If you’re unfamiliar with Alexa routines, they’re a series of tasks that Alexa can do by only saying one phrase. For instance, instead of telling Alexa to turn off lights, turn on music, and turn on the TV, you can say something along the lines of “Alexa, movie time,” and the assistant will perform all those tasks for you.
These routines can help you save time with daily or repetitive tasks and stay organized by using the full power of Alexa. Routines can be custom-made depending on your lifestyle or can be acquired from others. Here, we’ll describe various routines that may help you out.
Before we get started, you can do everything through the Alexa app to set up a routine. First, open the app, tap the More button on the bottom menu, then tap Routines. From here, you can manage your routines or create new ones. Each routine requires a name, a trigger phrase, and at least one action. You can have as many steps in a routine as you want, but the more you have, the longer it will take for Alexa to execute fully.
Let’s dive into possible routines for different personalities.
Alexa can help workout buffs in multiple ways. You can even check the app for workout and health skills. In addition, Alexa has some built-in health skills, like the 7-Minute Workout.
gYou can set up an all-day fitness routine that will remind you to get in small workouts. First, start the routine with a simple quip to Alexa: “What a great day to exercise.” Then, you can have Alexa verbally tell you “stretch,” prompting you to do some light stretching before starting a workout. After that, she will start a workout skill or give you a command, such as “Do 20 jumping jacks.” With each set, Alexa can play a segment of a song or wait a bit of time before issuing the next exercise directive. Finally, you can end the routine with Alexa telling you to hydrate, stretch, or just by saying congratulations.
For all of foodies out there, Alexa was made for you. An Echo device in the kitchen can help you achieve so much with recipes, timers, lists, and more. You can even have Alexa give you an example recipe using what you already have in your fridge.
For a routine, though, let’s say you want a specified dinnertime action. For this food routine, you can say, “Alexa, it’s dinnertime,” and she could turn on Do Not Disturb on all your devices for a set amount of time and play music at a low volume. The theme can be a generic genre playlist or your own unique playlist.
Gamers can also use Alexa routines because Amazon Alexa connects to so many devices. For example, you can use it to turn on an Xbox, TVs, and more. Also, even if you can’t connect to a particular item, you can use smart plugs to power on and off devices via Alexa.
For this simple routine, you’d need smart lights and a smart TV connecting to Alexa. Then, you can have Alexa turn off your room lights and turn on specific lights (such as Nanoleaf tiles) or a light strip in a particular theme. Afterward, the routine can turn on the TV and your game system to get you all set to play.
Next up are family routines. These could be routines to give the whole family a bunch of information or entertainment throughout the day. Again, depending on your family setup, you can customize this to your specific needs.
This routine could start with reporting the current weather and having Alexa tell a random fact — something fun for kids or informative for adults. After that, you could have Alexa start a specific playlist of family-friendly music. Then, you can have Alexa say, “It’s time for everyone to get up and ready.” You can also have Alexa play music throughout the day after this initial part of the routine.
Routines are excellent for kids and students. You can set wake up, get ready, or sleep time routines to keep the kids organized throughout the day. You can trigger these routines by time and days instead of by a phrase.
For example, a nighttime routine could start at 8pm on weekdays. First, Alexa can call out to the kids’ speakers, “It’s time to brush your teeth and get ready for bed.” Then, it can set a timer or play a 2-minute song. After that, Alexa can say, “Put your homework in your bag and clean up your toys.” Finally, Alexa can turn off the lights and put on some rain noise or read out a bedtime story at a lowered volume.
Pets need a lot of maintenance to keep them healthy and active. Luckily, Alexa can help out in many ways. One of the best features of Amazon Alexa is that it can detect sounds, which you could set up as the trigger to your routine.
Of course, you can make a routine that tells you to feed and walk your dog during the day, but you can also set up sound detection to start your routine. Once your dog barks, you can have Alexa bark back. Then, Alexa can start playing soft music to soothe your pup and send a notification to your phone to open up an interior smart home camera. This routine can help you keep some of the more anxious pets calmed. If you like this idea, check out some of these other pet-friendly ways to use Alexa.
You can make routines no matter what type of person you are or which activities you frequent daily. Use these ideas as jumping-off points and create routines to simplify and organize your days.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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