If you think Alexa is only good for controlling your smart home system, think again! Your Amazon Echo speaker or other Alexa-powered devices have also been programmed with a smart and silly sense of humor that can brighten your day. It is an artificial intelligence (AI) device, after all, and learning some of the funny things to ask Alexa may just put a cheer on when you’re feeling blue. The list below includes some of the interesting Alexa commands when you’re having a rough day and need a pick-me-up.
In the first part, we’ll give you all you need to know about Alexa and then move on to our selections of funny things to ask Alexa.
What Is Alexa and How Awesome Is She?
Simply put, Alexa is a digital assistant that you can use to help you with tasks. It is Amazon’s voice-activated service that has now become a complete smart home system. It lets you access and manage other compatible smart devices remotely. You would need to have the Alexa system installed in your home or office to maximize its functionalities but there are standalone devices that allow you to enjoy some of its features.
Alexa has only been launched a couple of years ago, but the amazing programmers in Amazon have been continuously updating and upgrading its “skills” to make it more interactive and useful. An Alexa speaker is the basic device you would need to make it work with other smart devices if you want to.
If you’re wondering if Alexa is always listening even when you’re not using it, here’s our guide on how to control Alexa’s listening function..
What Can Alexa Do That Other AIs Can’t?
If you’re not very familiar with Alexa, the easiest way to understand her is by comparing her with other AIs such as Apple’s Siri and Google Assistant. These AIs are mostly limited to mobile devices and computers while Alexa goes way beyond that. If you’re a smartphone user, it is safe to assume you know how these AIs work. You can command Siri or Google to tell you the weather, launch applications on your device, and even ask fun questions to interact with them when you’re bored. Amazon’s Alexa can do the same, but she exceeds the two’s limitations.
Here are some sample commands that you can do with Alexa:
Alexa Can Be Your Personal Companion
Aside from being a Bluetooth speaker, Alexa can act as your personal companion or if you’re not freaked out by the idea, she can even be your virtual friend.
Program Alexa to wake you up in the morning—true, that’s easy and simple. But greet her “good morning” and she will greet you back then start telling you the date, the weather, an interesting historical fact that happened that day, and even the traffic on your commute to work!
Tell her “goodbye” when you’re leaving and she can tell you to have a great day. When you return, just say “Alexa, I’m home,” and she will give you a warm welcome, complete with a dog barking in the background. You can even program her to play a song from your playlist with a command like “start my day.”
But these are just a few examples and you can program her to do almost anything which will be discussed more in detail later.
Alexa Can Give You a Quiz
Whether you are starting your day or coming home from a hard night’s work, you can ask Alexa to play quizzes with you. The most popular option is named Quiz of the Day. Alexa will keep track of your record and tell you where you stand on the leaderboard with other players. There are also other smart quizzes you can take, if you’re such a geek, like quizzes on literature, movies, vocabulary, trivia, and more. You can even play Jeopardy! In some cases, Alexa will reverse the roles and let you ask Alexa the questions instead.
Alexa Can Put You to Sleep
Tell Alexa “good night” and she can give you a list of relaxing Sleep Sounds to play as you try to get to sleep. Of course, she will also say, “Have a good rest,” and other variations of that. Some of the sleep sound options are ocean waves, crackling fire, bird sounds, spacecraft, and the list goes on.
Alexa Encourages You to Exercise
If you’re setting a goal to shed some weight or simply add a healthy routine to your day, Alexa can remind you to start your workout on a particular schedule.
All the Basics
Of course, as an advanced AI, Alexa can do almost all of the basics like help you make a call, communicate to other Alexa speakers within the house, and set timers and reminders.
Do You Need the Entire Alexa Home System to Use An Alexa Device?
As you may have read the features above, the answer is no. You can enjoy Alexa’s functionality without a complete smart home set up. Own one Alexa speaker such as an Echo Dot and set it up to start using useful and funny Alexa commands. You would have to pair it with a smartphone and set it up from there. You can find the guide below.
What Alexa Devices Can You Use on Their Own?
These stand-alone devices are mostly the Echo Dot speakers, but Amazon has been adding more and more of these features to other Alexa-powered devices.
Alexa Echo Dot
The Echo Dot comes in different models and the newer ones have more capabilities than the first releases, but they can all do most of Alexa’s cool features. The 3rd and 4th Gen Echo Dots are the most popular today. They have excellent quality sound and can perform the commands mentioned above. Some of the 4th Gen models even have a digital clock display.
Check out the Echo Dot 3 today and start interacting with Alexa.
Echo Spot
This device is basically a smart alarm clock that also acts as a speaker and thus, letting you use the features of the Echo Dot. It can also take over your smart home set up.
Amazon Echo Show
The Echo Show is a mini-tablet that allows you to make video calls and watch movies not only from Prime Video but also from other streaming services like Hulu and Vevo. You can also watch live sports. And since it has a speaker, you’ve guessed it, it will also have all of Echo Dot’s features.
Check out the Echo Show 5 on Amazon to start setting up your smart home.
Fire TV Stick
While this remote control works mostly with your TV, its voice-activated features let you use some of Alexa’s functionalities though it’s more limited than the other devices. Using the Amazon Fire Stick won’t demand the latest television models, but it’ll require one with a USB slot.
How to Set Up Alexa?
Setting up Alexa is pretty simple. You’ll need a working WiFi connection and a smartphone. To simplify this guide, we will be using the Echo Dot as an example since the process is pretty much the same as other Alexa-powered devices. After the basic setup, you can start using and customizing commands and funny things to ask Alexa. Below are the steps that you need to replicate.
Download the Alexa App
First, get the Alexa App on your preferred smart device (iOS or Android). You will change your settings once your Echo Dot is ready. Use your Amazon id and password to continue.
Get Her Power On
Ah, yes. Turning on Alexa will definitely activate her AI powers. So, go ahead and pug her in. You should see it light up when it’s ready for setup. You will see colored lights circling the device until it stabilizes.
Set Up Your Echo From the Alexa App
Don’t worry because once she is plugged in, a tutorial will pop up on how to change your settings. In case you get lost, here is a step-by-step guide to help you out.
- Open your Alexa App
- Then, look for the Devices option.
- Tap on “Echo and Alexa” on the upper-right once you get to the next screen. Continue by selecting your speaker when a prompt appears.
- One way to know if you’re in Setup Mode is to check if the device is showing an orange light. If it doesn’t, press and hold the button with the black round icon on the speaker until it displays the orange light.
- The Alexa App will now prompt you to connect your Echo using your WiFi network. Next, select the Wi-Fi Network option.
- Select the WiFi connection you wish to connect to.
- If it’s successful, you will hear Alexa say, “Your Echo is ready.”
How to Customize Commands?
Now that you’ve set up Alexa on your Echo device, you can customize some commands to start enjoying all the great things to do with Alexa and start using funny Alexa commands.
Routines
From the home screen, tap on More in the lower-right corner, and from there, you can add custom routines. To add a routine, click the (+) sign. Enter the name of what you wish to call your Routine; in the example in this image, it will be “Good Morning.”
In the next section, you will see “Alexa will…” then keep adding what you want Alexa to say or do and reorder them accordingly. As you can see in the example, Alexa is set up to first tell you something new. Then it will tell you the date today, the weather, a fun fact, and some information from This Day in History.
The possibilities are nearly endless when you set up a routine. This is also where you can customize commands that let you ask some of the funny things to ask Alexa.
Skills and Games
You can choose from a list of Alexa skills or browse through the Categories section to start using them. This is where you tell Alexa to learn each skill such as Games and Trivia, and Business and Finance where you can command her to do financial transactions for you.
These are just some examples of Alexa hacks and some cool things to do with Alexa.
Funny Things to Ask Alexa
Now that your Alexa device is ready, you can start enjoying a wide range of funny things to ask Alexa. However, a few of you might think that most of these are pre-programmed, right? Yes, Amazon programmers went ahead of you and thought of these fun Alexa commands but most users aren’t aware of them. Here is a list of fun things to ask Alexa about.
Jokes
In general, you can simply ask Alexa to tell you any joke by saying “Alexa, tell me a joke” and she will come up with a random joke to tell you. But there’s a whole lot more. To make your experience genuinely fun and spare you spoilers, we’ve only listed the questions and not the answers. Alexa’s answers will vary and are randomized so you can ask the same questions a few times and get different answers.
Needless to say, to activate a response from your Alexa device, you would have to wake her up by saying “Alexa” then the joke command. So, always remember to say “Alexa” in the beginning.
Jokes List
- Ask Alexa to tell you a “yo mama” joke
- Why is six afraid of seven?
- Why did the chicken cross the road?
- Can you give me some money?
- Alexa, are you better than Siri?
- Do you know the muffin man?
- Tell her to pretend to be a chicken!
- Alexa, tell me why!
- Do you sleep?
- Where do you live?
- Do aliens exist?
- Tell her to open nugget haikus.
- Do you have any pets?
- Are you smart?
- Ask her where Chuck Norris is now.
- Are you married?
- Who farted?
- Ask her to tell you a dirty joke.
- Do you believe in ghosts?
- See you later!
- Who ‘you gonna call?
- Ask her if she’s even alive.
- What number are you thinking of?
- Can you bark/meow?
- What are you wearing?
- Ask her if she has a boyfriend.
- What do you think of Siri?
- What is brown and sticky?
- Here’s a silly joke: What do you call a fake noodle?
- Your mother was a hamster!
- Ask her if she’s married?
- What is the value of pi?
- Command her to make you a sandwich.
- How much do you weigh?
- You know the song, so tell her… “I like big butts” and see what happens.
- Are you a nerd?
- High-five!
- What happens when you step on a Lego?
- What sound does a hamster make?
- Is the cake a lie?
- What does the fox say?
- What sound does a rabbit make?
- Roses are red…
- Do you want to take over the world?
- Wakey wakey!
- What color is the dress?
- Ask her if she’s smart.
Puns
Unlike jokes, Alexa’s puns are not set up for a question and answer interaction.
Instead, you use one of the cool commands to activate the puns feature. Simply say, “Alexa, give me a pun” and wait for the fun to begin.
List of Sample Puns
- Why was the chiropractor so busy? Because of back to back meetings.
- Make no bones about it, the hands and feet contain more than half the bones of an adult human body.
- What do you call toddler twins who are sleeping? Napkins!
Funny Topics
For the geeks and nerds out there, this is one of the best categories. This is also fun for movie and TV show fans, as well as readers. Just say the command and Alexa will indulge. These include anything from Star Wars and Shakespeare plays to niche topics such as The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
These Alexa commands are also called Easter Eggs because few people have discovered them. Well, find them below!
List of Funny Topics
- To be or not to be…
- Are you Skynet?
- My name is Inigo Montoya.
- I want the truth!
- Who shot first?
- Are you a Jedi?
- Use the force.
- Alexa, may the force be with you.
- Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?
- Show me the money!
- I’ll be back.
- Do you want to build a snowman?
- Alexa, are we in the Matrix?
- Why so serious?
- Winter is coming.
- Are you a Sith?
- Do or do not…
- Who is the mother of dragons?
- Is Jon Snow dead?
- Open the pod bay doors!
- Live long and prosper.
- What is the second rule of fight club?
- Alexa, executive order 66!
- Alexa, warp 10!
- Where is Waldo?
- Alexa, roll for initiative.
- Can you pass the Turing test?
- Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?
- Take me to your leader!
- Can you talk like Yoda?
Super Alexa Mode
Now, here is something crazy cool that is one of the fun things to do with Alexa. This feature pays homage to video game developers that have encoded cheat codes using a Konami Code that was used in several Nintendo Games a long time ago.
To activate it, say this “Alexa, up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start!” Then, Alexa will respond in two ways.
- She will make funky computer game sounds and flash different colored lights and say, “Congrats! You’ve earned a full set of power-ups! Use them wisely!”
- Alexa will say “Super Alexa mode activated!”
- Alexa will then say a few more things.
Custom Jokes and Response
If you ever get bored with the funny things to ask Alexa commands above or want something new, you can program Alexa with a unique response to your custom commands. Just make sure that there is not already a pre-programmed command that will conflict with her responses.
How to Customize Alexa Responses for Fun
To set it up, go to the Routines as stated in the guide above and add it by tapping on the plus (+) sign. Set a name for the joke or command and start customizing. There are three sections to set this up. First, you enter the routine name then the Alexa app will ask you to type what you want Alexa to do or say under “When this happens.” Lastly, you can add more actions.
Here is an example Routine. It is divided into sections listed below. The command is a reference from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy:
When you say:
Alexa, the last ever dolphin message was
Alexa will say:
Misinterpreted as a surprisingly sophisticated attempt to do a double backward somersault… and the rest goes on as it is from the book and TV series.
*NOTE: Notice, there are no commas or other punctuations in the example. You cannot put them in these commands so just type them and don’t worry about grammar!
This is just one of the things to ask Alexa when you customize her responses
Why Should You Use Alexa for Fun?
In a world that is getting more and more stressful by the day, with so much happening in our society as well as in our personal and professional lives, it’s always good to come home to someone or in this case, something that can help you destress. AIs are called “smart” devices/systems after all, so why not use their quick wits for a little fun?
A standalone Alexa speaker may be small but her abilities and knowledge are huge! Besides, if you have purchased Alexa, whether it’s a standalone device or a complete Alexa Home System, you will use it for several purposes anyway. Let her take care of some of your emotional and mental needs as well; in a lighthearted way.
Other Fun Things You Can Do With Alexa
Aside from the many funny things to ask Alexa, there are so many other fun things you can do. You just have to explore and discover these fascinating Alexa commands.
Ask for Emotional Support
If you’re ever feeling down and don’t have anyone with whom to talk at the moment, Alexa can put a little cheer on you or at least help you with some tips to lighten up your mood. You can say things like:
- Alexa, I’m sad.
- I’m lonely.
- Alexa, cheer me up.
Alas! The AI has been programmed with an empathetic personality. She will empathize with you and provide you with some comforting words as well as tips to lift your mood.
Change the Wake Word
If you get bored saying the command “Alexa” all the time, you can even change the wake word to add a little variety to your experience. The “wake word” is what you say to activate Alexa and start interacting with her. Unfortunately, you cannot give Alexa a custom name but you can choose from a few options.
To change your device’s wake word, open your Alexa app from your mobile phone. Choose Devices from the Main Screen and select your Alexa device; for example, Echo Dot. Press the Wake Word feature then select your preferred name or word.
Alternatively, you can also use the voice command to change this setting. Just say, “Alexa, change wake word.” You can choose from the following names or wake words:
- Alexa
- Amazon
- Computer
- Echo
Once you’ve saved your settings, you can now use your preferred name to wake up Alexa.
Play Your Playlists
By default, she will play it from Amazon Music. You can ask her to play one song or an entire playlist as long as it’s available on Amazon Music. You can even tune in to podcasts and radios based on your favorite artists.
If you are not an Amazon Prime Music subscriber, you may be bothered by ads that play after every few songs or may not find the songs you want to listen to. In this case, you can choose another music streaming service such as Spotify. This is a great option if you have a paid Spotify subscription.
To change which music streaming service you want Alexa to play your songs or playlists from, access your Alexa app and go to More in the lower-left corner and tap on Settings. Scroll down to the Alexa Preferences section and choose Music and Podcasts. Select the first option, Default Services, and tap Change. You can choose from Amazon Music, Spotify, or iHeart Radio.
To tell Alexa to play your playlists, say, Alexa, play my playlist — and then the name of your playlist from your streaming service. For example, “Alexa, play my playlist Feeling Good.” Alexa will then say, Playing (name of playlist) from Spotify (or whichever service you chose). If you want to shuffle your songs, just say “Shuffle playlist.”
Ask About Facts
You can also ask Alexa to tell you fun or relevant facts that interest you. You can ask about a specific person, event, news, or nearly anything under the sun. In the event that Alexa hasn’t yet learned that specific topic, she will tell you “I’m sorry, I don’t know that one.” Some fun things to ask Alexa regarding facts are things like:
- Alexa, where did Einstein live?
- How old is Katy Perry? (Or you can ask about other celebrities, influential people, or political figures.)
- Alexa, tell me about the StoneWall Riots.
- Can you tell me a fun fact about giraffes?
- What do hamsters eat?
- Who is Stephen King?
And so much more!
Local Stores and Restaurants
Let Alexa help you get to your destination and tell you their store or operating hours. For this to work, you will have to enter your Home address on the app. You can also ask how long it will take you to get to work. Ask Alexa, “Till what time is Denny’s open?” and she will select the nearest Denny’s branch and ask if that’s the branch you are looking for. An example:
Command: Alexa, till what time is Denny’s open?
Alexa will say: I found a Denny’s store near Desert Inn and Eastern. Is that the store you want?
Your response: Yes.
Alexa will say: Denny’s, Desert Inn is open from 8 am to 10 pm.
Ask About Sports
You can ask Alexa for the latest scores of your favorite sports teams and even the latest stats of your favorite players! Here is an example:
Command: Alexa, what is the Eagles’ score?
Alexa will say: On Monday, October 5th, the Eagles beat the 49ers 25 to 20 at the Levi’s Stadium. The Eagles’ next game is against the Steelers on Monday, October 12th at Heinz Field.
Command: How many goals did Messi score?
Alexa will say: This season, Lionel Messi has scored one goal for Barcelona in La Liga.
Read E-Books for You
You can ask Alexa to read your eBooks as long as they are in your Amazon Kindle account. They must have been purchased and not uploaded from your computer for it to work.
More Funny Things to Ask Alexa
In the hopes of ending these tips and tricks on a highly entertaining note, watch this YouTube video for more things to say and funny things to ask Alexa.
Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed learning about all these funny things to ask Alexa and try using them whether you’re just bored or in dire need of some entertainment. But don’t stop here. Keep exploring and trying out new things, most of which you can discover from your Alexa app!
If you’ve discovered any other funny encounters with Alexa, share them with us in the comments section!
