Amazon has given Alexa users a new feature: The ability to change how fast the assistant talks and responds to questions.
You can now adjust Alexa on your Echo device so that the assistant either speaks normal, faster, or slower. There are seven different speeds in total, in fact. There's the default setting, as well as two that are slower and four that are faster.
Amazon is marketing this change as an accessibility feature. In a press release, Sarah Caplener, the head of Alexa for Everyone, claimed slower speeds can help those who are “hard of hearing" or are older, while the faster speeds are better for users "who are blind " or have "low vision", as they are used to consuming audio content more quickly". But we can see how the change might be useful to anyone.
Have you ever asked Alexa for some information and then been annoyed at how long it takes the assistant to read the results aloud? Sometimes it seems like it'd be faster if you looked up your query yourself. Now, with this feature, you can make Alexa less cumbersome. Here's how.
- Amazon is letting you stop humans reviewing your Alexa commands
- Amazon is teaching Alexa to help her answer more complex questions
How to change the speed of Alexa
It's easy. Simply say, “Alexa, speak slower” or “Alexa, speak faster." Keep doing this until you achieve a speed you prefer.
How to return Alexa to its default setting
If you hate the sound fo Alexa speaking fast or slow, just say, “Alexa, speak at your default rate.”
When will this feature be available?
It's rolling out from 7 August.
