Amazon has now enabled a new piece of UI in the Alexa app that allows users to share Routines with a straightforward link. That’s according to recent reports following an official announcement from Amazon.
For clarity, Routines are sets of instructions carried out by Alexa all at once with a single command. Or when conditions for the Routine are met. For instance, users might have an Alexa Routine set up that turns on exterior lights at a certain time of day. Or they might have a morning Alexa Routine that turns on the coffee maker and the bathroom lights.
Now, users can set up their Routines as normal. But they’ll also be able to share those, making the AI features much more accessible.
So you want to share Alexa Routines via link?
Sharing routines with a link — or using one — is a fairly simple process for Alexa users. In fact, each only takes a few steps to accomplish.
To share an Alexa Routine;
- Open the Alexa app
- Navigate to Routines via the menu icon in the top-left corner of the UI
- Select an Alexa Routine, or create and then select an Alexa Routine
- Click the newly added share button
- Choose to share the Alexa Routine by text, email, or social media
- The Alexa app will create the link and share it via that method
To use Alexa Routines received through a link;
- Select the shared link on a mobile device with the Alexa app installed
- Follow the on-screen instructions to set up the Alexa Routine
For the set-up process, users will be presented with options that are shown in a yellow-colored string of text. Those are optional fields. So, for example, users might be able to choose specific smart devices the Routine will interact with via those fields.
How might this be useful?
The most obvious use case for shareable Routines isn’t difficult to ascertain. Namely, this will allow tech-savvy users to share complex sets of instructions with other users who may not be as well-versed in the technology. For example, users might set one up that turns up the lights, delivers a medication reminder, and then plays the most recent news on a smart speaker. That type of routine might be particularly useful to an elder family member.
With the update, users will be able to create those routines and then simply send them over. And that should drastically cut down on the complications involved in setting up a routine.