How to set up reminders, timers, and lists with Alexa

With your Echo device, you can set up reminders so Alexa will notify you when there’s a task or appointment. Create an alarm and use Alexa to wake up in the morning or alert you when a message arrives. Set timers for everything from an egg to a race. You can even add items to your to-do list or shopping list.

Alexa will assist you with reminders, alarms, timers, and to-do lists through any Echo device as well as many third-party Alexa devices. You can also perform some of these feats through the Alexa mobile app on your mobile device. Let’s start with reminders.

Remind

Reminders act as short-term alarms that can help you remember certain activities or events. When a reminder is due, Alexa will click “This is your reminder,” and then she tells you twice.

One downside is that the prompt only mutes the sound on the Echo device you set it. So if you have more than one Echo, make sure you set a reminder on the one you use most often. For backup, reminders also appear on your mobile device via the Alexa app.

Here’s how to set up reminders on your Echo device and in the Alexa app.

Set up reminders on Echo devices

There are several ways to set up reminders with Alexa. Say: “Alexa, create a new reminder,” at which point Alexa will ask you what the reminder is.

Tell her what it is, such as “go to the dentist,” “start doing the laundry,” or “start cooking dinner.” Alexa then asks you for the date and time. You can say something like: “Today at 3 p.m”, “Tomorrow at 4 p.m” or “July 10 at 10 is”.

You can also provide all the details of the reminder in one shot, like: “Alexa, remind me to go to the dentist today at 2:30 p.m.”

Set up reminders in the Alexa app

Alternatively, you can set up reminders through the Alexa app. To do this, open the app and tap the hamburger icon (). Select the entry for Reminders & Alarms. If you have more than one Echo device, click the current device at the top and select the Echo you want to set and hear the prompt. In the Reminders section, tap Add reminder.

Create reminders in the Alexa app

Fill in the appropriate fields with the reminder itself, the date, time, and the Echo device you want to hear the reminder. Click Save to save the Reminder.

Check Reminders

You can check your reminders at any time. Say: “Alexa, what is my reminder?” and she will read them to you. You can also check the Reminders section in the Alexa app to see them.

Delete reminders by saying, “Alexa, delete [reminder name]” or all reminders by saying: “Alexa, delete all reminders.”

Alarm

You can use Alexa to replace the traditional alarm clock by setting up alarms. When the alarm goes off, your Echo device will play the sound you set up. You can say: “Alexa, stop” to turn it off, or “Alexa, snooze” to delay the alarm for nine minutes.

Set alarm

You can set the alarm for a specific date and time. Say: “Alexa, set the alarm.” Alexa asks you for the date and time and then sets the alarm after you provide the details. You can also include information in a single shot. Say: “Alexa, set the alarm for 10:45 a.m. today” or “Alexa, set the alarm for 8 a.m. tomorrow.”

You can request a recurring alarm to go off every day, on specific weekdays, or every weekend. Say: “Alexa, set a recurring alarm for 7 a.m. every Monday.”

View and edit alarms

You can monitor your alarms by asking, “Alexa, what are my alarms?” Check the Alarms section in the Alexa app to review your existing alarms or create new ones. Tap a specific alarm to change the time, change the sound, modify the interval, or delete it.

You can even set the alarm to trigger a certain piece of music instead of the usual alarm tone. Delete an alarm by saying: “Alexa, delete [alarm time]” or delete all alarms by saying: “Alexa, clear all alarms. ”

Stopwatch

Don’t use the microwave as an egg timer anymore. Instead, use Alexa. When you set up a timer on your Echo device, Alexa will ring the bell and let you know the countdown has reached zero. Say: “Alexa, turn off the timer” or just “Alexa, stop” to turn it off.

Set the timer

You can create a named timer to schedule multiple timers at once. Say: “Alexa, set an egg timer for 3 minutes” if you are boiling eggs, or “Alexa, set a wash timer for 30 minutes.” Your timers appear in the Timers section of the Alexa app, where you can pause or cancel each one or change its volume.

You can also ask, “Alexa, what is my timer?” and she will give you the name and countdown of your current timer. Want to clear a timer? Ask Alexa to cancel or pause a specific timer, or cancel them all in one command.

To-do list

You can create a shopping list or a general to-do list to help you organize all the tasks in your life. They can be created by voice, and Alexa can count the items back for you. The to-do lists you create can also be edited inside the Alexa app.

Create a to-do list on an Echo device

Add something to your to-do list by speaking directly to Alexa. Say something like: “Alexa, add milk to my shopping list” or “Alexa, add a mechanic’s car to my to-do list.” You can then say, “Alexa, what’s on my shopping list” or “Alexa, what’s on my to-do list,” and Alexa rummages through the items on this list. You can tell Alexa to remove a specific item from the list.

Create a to-do list in the Alexa app

You can check out both shopping lists and to-do lists in the Alexa app. Open the app, tap the hamburger icon, then tap the List entry. Swipe the item to the right to mark it as complete.

Items can also be moved between your shopping list and to-do list.

In either list, swipe a specific item to the left and tap the More icon. You can now search Amazon for that item. Tap Remove to remove the item from the list. Add an item to the list by tapping the plus icon in the upper right.

Third-party to-do list skills

Want more options and power to maintain a to-do list? You can engage third-party to-do services, like Any.do or Todoist that are more powerful than Alexa’s built-in work skills. From the Alexa app, tap the hamburger icon and then select Skills & Games.

Search by tapping the search icon in the upper right corner. Enter the word list in the field for the keyword or skill name. From the search results, tap the list of skills or just list. You can now browse through list-related skills and make lists.

One more skill

With AnyList, Cozi List, or Picniic, you must enable the skill in the Alexa app. You must then create or log in with an account for that service to use the skill. With skills like Any.do and Todoist, you’ll be asked to leave the Alexa app and set up access to a third-party app.

Once you’ve set up an account with any of the services on a third-party list, you can ask Alexa to add an item to your shopping or to-do list, and Alexa will use the service in that case.