7 Alexa Features to Use While Working From Home
Working from home can be a blessing for some and a curse for others. No matter your feelings about working remotely, Amazon Alexa can make the experience much more enjoyable and enhance your productivity—even if you are still in your pajamas.
We’ll show you a number of Alexa features you can start using to make working from home easier.
1. Use Reminders to Keep on Top of Your Schedule
When working from home, it’s easy to let your home life bleed into your work life, especially if you don’t have a dedicated work environment. An hour can quickly pass while you sit down to watch the TV with lunch, and before you know it, you’ve accidentally missed that important meeting.
Or, maybe you need a reminder to walk the dog, take a drink of water, or stretch your legs. Whatever it is, Alexa can help keep you on track. you could ask Alexa to remind you by saying, “Alexa, remind me to attend my meeting at 2:55 p.m.” If you want to repeat the reminder every weekday, you can say, “Alexa, remind me to stretch at 11 a.m. every weekday.”
To create a reminder in the Alexa app (available foriOSandAndroid), tapMorein the bottom-right corner and pressReminders. Select theblue plusto create a new reminder, then fill out what you’d like to be reminded of, the date and time, and whether you’d like it to repeat.
To find out more about how Alexa can keep you organized, take a look at our article onusing Alexa as your personal planner.
2. Add Items to and Check Today’s Calendar
A little-known feature of Alexa is that it can actually connect with your Google, Microsoft, or Apple calendar, whether personal or corporate. It’s quite common for many companies to use Outlook as their dedicated email provider, which means you’ll be able to link your work email using the Microsoft integration if that’s the case.
Once you’ve linked your account, you can say things like:
To link your calendar, just open the Alexa app and navigate to theMoretab along the bottom row. TapSettings, then scroll down and findCalendar. PressAdd Account, and select your calendar service (don’t forget to switch voice profiles if it’s not your name next to “Hi ”). Then, follow the steps to log in with your personal or work account.
Now, you can use any of the commands above to test out the functionality.
3. Set Up Work From Home Routines
Alexa Routines are at the core of Alexa’s automation capabilities. Routines enable you to chain actions that you usually need to ask for individually, like turning off your lights, switching off the TV, and locking your doors—all with one phrase.
Two specific Routines can help you be more productive while working from home, or at the very least, make it more enjoyable.
Work From Home Routine
you could have Alexa switch on the lights in your office, read your calendar, turn on the radio or your favorite podcast, and set a reminder to have a quick break in a couple of hours. To do this, open the Alexa app and tapMore, thenRoutines. Press theplus signto create a new Routine.
Enter a name and a trigger, like “Alexa, let’s start work.” Then, underAdd action, tapSmart Homeand set your lights to switch on. Then pressCalendar, and selectToday’s Calendar. Scroll down toMusic & Podcasts, and enter the name of your favorite podcast. Finally, chooseCustomizedand type “remind me to take a break in two hours.”
Pomodoro Technique Routine
This Routine is based on the Pomodoro technique, which you can learn more about in our article onhow to use the Pomodoro technique while working. It essentially breaks up your workday into manageable with frequent but short breaks.
To create a Pomodoro Routine, start by choosing a trigger like “Alexa, start Pomodoro.” UnderAdd action, tapAlexa saysand thenCustomizedto have Alexa confirm the Routine has started. Then selectWait, and set it to 25 minutes.
ChooseSend AnnouncementorNotificationto have Alexa tell you it’s time to take a break, thenWaitfor five minutes. Set anotherAnnouncementorNotificationto tell you break time is over.
you may either trigger the Routine each time your break is over or repeat the process above to create four work blocks, after which you take a 15-30 minute break, then trigger the Routine again.
4. Drop In on Your Other Echos
If you’re working with a family in the house, you’ll know that, unless you have ironclad discipline, it’s all too easy to ask a quick question and end up chatting for 10 minutes. If you’re trying to make the most of your work time, relying on willpower might just not cut it.
Instead, you can keep your interactions brief if you have another Echo in the house with Alexa. Using the Drop In feature, you can quickly drop in, ask your partner what they want for dinner, then resume working with minimal disruption.
To Drop In with your voice, you just need to say “Alexa, Drop In on (name of Echo device)” to start instantly communicating through another Echo. Alternatively, you can use the Alexa app. TapCommunicatealong the bottom, thenDrop In. You can then select the device you want to Drop In on and start talking.
We explore this feature in-depth in our article abouthow to set up and use Drop In.
5. Call Colleagues and Join Conference Calls
Alexa can also make quick work calls that much quicker by allowing you to call a mobile number directly. This means you can say “Alexa, call (name)” to instantly start a call—even if you don’t have your phone with you.
To start, you just need to verify your contact list is imported from your phone. Open the Alexa app, tapMoreandSettings. SelectCommunicationandManage Contacts, then turn Import Contactson. Alternatively, you could add contacts individually underCommunicateby tapping theperson iconin the top right, thenAdd Contact.
By linking your work calendar, you can join Zoom and Skype calls with Alexa (but not Microsoft Teams or Google Meet calls, unfortunately). When you have a scheduled meeting with a meeting ID and PIN attached, Alexa can automatically use these details to join when you say, “Alexa, join my meeting.”
6. Play Music to Help You Focus
Being isolated in a home office or with no one around can make working from home a tedious experience. With nothing to fill the void, your attention can quickly wane—despite your work being the only thing to focus on.
Many of us find it easier to focus with instrumental music softly playing in the background, and Alexa can certainly help with this. If you have a streaming service like Spotify connected, try finding an ambient/jazz/Lo-Fi beats playlist and asking Alexa to play it. If you don’t have one connected, you can still ask Alexa to play a mix by saying, “Alexa, play Deep Focus on Amazon Music.”
7. Ask Alexa Quick Questions
Finally, Alexa can give you the answers you need to every question that isn’t worth opening up your phone or another tab to search for. For example, if you need to work out a quick multiplication, you could ask Alexa and hear the answer by the time you’d unlock your phone.
Or, if you need to spell a word, you can have Alexa spell it out for you.
Additionally, you can ask for things like definitions, synonyms, or even how many days there are between two dates. Of course, you can also ask for the latest weather forecast or what the traffic’s like when it’s time to step out of the house.
Boost Your Productivity With Alexa
While working from home has its benefits, it can undeniably lead to some unintentional slacking off, especially without a dedicated work environment. But with Alexa, staying on track becomes much easier when you have a smart assistant helping you out.
The next time you sit down to work, try setting frequent reminders to get up and move around. Your body (and productivity) will thank you for it.
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