Jeff Chiu/AP
- You can now make customized Alexa skills for your Echo device.
- The new feature lets you program your Echo to say personalized burns or compliments, trivia, quizzes, or leave instructions for a babysitter.
- The new feature is free to use, and it only takes a few minutes to set up.
You can now customize your Alexa to have it say personalized compliments, jokes, trivia - and even roast your friends.
Amazon on Thursday introduced a new feature that lets you create your own personalized Alexa skill. Called Alexa Skill Blueprints, the new feature is open to anyone with an Echo device. You can create custom Alexa content like quizzes, jokes, games, and instructions for babysitters or house guests.
That way, when you say things like, "Alexa, who's the best-looking member of the family?", it will answer with a custom response.
To get started, you'll have to log on to Amazon's Alexa Skill Blueprints website. There, you'll find more than 20 templates to choose from. The templates are pre-filled, but you can also customize the language so Alexa will talk more like you and your family. After you're done, the new skill will be available on all your Amazon devices.
Until now, the personalization options on Echo devices has been somewhat limited. You've always been able to tell Alexa what to call you and set up a custom routine, but beyond that, you've never really been able to choose what Alexa will say back to you.
This is also the first time users have been able to easily make their own Alexa skill. Thanks to the pre-made templates, you don't need to be a developer to create a skill for your Echo. Plus, the custom skills you create won't go into the Alexa Skills section of the app - they will only appear on the devices registered to your Amazon account.
Here are all the customizable skills available at launch:
- Custom Q&A
- House guest info
- Babysitter info
- Pet sitter info
- Family jokes
- Trivia
- Inspirational quotes
- Family trivia
- Bachelorette party trivia
- Birthday trivia
- Burns
- Compliments
- Double Trouble game
- Categories game
- Adventure story
- Fairy tale
- Sci-fi story
- Fable
- Flash cards
- Facts on a specific topic
- Quiz