The Amazon Echo is a great smart speaker. It can connect to a number of smart home devices, and let you control them with voice; it can play your music for you, set alarms, and remind you about things you ask it to. Plus, you can augment it’s abilities by enabling Alexa Skills, from within the Alexa app, along with all the cool tricks it can do. So, wouldn’t it be great, if you could have a portable Amazon Echo inside your very phone? If you’re looking for a way to have Amazon Alexa’s smarts inside your, iPhone, or Android device, or even a Mac, here’s how you can convert your iPhone, Mac, or Android device into a portable Amazon Echo:
Use Reverb to Get Alexa in Your Devices
Reverb for Amazon Alexa is an app (available on iOS, macOS, and Android), that puts Alexa inside your devices. You will need an Amazon account for the app to work, and it is capable of sending your requests to Alexa, and even working with the Alexa app, in order to allow you to see response cards, timers, and more. If you’ve enabled skills on your Amazon Echo, they will automatically work with Reverb, as well. Simply follow the steps below to get started with Alexa on your favourite devices:
- Download Reverb for Amazon Alexa from the Play Store, iTunes, or the App Store, and install it.
- When you launch the app, you will have to sign in before you can use Alexa on your devices.
- Once that is done, you’ll be taken to the main interface of the app. You can simply tap and hold (or click and hold on a Mac), to get Alexa to listen to you.
- After you’ve spoken the command out, simply let go of the button, and Alexa will start processing it, and provide you with the appropriate response.
Just like on the Echo, you can get Reverb to perform all of the things that the Echo can do; and if you’ve enabled any Skills in your Alexa app, they will work via Reverb, as well. The Reverb app on Android comes with a hamburger menu, that has options for getting help with using the app, as well as section that displays your alarms and timers.
While the Timers and Alarms feature works on the iPhone version of the app, as well, there is no dedicated section to view it. On an iPhone, you will have to launch the Alexa companion app to view your timers, and alarms.
The Reverb app on the Mac is even more watered down. You just sign in, and you can click and hold on the button to speak. The commands are processed when you let go of the mouse, and Reverb provides the appropriate response. However, there is no other option in the app, and you will have to completely rely on the Alexa website to view your timers, alarms, shopping lists and more.
Other Apps to Get Alexa on Your Devices
There are a number of other apps that you can use to get Alexa on your devices. Especially on an iPhone you can use apps like Ava (iOS), Astra (iOS) and more to get Alexa working. Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of options for the same, when it comes to Android devices (Alexa Listens is one that is available for free), and Macs. Reverb is still possibly the best way to go about getting Alexa working on your iPhone, Mac, or Android device, allowing you to use it as a remote Amazon Echo.
SEE ALSO: Google Home vs Amazon Echo: Google Assistant Takes on Alexa
Use Alexa on Your iPhone, Mac, and Android Devices
With apps like Reverb, that put the power of Alexa on your portable devices, you can easily use your iPhone, or Android device as a portable Amazon Echo, and since Reverb integrates seamlessly with everything that you’ve enabled in the Alexa app with your Amazon Echo, you can use every single Alexa Skill that you want to use, directly from your phone. This can come in exceptionally handy, if you’re out and about, and need to ensure that the lights in your living room are off. Simply pull your phone out, and ask Alexa to turn off the living room lights, and it will do it. There are a lot more use cases for having a portable Amazon Echo in your pocket, and if you’re a heavy user of Alexa, you’ll definitely find these apps useful, as well.
As always, we would like to know your thoughts on Amazon Echo, Alexa, and other AI powered assistants that we’re seeing these days. Also, if you know of any other app that lets you put Alexa on your iPhone, Mac, or Android devices, do let us know about it in the comments section below.
Abubakar Mohammed
