The Top 10 Most Searched For [But Highly Rated] Alexa Skills
Looking for new Skills to add to Alexa? Or just curious what's available? We looked at [Real] search data and analyzed customer ratings to come up with this top 10 list of Amazon Alexa Skills.
Just because a skill is searched for a lot doesn't mean it works well. So we wanted to make sure customer ratings are taken into account as well.
If you see one that you'd like to try just say, "Alexa, Enable [skill name]".
1. Sleep Sounds
The Sleep and Relaxation Sounds Alexa skill has over 17,000 reviews, with almost 90% of those reviewers giving it 5 stars. By far, one of the most searched for, and highly rated skills for Alexa devices.
Over 100 sounds are available (some are free), and you have the option to set it to a timer for auto shut off.
The developers, Voice Apps, LLC, have added a new Guided Sleep feature, that helps you relax and get ready to sleep via breathing and meditation exercises.
"This is a great app that is useful for sleep, but also for background sounds when studying, writing, or reading. Really you can use it for anything. I've had the birds playing while cleaning the house instead of music."
2. Ambient Sounds
The Ambient Noise Skill by developers at Invoked Apps LLC, plays a number of looping sounds to help you concentrate, relax or fall asleep. Similar to Sleep Sounds, you can also tell Alexa to set a timer if you want the noise to stop in, say, 2 hours from now.
You can also say 'Random' to let Alexa choose a sound for you.
A variety of sounds are available, from thunderstorms and oceans to crickets to dishwasher sounds.
With a premium subscription, you can mix any 2 sounds together to play at the same time, you get higher audio quality, and your sounds will play for more than 1 hour without interruption.
"The next thing I know it's morning! I wake up feeling refreshed. I let the skill loop all night so that if either of us awakens, we will return to sleep quickly."
3. Xbox
Believe it or not, Xbox is a highly searched for Alexa skill. This skill has over 28,000 reviews, with over 60% of them averaging 5 stars.
With it, Xbox One owners are able to control all sorts of things via voice.
Turn it on and off, start and stop specific games, control volume and even start up other apps like Netflix.
"I love this feature sooo much, and use it daily. instead of having to turn on my xbox controller everytime i want to pause a show or turn off the console, I can simply just tell alexa to do it."
4. Night Light
This Alexa skill enables a soft, pulsating light from your official Echo and Echo dot devices. You can tell Alexa to enable for a specific amount of time if you want it to shut off in the middle of the night.
"Night Light is a 5 Star Skill because it does exactly what it's description says it will do. It's simple but it's effective."
5. Alarm
Probably not a surprise that users are searching for Alarm skills for Alexa. Well, the Get Me Up skill is taking the alarm a step further.
Not feeling like getting out of bed today? Say 'Alexa, get me up' and she'll keep bugging you until you tell her to stop.
"Interesting and annoying enough to actually make me get up 70% of the time, but not so annoying that it makes me want to disable the skill."
6. Weather
Our pick for 'weather' searches is the official Weather Channel skill. With over 1,200 reviews, averaging 4 stars, it should cover most of your general weather forecast needs.
Tell Alexa to open Weather Channel and you ask for things like the temperature, precipitation and even pollen forecasts.
For owners of Echo Show devices, there's even a visual radar feature.
"The forecast gets to the key weather info right away and highlights the most noteworthy part of the forecast. I would recommend it."
7. Smart TV
'Samsung', 'Samsung tv' and 'Smart TV' are highly searched for Alexa Skills, but we can't recommend the official Samsung Alexa skill based on poor user reviews.
So we recommend trying the Smart TV Remote skill instead.
In order for it to work you'll need to first download the app of the same name from the Android app store to your phone. Go through the setup process, syncing your TV, within the app.
Then sync the app to your Echo Device. Once complete you'll be able to turn your TV on and off and change the volume via voice control through your Echo device.
"Finally found something that works with my Samsung TV. Voice commands are a little lengthy but it gets the job done. This is the only smart controller that will adjust volume, turn the TV on, and change channels."
8. Spotify
Spotify is used by millions of people everyday to stream their favorite music, so no surprise that 'spotify' is a highly searched Alexa Skill. There seems to be a bit of mixed messaging on this one though. While there is an official Spotify Alexa skill listed on Amazon, some reviewers have stated that you don't need to enable a skill for this.
As stated here from Spotify themselves, just go to the Settings area of the Alexa app on your phone and select Music. You'll add your Spotify login details there and you should be able to control music playback via voice.
9. Ring
Here's one for those of you who own a Ring doorbell, cameras or smart lights for your home. With a Ring Doorbell, you're able to view who's at your door, and even respond, right from your phone or computer.
Enabling the Ring skill for Alexa will allow you to hear and/or see camera activity by using Alexa commands. If you have an Echo Show device, video is streamed to it when someone rings the doorbell.
We touched on Alexa Routines here in this article, but Ring can be part of your daily routines set up in the Alexa app. Like having a Ring Smart Light turn on at the same time each day, for example.
"Thank you for the most recent update that now allows us to talk to our Ring doorbells. The most recent update announces on all my Echo devices when someone pushes my doorbell and I can then answer the Ring on my Echo Spot."
10. Radio
Not everyone uses services like Amazon Music or Spotify. For those that like to listen to terrestrial radio stations from around the country, there's Radio.com. The Radio.com Alexa skill is our pick for the highly searched for term of 'radio'. Can't get any more general than that search!
"Figured it out !!!! Now a 2 step process.... You must first ask Alexa to open "radio.com"....She responds with "what station do you wish to hear"?.... tell her the station and if it is in her memory bank, she will play it...."
