As the Amazon Echo lineup expands—with devices like the Echo Show featuring touchscreens—Alexa skills have exploded to over 15,000. Think of these voice-activated apps as mini-programs delivering everything from news updates to workout guides.
With so many options, not all skills shine. Many are gimmicks, like endless fart-sound players. As experts who've tested hundreds of skills across Echo devices, we've curated the 15 most practical, free ones to get you started right.
The simplest way: Just say, "Alexa, enable [skill name]" on any Echo. For skills needing logins, use the Alexa app on iOS/Android (tap Skills in the menu) or visit Amazon's Echo Skills portal and hit Enable.
Here are our top picks for new users:
Say "Alexa, open CNN." Get headlines or topic-specific news. Pairs great with Echo Show for visuals (Note: Standalone skill discontinued; use Flash Briefing instead).
Say "Alexa, play Jeopardy!" Test your trivia in categories like sports, history, and travel. Answer in question form, just like the show.
Say "Alexa, open Big Sky." Powered by Dark Sky API, it delivers hyper-accurate forecasts, including hourly precipitation chances—more precise than Alexa's built-in weather.
Say "Alexa, open Domino's." Reorder favorites, track delivery, or pick up. Pizza Hut offers a similar skill.
On Echo Show, say "Alexa, show me the [camera name]." View live feeds from your Nest camera—ideal for door checks or baby monitoring. Audio coming to other Echos soon.
Say "Alexa, ask Fitbit how I'm doing today." Get daily stats on steps, sleep, and activity from your Fitbit tracker.
Say "Alexa, open Skill Finder." Discover daily top skills, new releases, and category recommendations—perfect for ongoing exploration.
Say "Alexa, open Where's My Phone." Rings your phone to locate it (won't work on silent). Alternatives like TrackR exist.
Say "Alexa, start the 7-minute workout." Guided 12-exercise routine; pause/resume anytime. Harder modes coming.
Say "Alexa, ask Flight Tracker for [airline flight number]." Real-time updates—handy for airport runs.
Say "Alexa, ask AnyPod to play [podcast]." Subscribe, play episodes, rewind/fast-forward your favorites.
Say "Alexa, open Best Recipes." Suggests 3 recipes from your ingredients; filter by meal. Alexa reads or emails them.
Say "Alexa, play Would You Rather." Family-friendly dilemmas to spark fun debates.
Say "Alexa, turn on the TV." Controls Harmony hubs: power, channels, volume, playback.
Say "Alexa, open Sleep Sounds." 40+ sounds like white noise or crickets; set timers for bedtime bliss.
Install these, and unlock your Echo's full potential. Thousands more await—share your must-haves in the comments!
