I never thought I would buy an Alexa or Amazon Echo plus what the official name is for it, but our children gave us one for Christmas, and to be honest, I fell in love with the thing.
It was pretty easy to set up and after doing some reading I found a ton of free features you can use it with.
How to set up Alexa
There are a few things you need and most of them you probably have already and other things are free.
What you need for Alexa
- Smartphone with internet
- WiFi connection
- Amazon account (free)
Most of us have a smartphone already and you need one to be able to use the Amazon Echo. If you have the internet at home you probably also have WiFi already.
An Amazon account is free and this is where you can activate all the so-called skins for Alexa.
Skins are the same things as apps or addons for other devices.
Once you have all these 3 things in place all you have to do is download the Alexa app from Amazon on your smartphone and connect it to your free Amazon account.
After this initial set up you are basically ready to use Alexa and like anyone else I asked what the time was and a weather forecast and I was surprised by how nice the voice sounded.
Adding skins to Alexa
I did this on my laptop but you can do it also on your phone.
Login in to your Amazon account and start typing in the search box something like “free skins for Alexa” and you will find a long list of them.
If you like to have a look at the list you can click here.
Things Alexa can do for seniors
It would be a long list if I would list everything the Amazon Echo can do for you but here are some of them.
- Remind you to take your medication
- Tell you the date and time
- Play music
- Make a shopping list
- Connect to your phone and make calls
- Tell jokes
- Play games
Here are some things I do with Alexa:
I enjoy my Alexa and although it is not just for seniors we are able to do a lot of things with it that can make our life easier and safer.
Eddie Vandam
Eddie Vandam, the voice behind the Senior Citizen Website, is a retired internet marketer and proud senior. With a passion for helping fellow seniors navigate the complexities of aging, Eddie shares his insights on health, independence, products, and enriching hobbies. He’s committed to making senior years both fulfilling and enjoyable. Read more about Eddie Vandam.