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Few people realize Alexa can send a virtual hug. It’s a neat little feature, a surprise that can improve someone’s day. If you own an Echo device, consider trying it out. It’s quick, fun, and may even make you smile.
Why Send a Virtual Hug?
Sometimes you just want to show someone extra care as you go through your daily routine. Perhaps your best friend is having a bad day, or you wish to remind your grandma you are thinking of her. A virtual hug offers a simple, easy way to do this. It’s a cute little gesture.
This is also a good option when distance prevents real hugs. If you have family in another country or even nearby, this can be a sweet way to stay connected. It’s fully hands-free, so you can send a hug while you cook, work orcan’t find your phone.
What Is a Virtual Hug?
A virtual hug is exactly what it sounds like—Alexa sends a virtual hug on your behalf to anotherEcho device. When you say “Alexa, send a hug,” she will ask whom you want to send it to. The receiver then gets a notification on their Echo or Alexa app, to inform them you sent a virtual hug.
If your contacts don’t show up on Alexa, don’t worry—she can guide you through setting it up, which can be done in a breeze.
How to Set It Up
If you get notified that you need to get this setup, you’ll need to open your Alexa app and sync your contacts.
To do this, open the app and start selecting the hamburger menu located in the lower menu bar, and “Communicate.”
Next, select the contacts icon in the upper right corner. You’ll get a message asking if you’d like to allow access to your contacts. Select “Yes” and “Allow:” After that, you’re good to go! Alexa will show you your synced contact lists with everyone already connected with Alexa.
All your contacts that have blue checkmarks next to their name can receive calls, messages, and hugs from you from their app on their Echo devices.
There’s More to Alexa
There’s a lot more to Alexa than just finding out about the weather or sending virtual hugs. Alexa has aton of hidden commandsthat you may not even know about. You can also ask Alexa other things (she can be surprisingly wholesome), such as:
“Alexa, drop a beat.”
I tried out this command with Alexa, and it made me realize that a bot can beatbox better than me! You’ll be pleasantly surprised when you ask Alex to drop a beat, and it can definitely be a quick one to entertain your friends and family.
If you enjoy hearing her voice, you can also use the command “Alexa, sing for me.” After listening to her sing, you can’t say she doesn’t have a good sense of rhythm—Alexa seems to be a pro at rhyming. Turns out, Alexa also has aSanta Claus voice.
“Alexa, flatter me.”
If you want a little ego boost, you may ask Alexa to flatter you or give you a compliment. In any case, it’s a fun and playful way to brighten your mood—without any strings attached. Here are a couple of responses I got when I asked Alexa to flatter me:
“Alexa, cheer me up.”
If you’re having a bad day and need cheering up, you’re able to ask “Alexa, cheer me up,” or you can ask “Alexa, tell me something positive.” She’ll give you a different option each time to brighten your day. Here are a couple of responses I got when I used the command:
OK, I thought the last one was quite humorous. You never know what response you’ll get, butAlexa always has something up her sleeveto bring a smile to your face.
Beyond Voice Commands
It doesn’t just end there—Alexa never stops providing you with information and entertainment, or just helping you get through your day.Alexa Skillsare voice-activated apps that allow you to do a lot more than the default Alexa commands, so you can communicate with Alexa to controlsmart home devices, play podcasts, and games.
Apopular game on Alexais “Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock”, which became popular after it was played on the TV show “The Big Bang Theory.”
Amazon Echo Studio
Elevate your audio with the Amazon Echo Studio. This premium smart speaker delivers immersive 3D sound, Dolby Atmos support, and Alexa’s smart capabilities for music, smart home control, and more.
Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen Smart Speaker
Compact and stylish, the Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen Smart Speaker delivers crisp sound and Alexa’s smart features. Perfect for music, smart home control, and voice assistance in any room. Small size, big functionality.
Is this feature life-changing? No. But it’s one of those small, fun things that can make someone smile. And sometimes, that’s all you need. If that’s not enough, you can alwayslearn about other features that Alexa hasto take advantage of.
