The Amazon Echo has a fantastic little feature that most people are unaware of: a robust web-based control panel that makes modifying and interacting with the Echo a breeze.
Free Amazon Alexa app for Mac and iOS devices Yes, there is a free app called Reverb for Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant that lets you use it on a Mac, iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.
Why Would I Want to Do This?
Most of your interaction with the Amazon Echo will be, by design, voice-based. Alexa is a voice-based personal assistant, and for most tasks–like starting and stopping music, asking about the weather, and so on–it’s easiest just to summon Alexa with a command like “Alexa, what’s the weather forecast?”
When it comes to configuring the Echo or controlling it without voice commands, however, you need to use either the Alexa App (which Amazon promotes heavily) or the web-based interface (which they’re a bit quiet about). The mobile app might be fine for a quick tweak here or there, but the web interface is vastly superior in terms of visual space and usability. Editing settings with a real keyboard, reading through the Echo’s information cards, and opening up those cards in a full web browser on a regular monitor is a big improvement over the constraints of a mobile device.
In addition to simple ease-of-use, the web interface also has the benefit of working anywhere you have Internet access: whether your Echo is across the room or across the city. If you own an Echo and you haven’t taken a peek at the Echo’s web portal, you’re missing out.
How to Access Your Echo Remotely
RELATED:How to Set Up and Configure Your Amazon Echo
Accessing your Echo from the web is a breeze as long as you meet these basic criteria: your Echo is set up, linked to a Wi-Fi network, and registered to your Amazon account. Download canva app for mac. With that initial setup out of the way, you simply need to point any web browser at alexa.amazon.com while logged into your Amazon account.
Alexa App For Mac Computer
There, instead of squished into a little smartphone screen, you’ll find the a nice expansive GUI: so much room for activities.
Every single feature available in the mobile app is available here, as the the Alexa App and the web portal share the same interface right down to the color scheme.
Kindle for mac download. You can access your Now Playing song/playlist, control the playlist by advancing it, jumping back, repeating the song, or playing/pausing the music, as well as reviewing previously played songs.
If you’re hooked on using the Alexa To-do/Shopping lists you can manually add items to the list from the comfort of your full size keyboard. It’s one thing to tell Alexa “Alexa, add milk to my shopping list.” but it’s a whole different thing to have her parse out complicated or lengthy additions to the lists.
And, of course, if you’re customizing your daily commute for on-the-fly traffic updates or keeping up on sports scores, it’s much easier to tweak your settings with a full keyboard at your finger tips.
In short, everything you can do with the mobile app you can do with the web portal but the view is bigger, the menu easier to move around in and edit, and the extra screen space is perfect for reviewing everything from shopping lists to play lists.
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An incoming update for the Amazon app for iOS will add the company’s Alexa voice assistant that was previously limited to the users of its Echo speaker and other Alexa-enabled hardware.
Alexa App
Building on the app’s ability to order using your voice, Alexa will act as your assistant while shopping the Amazon app, allowing you to search and reorder items, track your orders, and more. But it will also include most of the other functionality Alexa has to offer.
You’ll also be able to use Alexa within the app to start playing music from Amazon Music Unlimited, Prime Music, or songs you’ve purchased, as well as open Kindle books, both of which present a new built-in media player.
You’ll also be able to tap into Alexa’s other smarts for getting news, weather and traffic information, and the ability to use Alexa Skills and Smart Home features. Those can be configured just like Echo and other Alexa devices via the companion Alexa app: “Skills are voice-driven capabilities that enhance the functionality of your Alexa-enabled device. Set skills and Smart Home capabilities using the Alexa app or on alexa.amazon.com.”
VentureBeat notes that users of Alexa via the Amazon iOS app at first won’t have access to the Door Lock API that allows you to unlock compatible smart door lock products, but otherwise users will be getting a near full-fledged Alexa experience without needing to purchase an Echo speaker or other device.
Download Alexa For Mac
The update will be rolling out to some users starting today and should be available to all by next week. You can download the latest version of the Amazon app for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch on the App Store.