10 Echo & Alexa Tips You Need to Know!

[@andrewgibbs5096]

I have a “start my day” routine: Alexa puts bedroom light on 20%, reads my apple diary for the day, tells me how long my commute will take. After 5 minutes the light increases to 70% and my favourite radio station comes on.

[@CraigsTechTalk]

I like that morning routine. The two lighting levels is a nice touch. It's cool you can add the different steps. Have a great day Andrew.

[@andrewgibbs5096]

@@CraigsTechTalk I’m off to bed in a couple of hours. It’s just gone 8pm here in the UK. I’ll probably interact in the next live. I usually do! 👋

[@andrewgibbs5096]

@@CraigsTechTalk Forgot to mention one step in my start my day routine. Perhaps the most important thing! The weather forecast for the day.

[@bryans8656]

I picked up a Show 5 during Prime days and although I'm not new to Echos there was a learning curve involved so I appreciate your tips. Since I use the Show 5 mostly as an alarm clock I've got a morning and nighttime routine set up that are really handy (especially when my coffee pot is turned on).

[@CraigsTechTalk]

Hello Bryan, thank you very much. I am glad to be able to help. A hot coffee pot in the morning is a perfect use for this device. Thanks for watching.

[@Grandadtech]

Glad to see you give those people new to Echo some tips. Your 52 weekly episodes on the Echo certainly helped me. Maybe you can refer those episodes to the newcomers.

[@CraigsTechTalk]

Thank you James. I hope you are doing well. You are right, I should direct people back to those videos. The self conscious part of me sees hates to see my past videos and premote them. But they are helpful and most are still relevant. Thank you again. Have a great day.

[@SeaBrzJo]

Stoked to watch this video since I’ve had no success linking Spotify, but unfortunately it still doesn’t work. So went to the Alexa Help FAQ and nothing but one-star reviews for the past four days. Will remain hopeful.

[@CraigsTechTalk]

I am sorry to hear it is not working. This must be relatively new. I have to blame Spotify based on their track record. The reason you can't use them with HomePods or Apple AirPlay is because Spotify chooses not to support both. I wonder if they are choosing to back away from Amazon.

[@nickpanzeca7640]

Always great content Craig!

[@CraigsTechTalk]

Thank you my friend. I hope you are doing well.

[@lilditty2172]

Always great info. Thanks

[@CraigsTechTalk]

Thank you very much. I really appreciate it. Have a great day

[@ronm6585]

Thank you Craig.

[@CraigsTechTalk]

Hello Ron, thank you. Have a great day.

[@kellyrice2182]

Great video! For the phone linking, I would like to make calls on my Echo, but does the recipient also need to have an Echo? Finding the whole thing confusing. Looks like Verizon charges $5 a month (after 90 days) and not sure why, it just becomes a hands free speaker essentially? Any insights are appreciated! Thanks for all your helpful content 😀

[@asprywrites]

I watch these videos on my FireTV. As soon as the video plays, the SHOP screen pops up where the thumbs usually are. I have programmed my hands to click over to the THUMBS UP as soon as videos play so I can get it out of the way. However, the SHOP screen messes that up on some channels and I immediately lose the motivation to wait until it goes away, THEN go through the THUMBS UP motion. Basically, for me, the addition of the SHOP overlay sacrifices your upvote. Sorry man, I go through way too many videos in a day to change my thing around for two or three channels. Love your stuff; keep up the great content.

[@CraigsTechTalk]

I love that you told me this and I can appreciate your process. First, the generous thumbs up for creators is great. Thanks for supporting the videos you watch. As for the shop screen, I had never heard that pops up on Fire TV. I will have to take a look at it. This is good to know. KZbin introduces new features so KZbin can get into selling things, but then it's in the way. As a creator, additional revenue sources are definitely appreciated, but it shouldn't be in the way of engagement. If one of my videos has the Shop screen in the way there is nothing but respect for skipping giving a thumbs up. Thanks again for sharing this and for your support. Have a great day.

[@lvlc5]

I wonder... if you buy a house right now, to live with your current family, with your dinamics, what would be the smart home setup you'd have? For people who start from scratch...

[@curtispazarjr4985]

great review!!!!!

[@CraigsTechTalk]

Thank you Curtis. I appreciate it. Have a great day.

[@ainschuntayleuhn1147]

Thanks!

[@CraigsTechTalk]

Thank you. I hope you are doing well.

[@Bigglare]

Another great 10 Alexa tips and tricks to know video. You should make a 10 Great Alexa tips and tricks videos playlist. :-) 11. Don't use the Male voice if you like Alexa to tell you jokes.

[@CraigsTechTalk]

Thank you. I hope you are doing well. I realized in looking through my back catalog, I have my yearly 10 everyday uses, but had not made a 10 Alexa tips video. I need to make a playlist though. That is funny that 11 is don't use the male voice for jokes. I would not have thought of that and now need to go try it. Have a great day.

[@TecTimmy]

Hi Craig, What’s the benefit of linking my Verizon account? I find the announcement feature is too echoey to be useful due to my multiple echoes here. Any way to fix that?

[@CraigsTechTalk]

The only benefit of linking is if you want to take incoming calls. You can make outgoing without needing to link. I can appreciate what you are saying about multiple devices going off. You can go into the communications settings of an echo and turn off announcements per device. In my office, I don't need 3 echos going off at the same time. So two can have announcements turned off.

[@TecTimmy]

@@CraigsTechTalk Thanks man. Will check that out. Big fan of your Alexa videos. Have been following you for years.

[@TecTimmy]

PS can you do a video on how to pair Fire TV w Multiple echoes?

[@CraigsTechTalk]

Thanks for the suggestion and for watching. I did do one almost 2 years ago on how to pair an echo or pair of echos to a fire TV stick. I was actually thinking of updating this video since there are many new users over the past couple of years. Here is the link to the video I have on pairing. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aoC3oZxjq5l6qac

[@elizabethsharma5461]

to link to mobile services is no longer exists at it says when I tap

[@CraigsTechTalk]

I will have to check that out. Thanks for the update.

[@develinallen9019]

What is the best hub to get with a echo

[@CraigsTechTalk]

Ideally no hubs. But most of my best devices require a hub. For those, I always use the manufacturers hubs. I don't like having to power and connect different hubs, but the are a necessary evil. Yes you can take devices like Philip Hue bulbs and connect them to an Echo with a hub built in or another Zigbee hub. But you will not get all the functionality Hue offers. The devices I use that have their own hubs are Hue Lights, Aqara devices, Lutron Smart Switches, SwitchBot devices, Eufy cameras and a couple others I can't remember. Most of those devices require the manufacturers hub. But if you using WiFi devices, you don't need a hub.

[@donniechance4682]

You can change the name of you device, I had to change name for one in bedroom to ziggy.

[@andrewgibbs5096]

I have recently found that “screen off” stops that very annoying glow when using Echo Show 5 as an alarm clock.

[@CraigsTechTalk]

I wish they could get their screens dialed in like the Nest Hub. They hub screen dims down so you can see the clock, but with no glow. The new echo is a little better. Thank you for sharing this. In the past I would also use scheduled Do Not Disturb. I am not sure it works the same now.

[@BreakTime10101]

Is there anyway to make the dog barking sound louder when Alexa Guard is in away mode?

[@CraigsTechTalk]

Not that I know of. I don't think the Guard mode sounds can be adjusted. I might be wrong though.

[@BreakTime10101]

@@CraigsTechTalk That’s too bad, it needs to be louder. Thanks

[@michaelmalmgren431]

I have a pair of Echo Studios and an Echo Sub paired to my Fire TV, so you can let you get nearly theater quality sound, especially when the media is compatible with Dolby Atmos.

[@MrTechnotrance98]

That's incredible man