Yes, you can use Amazon Alexa on your Apple Mac laptop. Here, you’ll learn how to set up Alexa on Mac and use it to play music, check the weather, and more.
Today, it’s hard to imagine life without personal computers. These are an essential part of our modern lives, so much that some people estimate that the world will have seven billion PC-based workers this year. The PC is standard for most modern computing, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that it has become so ubiquitous.�?
They’re not for everyone, and plenty of people prefer using tablets and smartphones instead. For example, if you’re an Apple user and want to use Alexa on your Max, you should read this article.�?
What is Alexa on Mac?
Alexa is Amazon’s virtual assistant and app, and it works with Amazon Echo smart speakers and other Alexa-enabled devices. It also works with other virtual assistants on other devices. Alexa has two parts: an app and the underlying service.
Where Can I Use Alexa?
Alexa works with Amazon Alexa-enabled devices, and you can also use it with other devices that have Alexa built-in, including third-party products. You’ll need to download the Alexa app on your smartphone, computer, or another device that you want to use to interact with Alexa for the app to work. Then, you can use that device to issue voice commands to Alexa.�?
Alexa is now a billion-dollar business at Amazon, and it seems that people are getting more and more interested in getting the app into their homes.
How to Set Up Alexa on Mac
First, you need to set up a developer account with Amazon. Here is how to go about it step-by-step:
- To do so, go to http://console.amazon.com.�?
- Click Get Started under the Amazon logo, and then choose Alexa for Business.�?
- The page will take you to the Alexa for Business dashboard.�?
- Choose Alexa Skills Kit and your Skill type and click Get Started.�?
- Then, you’ll create your developer account and log in to the dashboard as a user.�?
- Click Add a New Device on the dashboard, click the Alexa-enabled device you want to set up, and click next.�?
- On the Configure Your Device Screen, ensure to connect Alexa to your WI-FI network and then to your Amazon account.�?
Echo devices are the only things you connect to Alexa without owning an Amazon account. You can also connect your Echo to the music or Bluetooth speaker and set those up with Alexa. Once you do that, you’re ready to set up Alexa.
Using Alexa on Mac
To use Alexa on Mac, you can use an Amazon Echo device paired with Alexa, a smartphone connected to your WI-FI network and connected to Amazon Prime, or any device that can send Alexa voice commands.�?
Alexa is super easy to set up and use as the process is simple. Ensure to follow these steps to set up Alexa on Mac.
- First, download the Alexa app to your Mac or device that you want to use to talk to Alexa from the app store.�?
- To log in to the Amazon account, you will need to open the app.�?
- Next, open the Alexa app on your Mac and tap the microphone icon on the top left to open the settings menu.�?
- Tap Alexa Automation and then enable the ‘Control Enabled Devices’ option. Alexa is now ready to control your devices.
Alexa for Mac- How Does It Work?
Amazon first launched Alexa on Mac in 2015, and it is now available as a standalone service. Alexa for Mac is a web service that lets you log in to your Amazon account and use Alexa that way, and you are not limited to the Alexa app on your smartphone or computer.�?
You can also log in to Alexa with your Amazon account from any device that can access the web, such as computers, smartphones, and tablets. Alexa for Mac works similarly to other virtual assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, Cortona, etc. It allows you to control devices and read information from services.
However, the main difference is that Alexa and Alexa for Mac work on the web instead of apps. Like other virtual assistants and web browsers, you can log in to Alexa with your Amazon account and then log in to other services with Alexa as a login.�?
Amazon first released Alexa as an Echo exclusive. Still, Amazon is getting ready to open up Alexa to the public by making it available on other devices such as Fire Tv devices, Fire Tablets, and Fire Phones.�?
You can use this web service in several ways: through your computer’s browser, through a standalone browser extension like ‘Amazon Assistant’ for Chrome or ‘Echo Buttons’ for Firefox, or through a smartphone app called ‘Amazon Echo’ for Android, or iOS.�?�?�?
Alexa on the web browser is similar to Amazon’s mobile app. You can use Alexa to control your smart home devices and get information from web services like Wikipedia. You can ask Alexa to read the headlines, answer questions, and more.
Alexa for Mac works similarly. You can use it on the MacOS and tell it to turn on/off your bright lights or Tv, set alarms and timers, add events to your calendar, etc. However, there are two significant differences between Alexa for Mac and other virtual assistants: firstly, it doesn’t work with Siri because it doesn’t support voice commands.�?
Secondly, no third-party integrations allow you to control smart home devices with this web service, as it only works with Amazon products.�?
It supports Amazon Music, which is available on macOS, but that’s about it. But even though you can only use Alexa for Mac for limited actions like playing music, it still provides an excellent way of interacting with Amazon services such as Prime Video using your computer instead of using a smartphone or tablet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Alexa Play Music on a Mac?
If you have a compatible Alexa-enabled speaker, you can use Alexa on Mac to play music. Alexa will ask you which music services you want to play music using, and then it will play music from those services. For example, you can say, ‘Alexa, play soft music.’ If you say, ‘Alexa, play music from Spotify,’ she will do precisely that.�?
Create playlists and save them to your Amazon Music Library. If you want to play music from a different service, you can say, ‘Alexa, play music from Pandora’ and then say or ask Alexa to play a specific song or artist.
Can Alexa on Mac Check the Weather?
Alexa can check the weather for you by searching local and weather data from other cities and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.�?
Once you’ve set up Alexa, you can say, ‘Alexa, what’s the weather like,’ then Alexa will give you a detailed forecast about the weather in your area. You can also check the weather using the Alexa app and a widget on your smartphone.
Can Alexa on Mac Control Smart Home Devices?�?
Unfortunately, you can’t control smart home devices with Alexa on Mac. Realistically, this probably isn’t something that most people will want to use their virtual assistant, but it’s interesting to know that you can if you’re into intelligent home automation.
Can Alexa on Mac Make Phone Calls?
This feature is available with Amazon’s Echo devices but not with Alexa on Mac. You can say, ‘Alexa, call Mom at home,’ She will automatically call your mom. If you want to call a business, you can say, ‘Alexa, call the nearest pizza joint,’ She will find the closest pizza place for you to order. You can also make calls through the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet.
Can Alexa on Mac Read Kindle Books?
Yes, and this is specifically for Amazon members. If you have an Amazon Prime account, you can ask Alexa to read your Kindle book to you. She’ll read any books in your Kindle library and the ones you saved in the Cloud. You can also ask her to read specific books.
Can Alexa On Mac Do Math?
If you want to know the square root of a number or add two numbers together, ask Alexa to do it for you. She can also do basic math, like telling you how many days are in a month or how many gallons are in a water bucket.
Can Alexa on Mac Tell Jokes?
Yes, Alexa’s sense of humor is pretty good. She might not get all your jokes, but she’ll try. To play a joke, say ‘Alexa, tell me a joke,’ and she will tell you one.
How Can I Change The Wake Word?
If you don’t like saying ‘Alexa’ to wake up Alexa, there is an option to change it to something else. You can choose from any of the wake words available on Echo devices by going into the settings menu in the main Alexa app and choosing ‘Wake Word.’ Select ‘Customize Your Wake Word’ and choose your new wake word from the drop-down menu.