Adding Alexa skills: expand what your Echo can do

Your Amazon Echo speaker with Alexa can do a lot more than you might think. With Alexa skills you can greatly expand what your smart speaker is capable of. Skills are similar to apps on your smartphone: they add new functions to Alexa. In this article we explain what skills are, how to add them and which skills are really worth it.

What are Alexa skills?

Alexa skills are extensions that add extra functions to your Echo speaker. They are made by Amazon itself and by thousands of external developers. With the right skills you can use Alexa for almost anything, from ordering food to playing quizzes with the whole family.

Types of skills

There are several categories of skills available:

  • Music and Audio: Radio stations, podcasts, meditation music
  • News: News updates from various sources
  • Productivity: To-do lists, notes, calendar integrations
  • Smart Home: Control of smart devices
  • Games and Trivia: Games for the whole family
  • Education: Learning languages, educational quizzes
  • Food and Drink: Recipes, restaurant orders
  • Health and Fitness: Workouts, meditation, sleep aids
  • Kids: Safe, fun content for children

How do you find and enable Alexa skills?

There are several ways to find and enable skills. We cover the three main methods.

Method 1: Through the Alexa app

The most comprehensive way to explore skills is through the Alexa app on your smartphone.

Steps:

  1. Open the Amazon Alexa app
  2. Tap "More" in the menu at the bottom
  3. Select "Skills & Games"
  4. Browse the categories or use the search function
  5. Tap a skill to see more information
  6. Tap "Enable to Use" to activate the skill

Method 2: By voice

You can also enable skills directly by asking Alexa for them.

Examples:

  • "Alexa, open NPO Radio 1"
  • "Alexa, enable the Buienradar skill"
  • "Alexa, find skills for meditation"

If the skill has not been enabled yet, Alexa will ask you whether you want to enable it.

Method 3: Through the Amazon website

You can also enable skills through the Amazon website:

  1. Go to amazon.nl
  2. Search for "Alexa skills"
  3. Browse the selection
  4. Click "Enable" on a skill
  5. The skill is automatically activated on your Echo

Below you will find a selection of skills that are especially useful for users in the Netherlands.

News and information

NOS Nieuws Stay up to date with the latest news with the official NOS skill (the Dutch public broadcaster). Say "Alexa, what's the news?" to hear the latest stories.

Buienradar The perfect skill for Dutch weather. Ask whether it is going to rain and get accurate forecasts for your location.

Nu.nl Another popular news source with current stories from the Netherlands and the rest of the world.

Music and entertainment

NPO Radio skills Listen to your favorite NPO radio stations, such as NPO Radio 1, Radio 2 and 3FM. For example, say "Alexa, open NPO Radio 2".

538 For fans of Radio 538 there is a dedicated skill for listening to this popular station.

Spotify Although Spotify has to be linked as a music service, there are additional skills for playlists and discovery.

Productivity and organization

Shopping list Keep a shopping list with your voice. "Alexa, add milk to my shopping list."

Reminder skills Various skills help you set reminders and keep track of tasks.

Smart home

Philips Hue Control your Philips Hue lights with your voice. This skill is essential for anyone with smart lighting.

IKEA Home Smart For users of IKEA's smart products, a dedicated skill is available.

Tado Control your Tado smart thermostat with Alexa for optimal comfort.

Games and fun

Akinator The famous game in which Alexa tries to guess which character you are thinking of.

Trivia skills Various quiz games for the whole family, from general knowledge to specific topics.

Escape Room games Play a virtual escape room using only your voice.

For kids

Pixi Boek Listen to short stories, perfect for bedtime.

Animal sounds Educational and entertaining for young children who are learning animal sounds.

Riddles Fun riddles that challenge children to think.

Managing and organizing skills

As you add more skills, it helps to keep them organized.

Viewing your enabled skills

  1. Open the Alexa app
  2. Go to More > Skills & Games
  3. Tap "Your Skills" at the top
  4. Here you see all the skills you have enabled

Disabling a skill

If you no longer use a skill:

  1. Go to Your Skills in the app
  2. Tap the skill you want to remove
  3. Tap "Disable Skill"
  4. Confirm your choice

Managing skill permissions

Some skills ask for access to certain information, such as your location or address. You can manage these permissions:

  1. Go to the skill in the app
  2. Tap "Settings"
  3. Review and change the permissions
  4. Remove any access you are not comfortable with

Using skills effectively

Find out what a skill can do

Before you install a skill, read the description carefully. There you will find:

  • What the skill does
  • Which commands you can use
  • Whether the skill is free or has paid features
  • Ratings from other users

Learning sample commands

Every skill has specific commands. After enabling it, you can say:

  • "Alexa, what can [skill name] do?"
  • "Alexa, help" (while you are in a skill)

Linking skills to routines

You can integrate skills into your daily routines:

  1. Go to More > Routines in the app
  2. Create a new routine or edit an existing one
  3. Add an action and select "Skills"
  4. Choose the skill you want to add
  5. Save the routine

Example: A morning routine that starts with news from NOS, followed by the weather forecast from Buienradar.

Not all skills are completely free. There are different payment models:

Free skills

Most skills are free to use. They may, however, contain ads or have limited features.

Premium skills

Some skills charge a one-time fee to activate. This is clearly stated in the description.

In-skill purchases

Many skills offer extra content or features for a fee. For example:

  • Extra levels in games
  • Premium content in news skills
  • Extended features in productivity skills

Managing purchases

You can manage in-skill purchases and set up child safety:

  1. Go to Settings in the Alexa app
  2. Tap "Alexa Account"
  3. Select "Voice Purchasing"
  4. Set a voice code for purchases
  5. Turn off purchasing completely if you like

Skills for smart devices

An important category of skills is the one for smart devices in your home.

How do smart home skills work?

When you buy a smart device that is compatible with Alexa, you often need to install a skill to make the connection possible.

Steps for linking:

  1. Install the device's app (for example the Philips Hue app)
  2. Set up the device through that app
  3. Enable the matching Alexa skill
  4. Link your account when prompted
  5. Alexa now discovers your devices

Discovering devices

After enabling a smart home skill:

  • Say "Alexa, discover my devices"
  • Or in the app, go to Devices > + > Add Device

Tips for discovering new skills

Weekly recommendations

Amazon regularly sends recommendations for new skills based on your usage. Check them out in the app.

Skill of the day

Ask "Alexa, what's the skill of the day?" to discover new skills.

Exploring categories

Take some time now and then to browse the categories in the Skills section. New skills are added regularly.

Reading reviews

Always read the reviews from other users before you install a skill. This gives you a good picture of its quality and reliability.

Frequently asked questions

What is the maximum number of skills I can enable?

There is no limit to the number of skills you can enable. You can have dozens or even hundreds of skills. Keep in mind, though, that some skills use memory on your device, so it may be wise to disable skills you don't use.

Are all skills safe to use?

Amazon checks all skills before they are published. Still, it is wise to read the reviews and only install skills from well-known developers or with positive reviews. Be careful with skills that ask for a lot of personal information.

Can I set up skills for specific family members?

Yes, with Amazon Household you can create profiles for different family members. Some skills, especially kids' skills, can be restricted to certain profiles. Use the Alexa app to manage family profiles and set restrictions for children.

Do all skills work in the Netherlands?

Not all skills are available in the Netherlands. The selection differs by country and language. Skills made specifically for the Dutch market work best. International skills are often available, but some features may not work optimally with the Dutch language or location.

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