How to set reminders on the amazon echo
By Christopher Ramos
Stay on task using voice commands and the Alexa app
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Alexa is Amazon’s virtual assistant, which can be used with Android or iOS smartphones as well as Amazon’s line of Echo products to help you juggle your busy schedule. It’s easy and handy to use Alexa to remind you of important events, appointments, and even daily to-do items. Here’s how to set reminders with Alexa, change existing reminders, and cancel reminders.
Reminders sound off only on the Echo device they’re set on. If you have more than one Echo device, make sure you set your reminder on the one you use the most frequently. The reminder will also appear on your mobile device via the Alexa app.
How to Set a Reminder Using Alexa Voice Commands
Set a general reminder by simply telling Alexa you want to be reminded. For example, say, “Alexa, create a new reminder,” and she will ask what the reminder is for and when you want to be reminded.
Save time by giving Alexa all the details at once. Commands will set instant reminders, which Alexa will confirm by repeating back to you. For example, say, “Alexa, remind me to call Mom tomorrow at noon,” or, “Alexa, set a reminder to turn off the sprinklers in 15 minutes.”
Set recurring reminders using straightforward voice commands, such as, “Alexa, please remind me to take out the trash every Monday at 7 p.m.”
You can use voice commands only to set reminders daily, weekly, on weekdays, or on weekends. You cannot set monthly or date-specific reminders.
How to Set a Reminder Using the Alexa App
If you prefer to use the Alexa app to set reminders, here’s how:
Log in to the Alexa app.
Tap the menu (three horizontal lines) button.
Select Reminders & Alarms.
Tap Add Reminder.
Enter the reminder, along with the date, time. and device from which you want to be reminded.
Tap Save.
Alexa reminders play an alert and then speak the reminder twice consecutively before turning off. Depending on the type of device you’re using, you may also receive visual text reminders.
How to Update an Existing Alexa Reminder
It’s easy to make changes to reminders using the Alexa app. Here’s how:
Log in to the Alexa app.
Tap the menu (three horizontal lines) button.
Select Reminders & Alarms.
Tap the reminder you want to change.
Tap Edit Reminder at the bottom of the reminder.
Make changes to the reminder, date, time, repeats, or device from which you want to be reminded.
Tap Save.
How to Cancel Reminders With Alexa and a Device
If you want to delete a reminder, there are a couple of options, depending on the type of device you’re using. If your Alexa-enabled device has a screen, such as the Amazon Echo Show, use voice commands to cancel a reminder.
The app will immediately delete the reminder without requiring confirmation, so make sure you really want to cancel the reminder (and any repeat reminders) before you proceed.
Say, “Alexa, show me my reminders.” A numbered list of your upcoming reminders appears.
Find the reminder you want to cancel and note the list number.
Say, “Alexa, delete (or cancel) number [X].”
Alexa will respond, stating that the specific reminder has been canceled.
Cancel a Reminder With the Alexa App
You can also cancel a reminder using the Alexa app.
Log in to the Alexa app.
Tap the menu (three horizontal lines) button.
Select Reminders & Alarms.
Tap the reminder you want to change.
Tap Edit Reminder at the bottom of the reminder.
What’s the point of having an assistant, robot or human, if they aren’t there to remind you to do the things you constantly forget to do? For me, it’s taking out the recycling. Each week rotates between bottles/cans or paper/cardboard, and without fail I either put the wrong one at the curb or forget to do it entirely. I’ve tried setting reminders on my phone, but I usually wind up seeing them just about the same time I hear the recycling truck drive by my house. Thankfully I have a house full of Echos and Dots, and Amazon has given Alexa the ability to set up repeating reminders.
At the time of this post, you can only have the reminders repeat on a day of the week, or every day of the week. Asking for something like every other Tuesday isn’t yet supported.
There are two ways to set up Alexa repeating reminders, using the app or by voice. As always, asking Alexa is super easy: “Alexa, remind me to take out the recycling every Tuesday at six PM.” Boom. Done.
If you’re still getting used to asking Alexa to do these things, or you prefer to set up reminders using the Alexa app, here’s how:
- Open the Alexa app, tap the hamburger menu on the top left and then select Reminders & Alarms
- With the Reminders tab selected (that’s the default tab), tap Add Reminder
- Fill out the Remind me to field with whatever it is you want to be reminded about. You don’t have to include “remind me to,” that’s included by default. In my example, I would enter “take out the recycling.”
- Tap the switch next to Repeat to make this a repeating reminder. This will add another Repeat field below the switch, with a default entry of “Every day.”
- If you don’t want your reminder to happen every day, tap that field and select one of the options listed. Currently, you can choose: every day, weekdays, weekends, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. If, for instance, you need a reminder on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, you will have to create three separate repeating reminders. One for Monday’s, one for Wednesday’s, and one for Friday’s.
- Once you have selected the days your reminder will repeat, tap Time and select the time you would like to have your reminder repeat.
- Finally, select a device on which you would like to hear your reminder. If you have multiple Echo devices, this is important. I wouldn’t want the Dot in my office reminding me to take out the recycling when I’m generally in the Kitchen. If you only have one Echo device, it will be selected by default.
One last thing to note is that Alexa reminders will also pop up on any device on which the Alexa app is installed. This is helpful if you happen to be in another room when Alexa announces your reminder, or if you tend to be forgetful.
Amazon’s Alexa will aid you with reminders, alarms, timers, and to-do lists via any Echo device as well as many third-party Alexa devices.
Do you need help juggling the many events, appointments, and other items in your life? Alexa is at your service.
With your Echo device, you can set up reminders so Alexa will notify you when a task or appointment is due. Create an alarm and use Alexa to wake up in the morning or alert you when a message arrives. Set up a timer for everything—from an egg to a race. You can even add items to a to-do list or shopping list.
Alexa will aid you with reminders, alarms, timers, and to-do lists via any Echo device as well as many third-party Alexa devices. You can also accomplish some of these feats through the Alexa mobile app on your mobile device. Let’s start with reminders.
Reminders
Reminders serve as short-term alarms that can help you remember certain activities or events. When a reminder comes due, Alexa chimes out “Here’s your reminder,” and then she tells you twice.
The one downside is that the reminder only sounds off on the Echo device on which you set it. So if you have more than one Echo, make sure you set the reminder on the one you use the most frequently. As a backup, the reminder also appears on your mobile device via the Alexa app.
Here’s how to set up a reminder on your Echo device and in the Alexa app.
Set Up Reminders on an Echo Device
There are several ways to set up a reminder with Alexa. Say: “Alexa, create a new reminder,” at which point Alexa will ask you what the reminder is for.
Tell her what it is, such as “go to the dentist,” “start the laundry,” or “begin cooking dinner.” Alexa then asks you for the date and time. You can say something like: “Today at 3pm,” “Tomorrow at 4pm,” or “July 10 at 10am.”
You can also give all the details of the reminder in one shot, like: “Alexa, remind me to go to the dentist today at 2:30pm.”
Set Up Reminders in Alexa App
Create Reminders in Alexa App
Check a Reminder
You can check your own reminders at any time. Say: “Alexa, what are my reminders?” and she’ll read them to you. You can also check the Reminders section in the Alexa app to see them.
Remove a reminder by saying, “Alexa, delete [name of reminder]” or all reminders by saying: “Alexa, delete all reminders.”
Alarms
Set an Alarm
You can set an alarm for a specific day and time. Say: “Alexa, set an alarm.” Alexa asks you for the day and time and then sets the alarm after you provide the details. You can also include the information in one shot. Say: “Alexa, set an alarm for 10:45 am today” or “Alexa, set an alarm for 8am tomorrow.”
You can ask for a recurring alarm to sound off every day, specific weekdays, or every weekend. Say: “Alexa, set a recurring alarm for 7am every Monday.”
View and Edit Alarms
You can keep track of your alarms by asking: “Alexa, what are my alarms?” Check the Alarms section in the Alexa app to review your existing alarms, or create new ones. Tap a specific alarm to alter its time, change its sound, modify its interval, or delete it.
You can even set an alarm to trigger a certain piece of music instead of the typical alarm sound. Delete an alarm by saying: “Alexa, delete [time of alarm]” or remove all alarms by saying: “Alexa, delete all alarms.”
Timers
Set a Timer
You can create a named timer to juggle multiple timers at one time. Say: “Alexa, set an egg timer for 3 minutes” if you’re boiling an egg or “Alexa, set a laundry timer for 30 minutes.” Your timers appear in the Timers section of the Alexa app, where you can pause or cancel each one, or change its volume.
You can also ask: “Alexa, what are my timers?” and she’ll give you the names and countdowns of your current timers. Want to delete a timer? Tell Alexa to cancel or pause a specific timer or cancel them all in one command.
To-Do Lists
Create To-Do Lists on an Echo Device
Create To-Do Lists in Alexa App
You can check both your shopping list and to-do list in the Alexa app. Open the app, tap the hamburger icon, and then tap the entry for Lists. Swipe the item to the right to mark it as completed.
Items can also be moved between your shopping list and to-do list. In either list, swipe a specific item to the left and tap the More icon. You can now search Amazon for that item. Tap Delete to remove the item from the list. Add an item to either list by tapping the plus icon in the upper right.
Third-Party To-Do List Skills
Want more options and power for maintaining a to-do list? You can tap into third-party to-do services, such as Any.do or Todoist, which are more robust than Alexa’s built-in to-do skill. From the Alexa app, tap the hamburger icon and then select Skills & Games.
Conduct a search by tapping the search icon in the upper-right corner. Type in the word lists in the field for keyword or skill name. From the search results, tap lists skills or just lists. You can now browse the array of skills related to lists and making lists.
Add a Skill
With AnyList, Cozi Lists, or Picniic, you must enable the skill in the Alexa app. You then have to create or sign in with an account for that service to use the skill. With skills such as Any.do and Todoist, you’ll be asked to leave the Alexa app and set up access to the third-party app.
After you have set up an account with any of the third-party list services, you can tell Alexa to add an item to your shopping list or to-do list, and Alexa will use that service.
Stay on task using voice commands and the Alexa app
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Alexa is Amazon’s virtual assistant, which can be used with Android or iOS smartphones as well as Amazon’s line of Echo products to help you juggle your busy schedule. It’s easy and handy to use Alexa to remind you of important events, appointments, and even daily to-do items. Here’s how to set reminders with Alexa, change existing reminders, and cancel reminders.
Reminders sound off only on the Echo device they’re set on. If you have more than one Echo device, make sure you set your reminder on the one you use the most frequently. The reminder will also appear on your mobile device via the Alexa app.
How to Set a Reminder Using Alexa Voice Commands
Set a general reminder by simply telling Alexa you want to be reminded. For example, say, “Alexa, create a new reminder,” and she will ask what the reminder is for and when you want to be reminded.
Save time by giving Alexa all the details at once. Commands will set instant reminders, which Alexa will confirm by repeating back to you. For example, say, “Alexa, remind me to call Mom tomorrow at noon,” or, “Alexa, set a reminder to turn off the sprinklers in 15 minutes.”
Set recurring reminders using straightforward voice commands, such as, “Alexa, please remind me to take out the trash every Monday at 7 p.m.”
You can use voice commands only to set reminders daily, weekly, on weekdays, or on weekends. You cannot set monthly or date-specific reminders.
How to Set a Reminder Using the Alexa App
If you prefer to use the Alexa app to set reminders, here’s how:
Log in to the Alexa app.
Tap the menu (three horizontal lines) button.
Select Reminders & Alarms.
Tap Add Reminder.
Enter the reminder, along with the date, time. and device from which you want to be reminded.
Tap Save.
Alexa reminders play an alert and then speak the reminder twice consecutively before turning off. Depending on the type of device you’re using, you may also receive visual text reminders.
How to Update an Existing Alexa Reminder
It’s easy to make changes to reminders using the Alexa app. Here’s how:
Log in to the Alexa app.
Tap the menu (three horizontal lines) button.
Select Reminders & Alarms.
Tap the reminder you want to change.
Tap Edit Reminder at the bottom of the reminder.
Make changes to the reminder, date, time, repeats, or device from which you want to be reminded.
Tap Save.
How to Cancel Reminders With Alexa and a Device
If you want to delete a reminder, there are a couple of options, depending on the type of device you’re using. If your Alexa-enabled device has a screen, such as the Amazon Echo Show, use voice commands to cancel a reminder.
The app will immediately delete the reminder without requiring confirmation, so make sure you really want to cancel the reminder (and any repeat reminders) before you proceed.
Say, “Alexa, show me my reminders.” A numbered list of your upcoming reminders appears.
Find the reminder you want to cancel and note the list number.
Say, “Alexa, delete (or cancel) number [X].”
Alexa will respond, stating that the specific reminder has been canceled.
Cancel a Reminder With the Alexa App
You can also cancel a reminder using the Alexa app.
Log in to the Alexa app.
Tap the menu (three horizontal lines) button.
Select Reminders & Alarms.
Tap the reminder you want to change.
Tap Edit Reminder at the bottom of the reminder.
Check the weather, set timers and alarms, control your smart home devices, and more by speaking to a voice assistant on Fitbit Sense, Fitbit Versa 2, and Fitbit Versa 3.
Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant are only available in certain languages and countries at this time. For more information, see
- From the Today tab in the Fitbit app, tap your profile picture > your device image.
- Tap Voice Assistant >Amazon Alexa >Sign in with Amazon.
- Tap Get Started.
- Create or log in to your Amazon account.
- After completing all the steps, tap Close to return to the Voice Assistant tile.
- From the Today tab in the Fitbit app, tap your profile picture > your device image.
- Tap Voice Assistant >Google Assistant >Activate Google Assistant. If you don’t have the Google Assistant app on your phone, you’re prompted to install it.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to create or log in to your Google account, and then connect your Google account with Fitbit.
- After completing all the steps, tap Close to return to the Voice Assistant tile.
Note that you can have only 1 active voice assistant at a time. To switch to a different voice assistant, first disconnect your active voice assistant. For more information, see How do I disconnect my voice assistant?
- Open the Alexa app or the Assistant app on your watch.
Note that the Fitbit app must be running in the background on your phone. - Say your request. Your voice assistant responds with text on-screen and through the watch’s speaker with Sense or Versa 3 (Alexa only).
- To adjust the speaker volume, tap the speaker icon > – icon or + icon.
You don’t need to say “Alexa” or “Hey Google”/”OK Google” before speaking your request. For example:
- Set a timer for 10 minutes.
- Set an alarm for 8:00 a.m.
- What’s the temperature outside?
- Remind me to make dinner at 6:00 p.m.
- How much protein is in an egg?
- Ask Fitbit to start a run.*
- Start a bike ride with Fitbit.*
*To ask Alexa to open the Exercise app on your watch, set up the Fitbit skill for Alexa. For more information, see How do I enable more skills for Alexa on my Fitbit watch? These commands are currently available in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese.
Note that saying “Alexa” or “Hey Google”/”OK Google” doesn’t activate your voice assistant on your watch—you must activate your voice assistant before the microphone in your watch turns on.
- Open the Alexa app on your watch.
- Tap the alerts icon in the top right, and swipe left or right to navigate between alarms, reminders, and timers.
- Tap an alarm to turn it on or off. To adjust or cancel a reminder or timer, tap the Alexa icon and say your request.
Note that the alarms and timers you set with Alexa are separate from those you set in the Alarms app or Timer app .
Open the Alarms app or Timer app on your watch to find alarms and timers set with Google Assistant. To see your reminders, open the Assistant app and ask, “What reminders do I have?”
- From the Today tab in the Fitbit app, tap your profile picture > your device image.
- Tap Voice Assistant >Amazon Alexa.
- Tap the language you’re currently using, and then choose a new language from the list.
Google Assistant is currently only available in English.
- From the Today tab in the Fitbit app, tap your profile picture > your device image.
- Tap Voice Assistant >Amazon Alexa >Logout >Log Out.
- From the Today tab in the Fitbit app, tap your profile picture > your device image.
- Tap Voice Assistant >Google Assistant >Turn off Google Assistant >Turn Off.
No. The microphone in your watch only turns on when you activate it, for example by opening a voice assistant app. The microphone turns off when the voice assistant responds, when you close the voice assistant, or when your watch’s screen turns off.
No. Fitbit doesn’t collect any voice data or audio clips from your watch.
For added functionality, install the Amazon Alexa app on your phone. With the app, your watch can access additional Alexa skills.
Add the Fitbit skill to ask Alexa to open the Exercise app or start a workout for you.
- In the Amazon Alexa app on your phone, find the Fitbit skill.
- Tap Enable.
- Log in using your Fitbit account credentials and give permission for Alexa to access your profile and data.
For more information about Alexa skills, see amazon.com.
Turn on location services:
- Allow the Fitbit app to use your phone’s location. Follow the instructions in How do I use GPS on my Fitbit device?
- Allow Alexa to use your phone’s location. Follow the instructions on amazon.com. In the Amazon Alexa app on your phone, make sure Location services is On, and Device Location is correct. Tap either setting to change it.
Note that not all countries support location information.
I can’t cancel the alarm, reminder, or timer I set with Alexa.
The alarm, reminder, or timer I set with Alexa doesn’t show up on my watch.
Other than the Echo speaker, were you aware that Amazon also produces Alexa-enabled clocks? The Echo Wall Clock is one of the more unique Alexa-enabled devices currently on the market. Here we you how to set up an Echo Wall Clock and cover everything you need to know about it, including how to fix any troubleshooting issues you may encounter.
“Alexa, set a timer for five minutes.”
The Echo Wall Clock is a natural extension of Alexa’s timer feature, as it allows you to physically see the countdown for your various Alexa-set reminders and alarms. Once you’ve set an alarm, the Echo Wall Clock will display a countdown via 60 light notches that are positioned around its face.
It’s far from revolutionary, but it does mean that you can see, at a glance, how much time is remaining. This visual countdown can be particularly useful when you’re working with vague timelines – for example, if you’re cooking something that needs to go in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Simply set an alarm for 30 minutes, and make a point to keep checking your food throughout the last 5 minutes of the countdown.
The Echo Wall Clock can also be useful for any household members who have hearing impairments or anyone who uses Alexa in a noisy environment. If you’ve ever missed an alarm and wound up burning your dinner due to your kids’ music or a loud TV, then this may be the perfect gadget for you!
How to pair your Amazon Echo Wall Clock
The Echo Wall Clock is different from other Alexa-enabled devices, as you can only pair it with a single device.
You can connect your Amazon Echo wall clock to any Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show, Echo Plus, Echo Spot, or Echo Input deceive. Once connected, you’ll set a timer by addressing the paired Echo device, which will then relay this information to your wall clock.
It typically makes sense to place your Echo Wall Clock in the same room as the paired Echo device. For example, you could place both devices in the kitchen.
To pair your Echo Wall Clock:
1. On your chosen Echo device, say “Set up my Echo Wall Clock.”
2. Put your Wall Clock into pairing mode by pressing and holding the blue pairing button on the back of the clock. After around 10 seconds, the status LED should turn orange.
3. When the status LED turns blue, your Echo Wall Clock is in pairing mode. Throughout the pairing process, the light should pulse blue, and the hands may start and stop several times. This process should take around 10 minutes to complete.
4. When the status LED turns off, your Wall Clock is now successfully paired with your chosen Echo device. You can set a timer with the standard Alexa command (“Alexa, set a timer for 5 minutes”), and your Echo Wall Clock will put on a light show.
5. You can also set multiple timers, and your Wall Clock will display them as unique points.
When you create multiple timers, Alexa will prompt you to name each of these timers. You can clear all timers at any point with the command “Alexa, cancel all timers.”
Having trouble connecting?
Without its connection to Alexa, your smart clock isn’t all that smart.
If you experience issues communicating with your Echo Wall Clock, there are a few fixes you can try:
Reset the Bluetooth
If your Echo Wall Clock is struggling to communicate with its paired Echo device, you can try resetting the Bluetooth connection:
1. On your smartphone or tablet, launch the Amazon Alexa app.
2. Tap the “Devices” tab.
3. Select “Echo & Alexa.”
4. Find the Echo device that’s paired with your Echo Wall Clock and give it a tap.
5. Tap “Bluetooth Devices.”
6. Find your wall clock and give it a tap to expand.
7. Select “Forget Device.”
You can now repeat the setup process to see whether this has resolved the issue.
Disable Multi-Room Music
If your Echo Wall Clock is paired with a speaker in a Multi-Room Music group, this can cause issues with your clock. You’ll either need to remove the speaker from the group or pair your Echo Wall Clock with an alternative Alexa-enabled device.
To pair your clock with an alternative speaker, unpair your device using the instructions in the previous step. You can connect your Echo Wall Clock to a new Alexa-enabled device using the instructions at the beginning of this tutorial.
Try to set a timer on your Echo Wall Clock to see whether this has resolved your issue.
The Echo Wall clock is just another addition to Amazon’s wide range of smart home products. If you’ve purchased an Echo Wall Clock, we’d love to hear your thoughts on this Alexa-enabled gadget!
Would you recommend a smart clock to friends and family, or do you think it’s just a gimmick? Let us know in the comments below.
Related:
Jessica Thornsby is a technical writer based in Derbyshire, UK. When she isn’t obsessing over all things tech, she enjoys researching her family tree, and spending far too much time with her house rabbits.
You already use Alexa to control everything from your smart lights, to your thermostat, to your garage door — why not take some time to customize your Alexa assistant to suit your tastes?
One of the ways you can customize Alexa is by changing its alarm sound.
By default, Alexa’s alarm sound is a series of chimes, which are nice, but can become grating easily. Luckily, you can change this alarm in a variety of ways.
Here’s how to change Alexa’s alarm, using the Alexa app for iPhone and Android devices.
Check out the products mentioned in this article:
Amazon Echo (From $79.99 at Amazon)
Phone 11 (From $699.99 at Apple)
Samsung Galaxy S10 (From $859.99 at Walmart)
How to change Alexa’s alarm sound
1. Open the Alexa app on your iPhone or Android device and tap the menu button in the top-left — it looks like three stacked lines.
2. In the list that appears, tap “Reminders & Alarms.”
3. At the top of the page will be three options: “Alarms,” “Reminders,” and “Timers.” Select “Alarms,” and then tap “Settings” at the bottom of the page.
4. You’ll be presented with a list of your devices. Tap the Echo device that you want to change the alarm sound on.
5. Three options will show up. The first is a slider that lets you select how loud you want alarms to be. The last, “Ascending Alarm,” will raise the volume of your alarm as it rings — you can tap the toggle switch next to this to turn it on.
6. If you want to change your alarm sound, tap the middle option, “Sound.”
7. A new page will open with a long list of alarm options. It’s split into two sections: “Celebrity” and “Sounds.” The Celebrity section has novelty alarms, with various actors and musicians telling you to wake up and turn off the alarm. The Sounds section contains standard ringtones and musical chimes. Tap the option you want.
8. When you’ve found the sound that you want, simply close the menu. It’ll be saved automatically.
AMAZON has started to roll out a new feature to Alexa that promises to make it easier to keep tabs on some of the most important dates on the calendar. Here’s how it works.
Alexa can now flag important dates, like bank holidays, Valentine’s Day, and more (Image: AMAZON • GETTY)
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Talkative AI assistant Alexa, which powers the hugely-popular Amazon Echo smart speaker range, has gained a new ability. The handsfree helper can now let you know when important world events, sporting fixtures, bank holidays and more will feature on the calendar. The new capability means you don’t have any excuse for forgetting to buy your significant other a Valentine’s Day card, or sending some flowers on Mother’s Day.
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Alexa, which is developed by Amazon and can be found in a wide range of gadgets – from car infotainment systems to microwaves, tablets to smart speakers, is already pretty capable at keeping things organised. Using the Alexa companion app on your iPhone or Android smartphone, you can pair a number of popular calendars, including Google Calendar, so the smart assistant can tell you about upcoming appointments and reminders. You can also use Alexa to add appointments to your schedule.
And now, thanks to the latest tweak, you can check when an important date is on the horizon. Combined with the ability to modify your digital calendar, Alexa users will be able to ask their Amazon Echo to set reminders based on these answers – for example, if you know that Tottenham are playing next Saturday, you might want Alexa to remind you to buy some more beers and crisps the day before.
Cleverly, Alexa will automatically remind you about the event – in the above example above, that “Tottenham will be playing later today” on the morning of the day itself – without any extra prompt.
Alexa, what does my day look like?
Alexa is a great personal organiser and assistant, but to really get in control of your day, you need to add your calendars. Alexa works with Google, Apple and Microsoft (Outlook/Hotmail) calendars, so compatibility shouldn’t be an issue.
You can just ask Alexa and ask how your day or week looks, or what appointments you have left before you can go home and take a long-deserved nap.
To get to that point though, you’re going to need to do some setting up your calendars with your Amazon Alexa account.
How do you set it up and, more importantly, which calendar systems can you connect to it?
Let’s roll through it.
How to add your calendar to Alexa
Before anything else, you’re going to have to pop open that Alexa app to connect your calendars.
1. Tap More.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Scroll down to Calendar & Email
4. Choose your calendar service.
You have three options here: Google, Microsoft and Apple.
Each account has different requirements for signing in. For instance, if you’ve got an Apple account with two-factor authentication you’ll need to go generate an app-specific password for Alexa to use.
Once you do that, all your calendars from that service will be synced. If you want to omit some calendars, do the following:
1. Head back to the Calendar & Email section in Settings.
2. Click on your calendar service.
3. Uncheck what you don’t want to see.
Now, here’s the rub with Alexa. You’re going to need to choose one calendar that Alexa uses to add events to. Sadly, you can’t have it add things to different calendars. Here’s how to choose your one special calendar.
1. Back to the Calendar & Email section in Settings you go.
2. Look under where it says “Alexa will add new events to this calendar. “
3. Choose the calendar you want Alexa to add events to.
Boom, you’re all set up. Alexa will now be able to read you your calendar appointments and create new events for you in the calendar you chose.
Unfortunately, you can’t set up multiple profiles, each with their own calendar. So if you have a family, or a spouse, it might be worth creating a shared calendar and using that as your “creation calendar.”
You can also invite people to calendar events, but you’ll need to make sure you have them in your contacts and you have an email address associated with that person.
If you don’t, Alexa will put that person’s name in your event information, but you’ll have to invite them without Alexa’s help.
Speaking of inviting other people to your events. if that other person has shared their own calendar information with Alexa, Alexa will crosscheck and see if they’re available. If they’re not, it’ll recommend a better time for both of you. Similarly, if you move your meeting to a time that would make you double-booked, Alexa will let you know.
Turn on Alexa calendar notifications
You can also have Alexa read out calendar events and start times. To set this up, do the following:
1. Head into the Calendar & Email section in Settings
2. Tap the account you want notifications for.
3. Tap the Calendar Notifications toggle to on.
Alexa’s calendar commands
Now that you have everything set up with Alexa, how do you use it to schedule your calendar? These are the many ways.
Managing events
“Alexa, add an event to my calendar. (Alexa will then walk you through event creation).”
“Alexa, ddd [event] to my calendar for [day] at [time].”
“Alexa, delete my [time] event.”
“Alexa, cancel my [date] event.”
“Alexa, delete [event] from my calendar.”
“Alexa, move my [event name] to [time or date].”
“Alexa, reschedule my [time or date] event to [new time or date].”
“Alexa, schedule a [event name] with [person’s name].”
“Alexa, create a meeting named [event name] with [person’s name].”
“Alexa, invite [person’s name] to [event name].”
Checking on events
“Alexa, when is my next event?”
“Alexa, what’s on my calendar?”
“Alexa, show me my calendar.”
“Alexa, what’s on my calendar tomorrow at [time]?”
“Alexa, what’s on my calendar on [day]?”
“Alexa, what’s my calendar look like today?”
