X

This new Amazon Echo trick lets you make commands without speaking. Here's how

You won't have to shout at Alexa to get its attention anymore.

Katie Teague Writer II
Katie is a writer covering all things how-to at CNET, with a focus on Social Security and notable events. When she's not writing, she enjoys playing in golf scrambles, practicing yoga and spending time on the lake.
Expertise Personal Finance: Social Security and taxes
Katie Teague
2 min read
20200818-191057

Text Alexa what to do when you don't want to speak a command.

Eli Blumenthal/CNET

Gone are the days of speaking to Alexa vocally when you need to get something done on your Amazon Echo. Now, Amazon has just released a new feature that lets you interact with Alexa by typing your commands. For now, the feature is only available for iPhone and iPad users, but Amazon told CNET it's planning to add support for Android devices in the future.

Texting instead of speaking your command can be useful if you prefer to keep the microphone turned off on your Amazon Echo, but still want access to everything Alexa can do. It's also handy if you're in another room and don't want to shout a command at your Echo speaker.

To get started, open the Alexa app and tap the new Keyboard button in the top left corner of the screen. From here, you can type a command -- for example, "turn on the lights" or "play my favorite music." You can also search for something within the app from this screen. For example, if you're looking for a specific Alexa skill or trying to find the Alexa privacy settings.

Note that interacting with Alexa through text is part of a public preview and is still in beta, so you might encounter a glitch. The new feature is rolling out to users, so you may need to check back to try it out.

For more Amazon Echo tips, check out these four new Alexa skills Amazon Echo just got. Also, here's how to fix the most annoying things Alexa does and how to turn your Fire TV into a larger Amazon Echo Show.

Watch this: Amazon Echo Dot (4th gen) review: Dot, Dot, Dot...