Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

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

Alexa....why didn't I know this

62 replies

HowYouSpellingThat10 · 13/10/2024 20:43

With my peri menopause over active brain I have discovered the benefits of going to sleep listening to an audiobook.

I ask Alexa to set a timer and back she booms 'okay I'll switch off in 20 minutes' waking up my husband and probably annoying the neighbours.

It has taken me until this week to realise that if I whisper the instruction, she whispers too.

I'm guessing this is well known and I'm just dim. So what obvious thing that improves life a little has it taken you until now to realise?

OP posts:
JustSaltPlease · 13/10/2024 23:08

I've just enabled whisper mode yay

Dontlletmedownbruce · 13/10/2024 23:08

If she answers with a question and you say 'hmm I don't know that one' she says 'hey that's my line'.

My kids spent hours with her coming up with all sorts of silly stuff, especially DS. I was embarrassed when he made a family picture at school he put Alexa in it too!!

HaddyAbrams · 13/10/2024 23:13

I didn't know she whispered until the following.

I was singing under my breath once in bed and Alexa clearly thought i said her name. Suddenly a voice whispered "sorry I don't know that one"

I was genuinely terrified.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Menopause Women's health
MrsMoastyToasty · 13/10/2024 23:15

Ask her to say "one hundred one hundred, one hundred " quickly in Welsh.

areallmotherslikethis · 13/10/2024 23:17

@Dontlletmedownbruce

I was embarrassed when he made a family picture at school he put Alexa in it too!!

😂😂😂😂😂

Grabyourpassportandmyhand · 13/10/2024 23:18

You don’t have to just settle with announcements. If your kids have Alexa’s, you can ask ‘Alexa drop into (name)’s type of Alexa and have a two way conversation.

Ohnobackagain · 13/10/2024 23:30

@HowYouSpellingThat10 @Weverunoutofteabags not only did she whisper back but when I said “bonjour” she said (in French) “good day, my little ray of sunshine” 🤔

AmeliaEarache · 13/10/2024 23:33

HowYouSpellingThat10 · 13/10/2024 21:08

Just freaked the children out with a bedtime announcement 🤣

I needed this a week ago when I lost my voice

Show quote history

My son forgot to uncouple his Alexa from the family account when he took it to university.

He nearly had a heart attack when my voice announced “Dinnertime, everyone” in his room while he was reading a couple of weeks into term.

Crazyeight · 14/10/2024 06:06

AmeliaEarache · 13/10/2024 23:33

My son forgot to uncouple his Alexa from the family account when he took it to university.

He nearly had a heart attack when my voice announced “Dinnertime, everyone” in his room while he was reading a couple of weeks into term.

Show quote history

Aw I bet it made him homesick but in a nice way

Sjdjb · 14/10/2024 06:28

Going back to OP. What app do you use for audio books? Audible already has a timer and BBC Sounds.

Jellycatspyjamas · 14/10/2024 06:36

*I was singing under my breath once in bed and Alexa clearly thought i said her name. Suddenly a voice whispered "sorry I don't know that one"

I was genuinely terrified.*

I was totally freaked out when Alexa whispered the time while I was pottering around getting ready to go out and muttering about the time/running late. I really didn't know she could do that.

minisoksmakehardwork · 14/10/2024 06:49

Alexa will also crow like a cockerel if you as it to 'announce... wakey wakey'.

Tezza1 · 14/10/2024 06:55

NooNakedJacuzziness · 13/10/2024 20:46

If you whisper in a bad fake French accent will she do that too?

She (sorry, anthropomorphising) may well. I use the French, rather than the English, spelling of my name, but it is pronounced using Australian pronunciation. Virtually everyone automatically pronounces it as I do, with the only variation that some people add an A at the end. But not Alexa, she uses a perfect French pronunciation right down to rolling the R, but in an educated Australian accent. I have corrected her, and she told be I need to amend on, for example, my phone, but it's not annoying me enough to go to the effort.

AChickenPooAndABiscuit · 14/10/2024 07:02

Weverunoutofteabags · 13/10/2024 20:44

Ask her to fart.

This was honestly the funniest thing ever... she has quite the repertoire! Grin

Saveusernsme · 14/10/2024 07:03

Ok, here’s one. My son has a dot in his room to listen to audiobooks books. At 7.10am every morning she makes some sort of weather announcement which is usually fine as we’re all up and about by then but on the odd morning we get to sleep a little longer, it’s bloody annoying. How do I cancel the notification? I’ve tried “Cancel all notifications” and “cancel weather announcements” with not joy. I’ve tried to turn them off via the app but no luck. The most annoying part is that the location of the weather report is 300 miles from us!

Toomuchfruitandnut · 14/10/2024 07:29

Saveusernsme · 14/10/2024 07:03

Ok, here’s one. My son has a dot in his room to listen to audiobooks books. At 7.10am every morning she makes some sort of weather announcement which is usually fine as we’re all up and about by then but on the odd morning we get to sleep a little longer, it’s bloody annoying. How do I cancel the notification? I’ve tried “Cancel all notifications” and “cancel weather announcements” with not joy. I’ve tried to turn them off via the app but no luck. The most annoying part is that the location of the weather report is 300 miles from us!

Mine does this too! I can't work out how to turn it off either 🙈

Original poster
HowYouSpellingThat10 · 14/10/2024 08:06

Sjdjb · 14/10/2024 06:28

Going back to OP. What app do you use for audio books? Audible already has a timer and BBC Sounds.

I'm using audible so I suppose I could set the timer through my phone. I just tend to ask Alexa to do it if she's playing the book.

Otherwise I end up back in here learning new ways I could be using her!

OP posts:
Thecha · 14/10/2024 08:17

Saveusernsme · 14/10/2024 07:03

Ok, here’s one. My son has a dot in his room to listen to audiobooks books. At 7.10am every morning she makes some sort of weather announcement which is usually fine as we’re all up and about by then but on the odd morning we get to sleep a little longer, it’s bloody annoying. How do I cancel the notification? I’ve tried “Cancel all notifications” and “cancel weather announcements” with not joy. I’ve tried to turn them off via the app but no luck. The most annoying part is that the location of the weather report is 300 miles from us!

Try cancel routine or manage routines?

drspouse · 14/10/2024 08:21

We have a Google speaker and it sounds like Marvin the Paranoid Android when it answers the door.
Ding dong. Doorbell. Brain the size of a planet.

MooBaggage · 14/10/2024 08:27

Saveusernsme · 14/10/2024 07:03

Ok, here’s one. My son has a dot in his room to listen to audiobooks books. At 7.10am every morning she makes some sort of weather announcement which is usually fine as we’re all up and about by then but on the odd morning we get to sleep a little longer, it’s bloody annoying. How do I cancel the notification? I’ve tried “Cancel all notifications” and “cancel weather announcements” with not joy. I’ve tried to turn them off via the app but no luck. The most annoying part is that the location of the weather report is 300 miles from us!

Try going into Routines on the app and it will be a morning/wake up type announcement, possible - it will be 'enabled', so just 'disable' it and that should do the trick.

sashh · 14/10/2024 09:11

I've just said, "Hola" to mine, she responded in Spanish but the only bit I got was 'biblioteca'And I have no idea why that has a black background

sashh · 14/10/2024 09:12

Ah the black background disappeared. most odd.

sashh · 14/10/2024 09:13

Oh this is fun, I just put on my Yorkshire accent and asked her, 'ow do? and she answered 'Ey up'.

CooksDryMeasure · 14/10/2024 09:15

Saveusernsme · 14/10/2024 07:03

Ok, here’s one. My son has a dot in his room to listen to audiobooks books. At 7.10am every morning she makes some sort of weather announcement which is usually fine as we’re all up and about by then but on the odd morning we get to sleep a little longer, it’s bloody annoying. How do I cancel the notification? I’ve tried “Cancel all notifications” and “cancel weather announcements” with not joy. I’ve tried to turn them off via the app but no luck. The most annoying part is that the location of the weather report is 300 miles from us!

I had exactly this problem! We were unplugging the Alexa to let him sleep at weekends when we didn’t want a 7am wake up! Anyway as others have said, it’s a routine that you can cancel via the app.

CooksDryMeasure · 14/10/2024 09:15

Those of you with family accounts, how do you manage music? Ours all seem to be linked to my Spotify account (it’s also my Amazon account) and only one person can listen to music at a time.