Oh no ... BiL has bought DH an Alexa ....

[MrsExpo]

.... and now I am being ignored because I’m less than thrilled and just don’t “get” why we need this thing in our house. Either justify my reaction, or convince me I’ll love it (preferably with reasons .... because right now I’m appalled ...... ) Either way, AIBU?

OMG .... thank you for the replies everyone. Can’t believe some of you have several of these things in your houses.

Just the two of us in a fairly standard sized house, no kids and DH rarely goes out. Think I’ll just let him play with it until he gets bored and then quietly unplug it .... still totally convinced my initial gut reaction of “NOOOO” was justified.

I’m in my sixties. I have two. I use it to remind me to take medication, play music, time cakes and food. Alarms, white noise. Turn lights on and off , control the heating.

I like it, handy to use as intercom (have 2), speaker - it learns what music you like, news bulletin , weather, I ask it what day it is atm coz I've no clue.

You can ask it joke questions, it’s a handy timer and for music

We use it to play pointless and pub quiz.

Ds has one in his room. He sits and asks it silly amounts of questions that means I dont have to answer. Plus good for reminding him to do things and take medication

@Wynston Alexa has to be listening to answer you when you say the wake word. I personally don't have Google assistant on my phone and have microphone permissions turned off for virtually everything.

They creep me the heck out!

I wouldn’t have one in the flat myself.

They are useful, I use the kitchen one as a timer and radio

We have 5! Used mostly for

• Radio
• playing music from subscription service
• alarm in the bedrooms
• timer in the kitchen
• settling friendly arguments over dinner
• answering random questions from DC when something comes up during conversation that we don't know the answer to
• calling everyone to dinner via announcement function
• turning smart lights/plugs on and off (all our chargers are connected to smart plugs so in saying 'goodnight alexa, all chargers get turned off and don't get left on overnight)
• reminds me of a parcel is to be delivered from amazon

Our tv can be alexa controlled but I've never got round to setting it up.

Oh and the shopping list! My favourite thing! Can add things to the shopping list whenever I realise we're nearly out of something, very handy especially when you're busy doing something else and might forget.

People get worked up about Alexa listening to you when basically all your tech is. If they want to listen to me yelling and my kids to put their shoes on etc. Then crack on

Morrisons and ocado let you at to your trolley via it as well, useful when in kitchen and finishing packets when cooking, just ask it to add to trolley-not working at moment however during Coronavirus, I miss that but a lot.

I use mine as a glorified radio (agree the shopping list is great) and like a radio it's only switched on when I'm actually using it. So the vast majority of the time it's turned off.

So what if it's listening? What's it going to hear?? Ongoing negotiations with the kids over turning the TV off? What we're having for dinner? There's millions of these devices who would have time to read what she's heard??

We have two. Morning routine on the bedside table to wake us up (news, weather, commute time and then radio)

Downstairs used for music, timers, reminders, adding things to shopping lists, quizzes, fact checking, lights on and off.

The kids ask her the random questions they'd normally ask me so saves me googling.

Shopping list (invaluable- Alexa add xxx to the shopping list), sitting room lights, cooking timer, radio 4 player. Hadn’t thought about asking it to convert cooking quantities. Can’t get it to connect to my preferred podcast app though (Overcast).

Ask her to read your mind.

Hours lost.

I have 4, I don't understand your reaction what's the problem with it? We mostly use for music, it's great when cleaning the house and playing the same music through them, audiobooks, kids use them to answer random questions they have and I listen to rain noise at night. I drop in to freak them out now and again

We have loads of them too. Great for playing music, timers, homework questions (don't think I can't hear you DD1 ), announcements, quizzes and general entertainment. I love a gadget, couldn't give a toss if it's listening to us, we're not MI5.

We are Alexa-free after my brother bought one for his house and I thought it was the most irritating thing ever.

Google assistant Bixby etc are all super annoying. Personal preference.

I’ve read all the posts and I’m with the OP. I still don’t understand what they do that I need. I have a radio in most rooms. I’m not looking to outsource switching lights on and off. I have my phone to check the weather, google things etc. I have a pen and paper for lists. I don’t understand the appeal at all!

We’ve got one , switches lights on and off . Answers questions , tells jokes , sets alarms and plays music . We love her

Thank you @ShayAndBlueSeeker ... my thoughts entirely. None of the things people have listed above as being "useful" are things I either want to automate (switching off lights?? ... really ??), or have the need for a tech solution for - I have a radio, a phone and a pen and paper for making shopping lists, I can google anything I need to know, never listen to audiobooks, no kids in the house, we have a very good audio system in the house for music (more of DH's tech nonsense) .... so just WHY??!!

The whole idea of the thing sitting there listening to us totally creeps me out. If DH wants his thing in the house, he'd better keep it in his little TV room upstairs and not anywhere I will see it or have to interact with it. That's totally none negotiable ........ ARGH!!!!