Gone are the days of creating grocery lists with paper and pen. Now, it’s all about using the power of one of the most helpful digital assistants on the market.
Did you know your Amazon Echo Show can add items to special lists just by scanning bar codes? Tap or click here for home inventory and organizational apps.
Tech makes preparing for any excursion a much less frustrating experience, but most people limit themselves to only the most popular features their tech offers. Don’t do that with your Echo Show. If you’ve got one, try this method of creating shopping lists. It’ll change your life!
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When you need to make a list, just say, “Alexa, scan this to my shopping list.” Your Echo Show device will then prompt you to hold the item’s bar code up to the camera so it can scan the label and add the item to your list.
Make sure you’re holding your item close enough to the camera and try to be steady. This will make the process go faster. Echo Show will scan the bar code and will add the item to your shopping list automatically.
It may have some difficulty adding things that aren’t from popular brands or labels, but if you have any issues, you can always add the product with simple voice commands instead. Here’s a quick video demonstrating how to use the voice command feature:
While it’s obvious the verbal command is faster, for those who are easily sidetracked, scanning items right before you throw the empty containers away can be helpful. This way, you don’t forget what you’re doing, and if Alexa doesn’t recognize the brand or product, you can input the information verbally right away.
While the scanner skill may not be the fastest method, it’s particularly handy when you’re not sure how to pronounce the name of a brand or product — especially the complicated names of medications.
The bar code scanner option is only available for Echo Show 5 and Echo Show 8. Already have an Echo Show? Tap or click here to make sure all of your privacy settings are up to date with your Echo Show model.
Other new skills include setting timers for specific Alexa devices using voice commands. Simply say, “Alexa, set an alarm for 7 a.m. on my bedroom Echo” or “Alexa, set a timer for 20 minutes on the Kitchen Echo.”
The Amazon family of devices can be particularly useful tools when it comes to organizing home tasks and controlling additional Alexa devices. Be sure to take advantage of all the cool shortcuts, like the aforementioned grocery list scanning option.
