on "Lock". She is listening whenever the blue bar at the bottom lights up. Open it up, and then tap the microphone button toward the top-right corner of the screen. You may need to unlock your phone using Face ID or Touch ID. Select Echo & Alexa, then select your device under Accessories. In each article, Macy helps readers get the most out of their home and wellness. To activate the routine once you've set the parameters, you can also say, "Alexa, turn on advanced presence mimicking." A similar Labs formula can mimic the lights from your TV so it looks like. The assistant will fire up just like it would with your smart speakers. You can use this link for a six-month free trial. Scroll until you see Amazon Alexa or type Alexa in the search box, then tap Amazon Alexa. Open the app, and then tap the Alexa button at the bottom. Macy Meyer is a N.C. native who graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2021 with a B.A. Install or update to the latest version of the Alexa app from the Google Play Store. To enable Alexa. Just say "Alexa" to play music, make calls, ask questions, navigate,. Open the Amazon Alexa app on your phone or tablet. For iPhones, go to Settings and Display & Brightness. Tap Auto-Lock and select Never. Select Devices . However, Amazons own shopping app on iOS and the Alexa app on Android both let you give Echo voice commands through your phone, effectively getting rid of the need for the $30 Voice Remote. All adding an Alexa widget to your home screen does, really, is put Alexa just one short tap away -- but that's enough to make adding the Alexa widget to your iOS home screen worthwhile. Remember, youll need to manually lock your phone or the screen wont turn off. 3. When Im cooking, its easy to say, Alexa, remind me the cauliflower pizza is done in 15 minutes. That's one of the most useful and basic ways to use the Amazon-owned smart assistant. The other issue is youll need to keep the Alexa app open. Open the Alexa app . The Best Way To Answer A Phone Answer before the third ring. JavaScript is disabled. I get questions on my national radio show about the best way to stay in touch with far-away family or aging relatives. Youre ready to go! There are a few reasons why an Echo might be account locked: The previous occupant of your house left it behind when they moved out, forgetting to deregister it from the app. It is also capable of being controlled via a voice assistant like Amazon Alexa. The first time you use this feature, you will. While the restrictions may not make it as useful as it could be, going hands-free does have some perks. You can make Redmi Note 9 Pro or the Redmi Note 9 completely hands free yes hands-free access to Alexa, while on-the-go. Choose Alexa. Heres how to find your phone when its gone missing even if the battery is dead. 1. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Handy! Tap "Edit" in the top right corner. 1) Go to the devices tab in the Alexa app, and tap on your smart lock 2) Tap on the settings icon in the top right corner 3) Tap on unlock by voice. Go to 'Respond while locked.'. While Samsung has the biggest share of Android phones in America and Europe. How do I enable my Alexa app / Alexa device? Heres how to enable the feature and how it works. You can do this on iOS by going to Settings > Notifications > Show Previews. As long as the latest Alexa app is compatible, you can set the device in a central location in whatever room youre in and use it to ask questions, play games, and more. Tap or click for steps to listen to and erase any errant recordings. Tap the "Unlock by Voice" toggle switch to turn the option on. Lurker. Developers have trained the virtual assistant with . This is . But if you want a much cheaper alternative that you can also use while youre away from home entirely, the Amazon app and Alexa app have got you covered. It won't be able able to launch Alexa from a locked phone or when the app is closed and off the screen, running in the background. Is there some way, however, to add the "Allow on Lock Screen" option for these "custom" shortcuts? When you purchase through our links we may earn a commission. After that, you can immediately begin giving Alexa commands. If you're happy with the location of the Alexa widget, tap Done in the upper right corner and you're finished. It's an excellent way to say hello without picking up the phone. Youll get an alert on your phone if these sounds are detected. In any case, here's how the feature is expected to work. Get notified about new features, discounts and developer updates. On the next screen, tap the Allow button to give Alexa permission to use your phones microphone and location so that it can hear your voice commands and help with location-based requests. This Alexa trick solves one of the Echo's most annoying problems. 1. (Image credit: Amazon) 3. Putting Alexa on the HTC U11 is a small step, but it gives Amazon new footing in the voice revolution. Tap the toggle next to . Once done, follow the steps below to start enjoying Alexa: Open the app and log in using your Amazon account. All rights reserved. Regardless of how you summon Alexa from your phone, here are some things you might say: An update at the beginning of 2018 brought Alexa into the one place it should have been all along:The Alexa app. Tap the +icon in the upper left corner. It supports smart home standards like Z-Wave Plus and Apples HomeKit and includes a Connect bridge that allows it to work over Wi-Fi. You can also still lock your doors using your voice, and you dont need a voice code for that. Alexa Guard can also automatically turn any connected smart lights on and off to make it look like youre home. Here's how to do it. Click on the Settings icon in the top right corner of the screen. The Echosfar-field voice recognition technology is one of the devices most toutedfeatures. Since we launched in 2006, our articles have been read billions of times. The same thing goes for other things, like asking Alexa about coffee shops nearbyits like an Echo Show or Echo Spot right in the palm of your hand. Log into the Alexa app. 2. This doesn't quite mesh with how Alexa works on most other devices, like Echo speakers. Amazon just began rolling out the feature in July 2020, so its not available on all devices just yet. It is worth checking every one in a while because there is a chance that Amazon will enable this feature for your location as well. Using the Alexa app hands-free is useful if you have your hands full, such as while cooking. Plus, its nice to be able to drop in on Echo devices remotely using just your voice. In essence, it's nearly a full preview of what Alexa can do. You can also still lock your doors using your voice, and you dont need a voice code for that. How do you unlock a smart lock with Alexa? You are using an out of date browser. Here you will need to enter a PIN code that Alexa will ask you every time you want to unlock your smart lock to verify you are authorized to do so. If you use your cell phone as your Alexa device, that works, toosort of. On the next screen, tap the "Allow" button to give Alexa permission to use your phone's microphone and location so that it can hear your voice commands and help with location-based requests. Use the supplied backup physical keys included in your package to unlock. I'll explain shortly how to set up the Alexa iOS widget and use it to take Siri's place on your iPhone or iPad. Tap Try Alexa. Now that I've told you why adding Alexa to your iPhone is beneficial, here are the steps you need to follow to add the Alexa widget to your home screen. All smart outlets are available now. Can you unlock your deadbolt with Alexa app? When you open the app, you'll be prompted to get started with Alexa and have to give the app permission to access the device microphone. So, for example, if you asked about the weather, youd automatically see the forecast pop up on the screen. What's the difference between buying from T-Mobile vs. Amazon or elsewhere? How to Authorize Amazon Alexa to Run Scheduled Routines? Alexa will then ask you for your voice code. The three most popular AI-powered smart assistants are all available on the iPhone, but only Siri can hear and acknowledge your voice requests while the phone is locked. 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