How to get local information from your smart speaker

Amazon Alexa has more capabilities than playing music and managing smart home devices. You can ask Alexa to create reminders, set alarms, check calendar events, use Voice Shopping to order and track stuff from Amazon, and even get local information. The latter is quite helpful to check the local news and weather, look up sports schedules, explore new nearby restaurants, and find traffic details by using voice commands.

Here’s how you can get local information from Amazon Alexa.

How to set your location on an Amazon Echo smart speaker

Before we show you how to get local information from Alexa, you should set the correct location for your Echo device. First, download the Alexa app from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android). The Alexa mobile app is the go-to solution to manage your Echo device like a pro.

1. Open Alexa on your phone.
2. Go to the Devices tab.
3. Select your Echo device.

4. Tap the Settings gear in the upper-right corner.
5. Scroll to Device Location.

6. Set your current location and tap the Save button.

How to find movies playing near you with your Amazon Echo smart speaker

You can ask Alexa to find nearby theaters screening the latest Thor movie or Top Gun: Maverick. Here are some popular Alexa commands to use to find movie info:

• “Alexa, what movies are playing nearby?”
• “Alexa, what action movies are playing Saturday?”
• “Alexa, what comedy movies are playing today?”

If you have an Amazon Echo Show, you can ask Alexa to play a trailer for an upcoming movie or TV show:

• “Alexa, watch the trailer for Stranger Things.”

Stay informed with Alexa

If you are not in the mood to switch news channels on TV, ask Alexa to get top stories from your preferred news source. Here’s how you can set your Alexa news preferences.

1. Open the Alexa app and slide to the More tab.
2. Select Settings.

3. Open News.
4. Tap My News Channels and choose your primary news sources.

You can now use the following commands to get the latest news:

• “Alexa, play news from CNN.”
• “Alexa, what’s happening with COVID-19?”
• “Alexa, what’s the news?”

Get local traffic updates from your Alexa device

Before you head out for an important meeting or to catch a flight, summon Alexa to get the required updates. First, you need to set commute preferences in Alexa.

1. Launch the Alexa mobile app and head to Settings (refer to the steps above).
2. Scroll to Commute.
3. Set your home and work locations (add a stop if you want), and select your preferred commute type and route preferences.

Now, use the following commands to get directions and updates when you travel to home, work, or other places:

• “Alexa, how’s my commute?”
• “Alexa, how’s traffic to T-Mobile Arena?”
• “Alexa, how do I get to the airport?”

Try local restaurants

Alexa can help you find nearby restaurants, post offices, and even the closest florist. Thanks to Alexa skills like Where the Truck and Lunch Time, you can find out where your favorite food trucks are and when they are serving. Here are some examples:

• “Alexa, recommend a Mexican restaurant nearby.”
• “Alexa, ask Lunch Time to search for Indian restaurants in Chicago within ten miles?”
• “Alexa, find a top-rated restaurant.”

Get the local weather forecast on your Amazon Echo smart display

Before you make any travel plans, ask Alexa to check the weather forecast for the weekend. You can also check the UV index and humidity levels for a specific day. Try these commands:

• “Alexa, what’s the temperature at 8 p.m. on Friday?”
• “Alexa, what’s the weather in Chicago this Sunday?”
• “Alexa, will it snow this weekend?”

Use your Echo smart speaker to check sports news

Did you miss yesterday’s Sunday Night Football game? You can ask Alexa the latest NFL score and even set a reminder for the next Packers game. From the Alexa app, you can follow your favorite teams to get the latest news and information.

1. Open the Alexa app and tap the More tab.
2. Expand the See More menu.

3. Select Things to Try.
4. Select News & Information.

5. Go to the Sports menu.
6. Tap Select Favorite Teams.
7. Tap the + icon.
8. Search for the team you follow and tap the Save button in the upper-right corner.

Alexa will notify you about match scores, headline news, and the upcoming schedule for your favorite teams. For example:

• “Alexa, when do Cowboys play next?”
• “Alexa, what’s the score of the Celtics game”?

Check financial news and market info on your Amazon Echo smart device

Alexa can be your perfect companion to keep you up to date on business and finance news. You can enable notifications for S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow Jones to receive alerts for substantial price changes, earning calls, and headline news.

1. Open the Alexa Settings on your phone.
2. Tap Finance.
3. Enable notifications for market indices or tap the + button and add more stocks or digital currencies.

You can try following commands to get the latest finance news:

• “Alexa, how did the Dow Jones do today?”
• “Alexa, what’s my market update?”
• “Alexa, what’s the current repo rate?”

Meet your new local source: Alexa

If Alexa has problems understanding your commands, go through our troubleshooting guide to fix the issue in no time. If you use Alexa frequently, we recommend upgrading your Amazon Echo Dot or Echo Studio to Echo Show 10 or Echo Show 15 for a superior experience.