Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

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

Are other people starting to hate Alexa too?

86 replies

Givemestrengthorvodka · 03/04/2023 19:28

Is the tide turning on amazon Alexa? I just hate it, I hate having to speak everytime I just want to play a song or turn the radio on. Today she hasn't been able to play the Titanic soundtrack or Greatest Hits radio...its just annoying. 1st world problems I know but think I'm going back old school and getting my cd player back out

OP posts:
midlander79 · 04/04/2023 02:15

I live in a tiny house by mumsnet standards. Extended 2 up 2 down with a cellar conversion.

I still have 5 alexas. Home essential as far as I'm concerned. I often get annoyed that there isn't one in the bathroom.

PC20 · 04/04/2023 06:40

We have 2. The downstairs one is only used for calling my teen son for food! He uses his as an alarm & not much else.

Aposterhasnoname · 04/04/2023 06:44

Love mine, all five of them.

MushMonster · 04/04/2023 06:50

We still love ours, but we only use Alexa to play misic, look up recipies or things like so. We do not have it connect it to any other items in the house. And it has lovely sound system, so great to dance to.

leggingsandasweatshirt · 04/04/2023 06:51

Unplugged ours ages ago and bought a standard radio - so much easier than the faff of reconnecting it all the time and it never hearing me/doing as I ask first time!

PlainSkyr · 04/04/2023 06:52

Those of you that love it, aren't you worried about the fact that every word you speak in your house - to Alexa or to each other - is being listened to and probably recorded on a database somewhere?

Surely you'd know that in order to follow your commands the device listens to EVERYTHING and you can't say for sure who is listening to that data and whether/how it is stored?

UseOfWeapons · 04/04/2023 07:00

Haven’t got one. Have only used my mate’s when we’re getting Alexa to do farts.
Juvenile, perhaps, but keeps us amused.

ExtremelyDetermined · 04/04/2023 07:10

We bought one about 5 years ago and put it away permanently after about 3 months. Couldn't relax with it sitting there listening to us.

RaraRachael · 04/04/2023 07:20

universityhelp · 03/04/2023 19:39

I never got one in the first place as could never see the point/appeal. It was obviously a marketing/data gathering exercise from Amazon - why else were they giving them away so cheaply?

Same here. We have one built in to our TV. Never felt the need to use it.
It probably wouldn't understand my accent anyway 🤣

TenoringBehind · 04/04/2023 07:23

I refuse to have it.

Rockbird · 04/04/2023 07:25

Love ours, they get used all the time. Never have a problem with music, Apple Music plays just fine. DD2 plays bedtime stories on hers, we use it for timers and quizzes and to communicate between rooms. We also have some lights that it controls.

NotTellingYouMyRealOne · 04/04/2023 07:26

PlainSkyr · 04/04/2023 06:52

Those of you that love it, aren't you worried about the fact that every word you speak in your house - to Alexa or to each other - is being listened to and probably recorded on a database somewhere?

Surely you'd know that in order to follow your commands the device listens to EVERYTHING and you can't say for sure who is listening to that data and whether/how it is stored?

You know mobile phones do that too? Hence targeted ads... (my friends and I were discussing owls on a camping trip the other day, phones just in pockets.. all of us getting owl memes and ads now!)

LaDamaDeElche · 04/04/2023 07:27

Mine is useless now, or possibly Amazon in general as I can't pay the subscription to play whatever songs I want. I don't have a U.K. bank card anymore as I live in Spain and even though I've changed all the relevant settings on my account to put that I live here and added my Spanish bank card for some reason Alexa won't let me subscribe to Amazon music. Very annoying.

NewDogOwner · 04/04/2023 07:34

We use them like walkie talkies and make announcements to each other like dinner is ready or you smell. My husband WFH and listens to audiobooks constantly.

inshitsville · 04/04/2023 07:34

"Today she hasn't been able to play the Titanic sound track of Greatest Hits radio...its just annoying "^
^
😂😂😂

Rollercoastertycoon · 04/04/2023 07:35

PlainSkyr · 04/04/2023 06:52

Those of you that love it, aren't you worried about the fact that every word you speak in your house - to Alexa or to each other - is being listened to and probably recorded on a database somewhere?

Surely you'd know that in order to follow your commands the device listens to EVERYTHING and you can't say for sure who is listening to that data and whether/how it is stored?

They have a microphone mute button so
you can stop the kids fucking about with itshe can't here you.

My Echo show was a present and I like using it to have You Tube on in the background while I'm working or as a speaker. We got the Dot for downstairs to use purely as a speaker. It was cheaper than other Blue tooth speakers.

Avarua2 · 04/04/2023 07:40

Mine doesn't understand my regional new Zealand accent 😬

FredaFox · 04/04/2023 07:43

My mum has a few dotted about, she mainly uses them for music and her lights as she has mobility issues it's safer for her than leaning over to switch a lamp on

I don't bother but do see it's helped my mum a lot

iloveautumn3 · 04/04/2023 07:46

MissHavishamsMouldyOldCake · 03/04/2023 20:47

my inner tinfoil hatter springs to life when it comes to Alexa type gadgets and ancestry.com style dna tests.

I'm with you. I worry someone is listening to us.

Tiny2018 · 04/04/2023 07:48

Don't own one, do not get the appeal at all. I want the radio on, I go over and turn it on. The concept honestly boggles my brain 🤣

Mitchumforthewin · 04/04/2023 07:51

I have never understood the need for them. Surely you can just turn a radio on? My phone connects to the Bluetooth in my radio too so if I want to play my own playlists I already have that capability. Always thought they seemed totally pointless.

MisgenderedSwan · 04/04/2023 07:55

We love ours - I have podcasts and music on in the kitchen as well as using the timers. Announce 'dinner time' rather than shouting all over the house 😆 the dc listen to audiobooks, podcasts and music in their rooms when they're getting dressed/going to bed. The one in the lounge plays music while I work and answers questions about the weather/opening times etc so I don't get on my phone and get distracted!

NotTellingYouMyRealOne · 04/04/2023 08:03

Mitchumforthewin · 04/04/2023 07:51

I have never understood the need for them. Surely you can just turn a radio on? My phone connects to the Bluetooth in my radio too so if I want to play my own playlists I already have that capability. Always thought they seemed totally pointless.

We live in a radio dead spot... Internet radio is more reliable.

Still used daily in our house...with no paid for subscriptions. JUst means we endure adverts.

NashvilleQueen · 04/04/2023 08:04

Love mine. It's a good speaker one so the sound is great. Entering reminders on the phone is a faff and I just tell Alexa to remind me to cancel this or book that etc and it's sorted.

Hate having to do those things manually now because I then end up being distracted and scrolling on my phone needlessly.

Also she's a lot better than 'Hey Siri can you do Xx pls?' 'You'll need to unlock your iPhone first' ...

Swipe left for the next trending thread