Can Alexa Read Your Cell Text Messages?

March 01, 2022 Post a Comment

Dorsum in April 2016, I recommended a third-party skill chosenSMS With Molly that would let you ship text messages with your Alexa speaker. Sort of. Information technology was a workaround that, technically, worked. Youcould text a few contacts with some predefined letters. Only the texts wouldn't come from your telephone number.

And that'due south but one of the workarounds. You could also apply IFTTT to send preset text messages to friends and family.

Every bit of yesterday, though, you tin directlysend text messages using Alexa. At that place's a catch, withal. It only works with Android phones (running Version 5.0 or afterwards) and Amazon explained at that place's no plan to expand to iOS anytime before long.

Head to the Conversations department of the Alexa app on your Android device to get everything set up.

Screenshot by Andrew Gebhart/CNET

If you lot take an Android phone, hither's how you can set upward SMS with Alexa.

Open the Alexa app.
Open the Conversations tab.
If the app is updated, a pop-upwards volition appear, explaining the new SMS feature. TapGet to my profile.
- If you don't run into this, you can go to your contour past tapping theContactsicon in the upper correct (adjacent to the compose button) and selectingMy Profile at the top of your contacts lists.
NetherPermissions tap the toggle next toTransport SMS to enable it.
TapOK to continue.
TapAllow to give Alexa access to send and view SMS messages.

Similar voice calling with Alexa, this feature volition let y'all text most US numbers, excluding 911. You also will not be able to send SMS to groups or send MMS.

Now playing: Lookout this: Alexa introduces vocalisation calling and messaging

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SMS with Alexa differs from the previously launched messaging feature in that this isn't Echo-to-Echo messaging and information technology'southward non sending voice messages. Instead, these are text-to-voice communication text messages that recipients will receive on their phone, from your phone number. This too means you lot volition not receive messages -- and they will not exist read back to you -- on the Alexa speaker.

As well, sending SMS with Alexa only works with specific Alexa devices: the Echo, Repeat Dot ($20 at Amazon), Echo Spot ($130 at Amazon), Repeat Plus ($80 at Amazon) or Echo Show ($34 at Amazon).

To ship a message with Alexa, you can say things like: