Ever felt that your smart home assistant’s voice doesn’t quite match your aesthetic or mood? Well, Alexa is lending an ear to your preferences. There’s a charm in personalizing every tiny detail of our gadgets, and Amazon’s Alexa isn’t one to be left behind.
First up, here’s how you can adjust her accent.
Changing Alexa’s accent
- Open the Alexa app and tap on the Devices tab
- Navigate to Echo and Alexa
- Select the device whose voice you want to alter
- Then select STATUS
- Scroll down to Alexa’s voice and tap it
- Now, choose your desired accent. For instance, you can select British 2 by clicking the round circle next to it.
- Tap the back arrow in the upper left-hand of the screen to exit.
MORE: HOW TO SETUP ALEXA FOR EMERGENCIES
Wake up to a new name
Maybe “Alexa” feels a tad too mainstream for you now. How about waking up your device with a more unique call? There are a few options to choose from, but for this example, we’ll go with “Ziggy.”
- Launch the Alexa app and head straight to the Devices menu, and tap it
- Tap Echo & Alexa
- Then Choose the Echo device that’s about to get a name change
- Scroll down and click STATUS
- Then, scroll down and click on Wake Word
- A list appears. you’ll want to select Ziggy
- back arrow in the upper left-hand of the screen to exit
Just like that, your former Alexa smart speaker is now the Ziggy smart speaker.
MORE: HOW TO GET ALEXA TO SPEAK MORE LIKE YOU
Turning off intuitive insights
Ever felt Alexa is getting a bit too intuitive? It’s understandable since she can do things for you based on what you usually do, thanks to Alexa Hunches. For instance, when you say “goodnight,” she will offer to turn off the lights if that’s what you usually do, or you can let her act on her Hunches without asking you first. So, if her hunches are more eerie than endearing, here’s how to switch her Hunches off:
- Launch the Alexa app and find More at the screen’s base and tap it
- Jump into Settings and scroll down till you spot Hunches and tap it
- Tap the setting’s wheel icon in the upper right corner
- Then toggle off the Hunches Suggestions, and voila, hunches, take a break. You’ll notice it’s greyed out.
MORE: 3 MUST-DO ALEXA SETTINGS TO MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER
Kurt’s key takeaways
At last, Amazon’s Alexa has taken a stride towards individuality by allowing us to tailor her accent to match our preferences. From British charm to a unique wake word like “Ziggy,” the process is as simple as a few taps in the Alexa app. And for those moments when Alexa’s intuition feels a bit too much, you can now effortlessly turn off Hunches Suggestions, putting you in control of your smart assistant’s behavior once and for all.
If you could give Alexa any new feature, what would it be? Maybe she answers in puns and dad jokes? Or perhaps sings lullabies in an operatic voice? The more creative the better! Let us know by commenting below.
FOR MORE OF MY TECH TIPS & SECURITY ALERTS, SUBSCRIBE TO MY FREE CYBERGUY REPORT NEWSLETTER HERE
Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:
- What is the best way to protect your Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android devices from getting hacked?
- What is the best way to stay private, secure, and anonymous while browsing the web?
- How can I get rid of robocalls with apps and data removal services?
🛍️ SHOPPING GUIDES:
KIDS | MEN | WOMEN | TEENS | PETS |
FOR THOSE WHO LOVE:
COOKING | COFFEE | TOOLS | TRAVEL | WINE |
DEVICES:
LAPTOPS | TABLETS | PRINTERS | DESKTOPS | MONITORS | EARBUDS | HEADPHONES | KINDLES | SOUNDBARS | KINDLES | DRONES |
ACCESSORIES:
CAR | KITCHEN | LAPTOP | KEYBOARDS | PHONE | TRAVEL | KEEP IT COZY |
PERSONAL GIFTS:
PHOTOBOOKS | DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES |
SECURITY
ANTIVIRUS | VPN | SECURE EMAIL |
CAN'T GO WRONG WITH THESE: