You Can Now Broadcast Messages Across Amazon Echos with Alexa

So, for example, if you're preparing dinner for the whole family, an announcement could summon everyone to the dining room.

While this feature alone may not be enough to convince someone to buy a few extra Echo devices, it's certainly a clever use of the hardware and gives families one more reason to fill their home with smart speakers. This is essentially an upgrade on the existing two-way intercom functionality that has been available for a while, but now allows one-way communication only.

To create an Alexa Announcement, simply say "Alexa, announce", and then say your announcement aloud. You can also start the message with "Alexa, tell everyone..." or "Alexa, broadcast..." for the same result. It has chosen speakers from Junlam & Narui and one smart lamp from Adition in a bid to inspire others to use their designs to quickly produce their own take on Alexa-powered lighting devices.

The implementation is pretty straightforward and uses an RSS feed from the police into the Alexa skill. To learn more about Do Not Disturb, go here.

Does Alexa Announcements work everywhere? The latter could be accomplished using Alexa on your smartphone or directly from your auto if it has full Alexa integration (which is found in some newer vehicles like the recently announced 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback). However, any Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show, or Echo Spot should be ready to deliver your messages in the very near future.

Alexa Announcements are rolling out today to users in the USA and Canada. Third-party Alexa devices aren't included. The retailer's latest announcement may help drive home that fact. Amazon Key has also been updated with a new Entry and Exit Clips feature: With this feature, customers have the option to view motion video clips of a person entering or leaving when the door is locked or unlocked.