Enable Alexa Skills

Skills are voice-driven capabilities that enhance the functionality of your Alexa device. For example, you can enable skills that allow your device to play math and trivia games with you or tell you about upcoming concerts in your city.

You can search for and enable skills in the Alexa app or from the Alexa Skills store on the website. To use an Alexa skill, first enable the skill, and then make your request based on the example phrases shown in the app. If you know the exact name of the skill you want, you can say, "Enable [skill name] skill." Some skills may require you to link to an existing account and a separate subscription in order to use the skill.

Note: For information about setting up or using a smart home skill, go to Connect a Smart Home Device to Alexa.

To enable a skill in the Alexa app:

1. From the Menu, select Skills.
2. Use the search bar to enter keywords or select Categories to browse through skill categories.
3. When you see a skill you want to use, select Enable Skill.

To enable skills from the Alexa Skills store on the website, go to https://www.amazon.com/skills.

After you enable a skill, you can ask Alexa to open and use it. For example, say, "Open [skill name]." There may be different or additional instructions for using the skill. You can refer to the skill's detail page to learn more, or say, "[Skill name] help." When you no longer want to use a skill say, "Disable [skill name] skill," or select Disable in the Alexa app.

Interested in developing skills for Alexa?

With the Alexa Skills Kit, you can take advantage of the speech processing capabilities of Alexa to build interactive skills. For more information, visit our developer website.