Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Do you love Alexa? Why?!

100 replies

wakemewhenitsallover · 28/12/2019 03:42

My 11yo was given an Echo Dot by a family member.

Personally I hate the fucking things. I don't want a robot listening to everything we say. It feels like an intrusion. Plus it annoys me that it's a woman's voice - reinforcing the idea women are the service class. And DS and DD fight over it.

But - relative has presented gift, DS loves it so I can hardly take it off him (without a good reason anyway).

So, can anyone explain to me what the use of it is? How do you use yours? What good is it? Can I learn to like it?

I want to say DS should keep it in his room as I don't want it in the front room - but is that a bad idea? He's not allowed to use his computer in his room as a measure to keep him safe online.

OP posts:
marvelousways · 28/12/2019 20:25

I love Alexa. I have 3, and now ds,2 dd4 and dd2 have one too.
ds2 (11) got one for Christmas. he uses his for: music, alarms, audible books, realxation apps, and various facts (eg Alexa, what are the states of the US)
I use mine for: Music, shopping list, reminders, calendar, weather, news, turn on / off lights, switch on christmas tree lights, timers, alarms, heating control. Makes my life so much easier! Couldn't care less about targeted adds etc as I never pay them any heed!

YearofMisAdventure · 28/12/2019 20:38

Ooh I have just discovered from reading this I can play BBC Radio. When I said Radio 4 I got something else so thought it waa off limits.

I love my Alexa, I use it for music mostly, lists, timers and reminders. I have adhd also its super helpful.

There is an App called Nudge where you can block adverts.

If you go to Settings you can see all the speech that Alexa has recorded and set it to delete daily if you want.

minesagin37 · 28/12/2019 20:41

Someone can donate theirs to me then. Pm me and I will give you my address. Cheers.

MrsT1405 · 28/12/2019 21:54

I love ours. We have 3. I listen to radio and news, as we are in Spain, it's easy just to say' play me BBC radio 2 ' rather than faff about. I use the shopping list. We turn the TV, lights, heating etc on and off via smart plugs. I use the timer a lot as well. As for 'spying' ...get a life, Tesco know everything about you and if you really are that shallow and gullible , you deserve what you get.

FireUnderpants · 28/12/2019 22:17

"they'll send you adverts"
Ha, jokes on them, I'm too poor to buy anything.

lucysmam · 28/12/2019 22:21

Can anyone tell me how to deactivate voice purchasing? I have it turned off in the app but received an email this morning telling me I could do it & have just put something in my basket & been told to say "buy now" or similar to purchase it...I don't want it able to do that. I have visions of one or other of the girls randomly ordering something Confused

shinyblackdog · 28/12/2019 22:28

DH loves Alexa, I don't, only use it for radio, timers and switching on lights BUT it did do something unexpectedly helpful the other day. I was raging round the house looking for my phone and in exasperation screeched "Alexa, where is my flipping phone" and got the response "Would you like me to call your phone". I said yes, it did and I found my phone, which had fallen down the back of some furniture.

Still annoying though.

RuthW · 28/12/2019 22:35

Love alexa. I wake up in the middle of the night and she tells me the time so I don't have to put on my glasses.

I also use her as a radio, alarm clock and for my shopping lists.

Raildolly · 28/12/2019 22:39

Those of you that have two or more connected, are they all on the same amazon account?

tobee · 28/12/2019 22:48

Aren't the people who worry about influencing you the same sort of people who worried about TVs and adverts? There are so many ways we're being influenced by things all the time? I just think people are over worried about so many things these days.

And I speak as someone who's laptop was hacked a few years ago and took a photo of me in my bedroom!

🤷🏻‍♀️

Leafyhouse · 28/12/2019 22:49

Yes, ours are on the same account. We use Alexa for switching on the Christmas / Party lights, Spotify, Fart noises (important) setting timers, making announcements around the house that dinner's ready, and turning the TV on and off. Also it's connected to the doorbell, and we tell it to turn the central heating on. Basically, we're just Amazon slaves. Can't wait until the Alexa oven comes!

tobee · 28/12/2019 22:54

Also it amuses me when it mishears what I ask for and plays random songs. I just asked it to play Raindrops on Tin Roof as mentioned by pp. it played Under Pressure by Queen/Bowie instead. ConfusedGrin

hardrowtohoeallbyyourself · 28/12/2019 22:56

I was laying in bed earlier, super comfy and tired and was able to just tell her to switch off the lights instead of getting up to do it.

BedraggledBlitz · 28/12/2019 23:12

I got two for Christmas. Dot for bedroom, echo for living room.

As a result I've sat listening to music tonight which has been very pleasant.

I love a podcast and usually use spotify so am a bit disappointed that I cant just tell Alexa to play x podcast - it cant find it. Only plays whatever I last listened too. I will have to investigate further...

I also got a smart lightbulb and have enjoyed dimming light etc! I think I'll get more bulbs.

I like the idea of waking up to a poem or positive thinking so will explore if I can make that happen.

marjoretta · 29/12/2019 00:32

We got given them for Christmas. My DDs have one each in their rooms. They mostly use it to insult each other through Alexa announce.

Not had any adverts though. Is that because we have Amazon Prime and Spotify premium?

user764329056 · 29/12/2019 00:41

It’s very sinister, ex Amazon tech employee has told me stuff that is really alarming

Poetryinaction · 29/12/2019 00:58

I don't think it's a good thing that Alexa can phone your phone.
None of the examples have me convinced.
Play Radio 2 - I can turn a radio on.
Play volume 8 - I can turn a knob
Add binbags to the shopping list - I have a pen and paper.
I really don't get it. I've never wished it were easier to turn on lights or play music. It is so easy anyway. All the people going on a out how good Alexa is remind me of those seal people in WallE.
I would rather move around my house doing stuff myself.
I do think the advert with the blind lady highlights this. As an aid for someone who may be disabled in some way I can see the merits. Otherwise, people with smartphones in their pockets do not need Alexa to tell them what the weather is like. Is it so hard to ask one of your other tech devices, or... look out the window?

GreenTulips · 29/12/2019 01:09

Can someone explain how the audio books work? Do you buy the book and then ask it to read or are they free

BearFoxBear · 29/12/2019 01:12

I work in marketing. Our alexa is set to not listen until we manually turn it on, then only for radio/Spotify. It's entirely disabled in other devices (TV etc). All for good reason.

Original poster
wakemewhenitsallover · 29/12/2019 03:15

ex Amazon tech employee has told me stuff that is really alarming

Can you elaborate?

OP posts:
hardrowtohoeallbyyourself · 29/12/2019 04:28

@Poetryinaction you are very much not the target market then and that’s ok Smile

NoBlueXmasLightsAllowed · 29/12/2019 08:35

Anyone seen the spongebob movie where plankton gives everyone bucket hats and then he uses them to turn them into robots?

MyOtherProfile · 29/12/2019 08:36

Alexa is rubbish. Google home is much better. It gives better answers.

Meegeemoogee · 29/12/2019 08:55

I bought dh a dot for Xmas. I was torn between Google and Alexa but went for Alexa in the end because I can play audio books through it. I wouldn't be averse to switching to Google but from what I can see they do they same, except I can't link audible to the Google devices. Can someone tell me why Google is better?

BlingLoving · 29/12/2019 09:08

For those of you with multiple alexas and spotify, how do you manage it so that you can listen to different music with different alexas simultaneously?

I've pulled together a hack by giving kids their own amazon accounts, linked to their spotify, and to each other, but it's not perfect - notifications for deliveries are now going to dd not me, and when she tries to drop in it can land up anywhere (for example).

I told Dh I was almost tempted to get amazon music simply so that you can have multiple users on one account via Alexa. But that seems silly and we have been using spotify pretty much since it was launched so feel hilariously ridiculous amount of brand loyalty.