We want to do everything we can to support you during these unprecedented times and our teams are working to make Alexa and Amazon Devices (Kindle, Fire tablets, Echo, Fire TV, and more) even more helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic. We'll continue to update this page with new information.
Stay well
We are building experiences to help you better protect your health.
We are building experiences to help you better protect your health.
- Sony Music has launched a 'Hand Wash Tunes' Skill for Alexa. Featuring custom musical timers recorded by a range of international artists including Scouting For Girls, The Rainbow Collections, SAYGRACE, and more, the skill brings some fun and entertainment to the hygiene practices that have become a habitual part of daily life—while ensuring users wash their hands for the recommended twenty seconds. To get started, just say, "Alexa, open Hand Wash Tunes."
- Alexa has a new "Focus Time" routine that can help you keep a study or work session on track by playing 30 minutes of focus music. You can easily enable the routine in the Alexa app.
- Using guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada, customers in Canada can ask Alexa to check their symptoms of COVID-19 at home. Just ask, "Alexa, what is my risk of getting the coronavirus?" Or, if you’re speaking to Alexa in French, "Alexa, quel est le risque de contracter le coronavirus?" and Alexa will ask a series of questions about your symptoms and possible exposure. Based on your responses, Alexa will provide the Public Health Agency of Canada guidance that matches your risk level and symptoms.
- Using guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and measures published by Mexican authorities, customers in Mexico can ask Alexa to check their symptoms of COVID-19 at home. Plus, you can ask Alexa about the daily numbers of COVID-19 cases in Mexico, the latest news, and updated local measures.
- Using guidance from Brazil's Ministry of Health, customers in Brazil can ask Alexa to check their symptoms of COVID-19 at home. You can also ask for the nearest public hospital and for additional information about COVID-19—including how to protect yourself and your family. Alexa will respond through a new skill developed by the Eldorado Research Institute that uses information from the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital, a renowned health institution in Brazil.
- We’'re continuing to add new Alexa skills and experiences to keep you informed. Just ask, “Alexa, how do I make a face mask?” to hear the Center for Disease Control’s recommendation for making a face covering at home with a bandana, coffee filter, scissors, and two rubber bands. Alexa provides step-by-step instructions.
- Using guidance from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), customers in India can use Alexa to check their symptoms for COVID-19 at home. Ask, "Alexa, what do I do if I think I have coronavirus?" or "Alexa, how do I know if I have coronavirus?" Alexa will ask a series of questions and provide ICMR and Ministry of Health guidance given risk level and symptoms. Learn more this and other experiences available in India.
- Using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, our Alexa health team built a U.S. experience that lets you use Alexa to check your risk level for COVID-19 at home, using just your voice. Ask, "Alexa, what do I do if I think I have COVID-19?" or "Alexa, what do I do if I think I have coronavirus?," and Alexa will ask a series of questions about your travel history, symptoms, and possible exposure. Based on your responses, Alexa will provide CDC guidance given your risk level and symptoms. Spanish-speaking customers in the U.S. can also ask Alexa: "Alexa, qué puedo hacer si pienso que tengo coronavirus?"
- Two new Alexa routines can help you adjust to new schedules. The “Stay at Home” routine starts your day with a fun fact, notifies you to grab lunch and plan dinner. The “Work from Home” routine notifies you when it’s time to start work, when to get up and stretch, and when to start wrapping up for the day. Each routine can be easily enabled through the Alexa app.
- Customers in the U.S. can now ask Alexa for tips to clean and disinfect surfaces in their home by simply saying, "Alexa, give me tips for cleaning."
- In Japan, you can also use Alexa to check your risk level at home. Based on your responses, Alexa will provide Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare guidance matching your risk level and symptoms. Learn more about this and other experiences available in Japan.
- Customers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, India, the UK, and the U.S. can now ask Alexa to sing a song for 20 seconds, and she’ll help you keep time while you scrub your hands with a tune.
Stay informed
Alexa can now answer tens of thousands of questions related to COVID-19 in countries around the world, and we are working to provide accurate and timely information from official government and news sources globally.
Alexa can now answer tens of thousands of questions related to COVID-19 in countries around the world, and we are working to provide accurate and timely information from official government and news sources globally.
- To help our customers stay informed in Brazil, Alexa can now offer information on public digital services from the Ministry of Economy.
- Ask Alexa to open the Mayo Clinic Answers on COVID-19 skill to get guidance about COVID-19 from experts at Mayo Clinic and the CDC including information about symptoms, prevention, coping, treatment, and more.
- Customers in India can now use the Bangalore City Police Alexa skill to ask questions on what you can and cannot do during the lockdown, numbers to call during emergencies, and generic questions ranging from curfew pass to availability of medicines. Enable the skill by saying: "Alexa, open Bangalore city police" or "Alexa, open Bengaluru city police.” You can then ask things like, "Alexa, what is the Medical Helpline number?" or “Alexa, what kind of shops are open?”
- Now, when you ask for information related to hours, open/closure, or delivery/takeout for local businesses and restaurants, Alexa will proactively offer to call the business so that you can confirm hours before leaving or, if available, order takeout or delivery.
- NBC News will be streaming a Kids Edition of "Nightly News with Lester Holt" twice a week, watch for free in the NBC News app on Fire TV.
- For the latest news, customers in the U.S. can use Fire TV devices to access coverage of COVID-19 from apps that do not require a subscription, such as CBS News, Fox News, NBC News, and the News app. Just say "Alexa, play the news."
- On Echo Show devices, U.S., customers can ask, "Alexa, play news from CBS," to get the latest from the CBS News Live feed.
- Get information about special store hours, such as adjustments to regular store opening or closing times and store closures, by asking, "Alexa, what are the hours for Whole Foods?"
Stay connected
We are working on ways to keep you connected and empower you to support your community in this time of crisis.
We are working on ways to keep you connected and empower you to support your community in this time of crisis.
- Customers in the U.S. can now set reminders to play across all their Alexa devices. Simply go to the Alexa app and choose "All devices" when creating an individual reminder or enable it for all reminders by going to Settings > Reminders and opting into "Announce on all devices."
- You can ask Alexa to set a reminder to cheer at 8pm and show support for workers in your area. Just say "Alexa, remind me to cheer at 8pm" and Alexa will start virtually clapping when it's time.
- Customers can now use group Drop In to instantly connect all of their Echo devices into a group conversation. Simply say, "Alexa, drop in on all devices" to start an audio intercom call to have conversations like "what should we have for dinner?" or "does anyone want anything from the grocery store?"
- You can easily share photos with your Alexa contacts from your Echo Show and the Alexa app. Now, when someone shares a photo with you, you can send a reaction back by choosing one of three animated emoji options, including "laugh," "love," and "wow."
- Let your friends and family know you are thinking of them by sending a hug. Customers in the U.S., can say, "Alexa, send a hug" to share a virtual hug with any of their Alexa contacts.
- In the U.S., you can now say, "Alexa, call the coronavirus helpline" to get connected with your state's local public resource line.
- You can use Alexa video calling to stay connected to friends and family near or far using compatible Echo devices, the Alexa app, or Skype. Just say, "Alexa, call Dad." You can also use Drop In to check on your kids throughout the day. Simply say, "Alexa, drop in on the living room."
- Video calling and Drop-In are available on the Alexa App or an Echo Show device. Learn how to remotely set up a device for your loved ones.
- In the U.S., you can make cash donations to Feeding America's COVID-19 response fund, Save the Children, and the American Red Cross using just your voice. From any Alexa-enabled device, simply say: "Alexa, make a donation to the COVID-19 response fund" to donate to Feeding America, or "Alexa, make a donation to Save the Children."
- In France, Germany, Spain, and the UK, customers can make monetary donations to the Red Cross through localized Alexa skills, using just their voice. In Italy, customers can make monetary donations through the Protezione Civile skill for Alexa.
- Customers can now make donations to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization (WHO), powered by the UN Foundation. Simply say, "Alexa, make a donation to the United Nations Foundation."
- Ask Alexa to schedule a blood donation with the American Red Cross by saying, "Alexa, open Red Cross Blood."
- Ring announced The Neighbor Pledge, which allows you to pledge your support—as an individual or as part of a group—to local businesses or service providers in your community. For example, if you normally visit a neighborhood cafe every morning and spend $3 but can no longer swing by because of the pandemic, you can pledge $3 a day to that café until you can return. Learn more.
- Stay remotely connected to the classroom and your coursework by linking your Blackboard, Canvas, Coursera, Kickboard, or Parent Square account to an Alexa-enabled device. Then ask, "Alexa, what assignments do I have due on Friday?," or, "Alexa, are there any updates from school?" Learn more.
Stay entertained
We—like many of you—are looking for things to do at home with our families and loved ones. Around the world, we have been working quickly to provide easy access to educational and entertaining content across Amazon devices and services.
We—like many of you—are looking for things to do at home with our families and loved ones. Around the world, we have been working quickly to provide easy access to educational and entertaining content across Amazon devices and services.
- Stream “Maisel Mondays” on Fire TV every week at 3pm PST/6pm EST, a weekly Amazon Live with the cast of Prime Video’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Watch live on the Amazon Shopping app and join the Twitter Watch Party as you stream. Learn a new skill with free MasterClass episodes on Fire TV from some of the world’s best chefs, writers, actors, and entrepreneurs. Discover the videos on Fire TV’s #AtHome landing page or on the YouTube app.
- Amazon Music announced Daily Music Pick, a new Alexa skill in which artists provide customers with daily music recommendations. Just say “Alexa, play the Daily Music Pick” and each day a new artist will select a song, album, or playlist that they’ve been enjoying at home. Starting on May 15, Amazon Music customers in the U.S. will hear from Latin superstar Bad Bunny, followed by additional artists including Pete Wentz, Kelsea Ballerini, Brendan Benson, and more.
- It’s now easier than ever to discover thousands of free movies, TV shows, news and more with the new “free” tab at the top navigation of the Fire TV menu. Within the Free tab, customers can easily browse a curated selection of free content from apps like IMDb TV, Pluto TV, Crackle, and more.
- Customers can now tune in to new episodes of Some Good News with John Krasinski where he shares uplifting stories from around the world. Fire TV and Fire Tablet customers can discover the episodes on the #AtHome landing pages found on their device homepages.
- New and existing Fire TV and Fire tablet owners in the U.S. can now redeem a complimentary one-year subscription to the Food Network Kitchen app. Take a live or on-demand cooking class, browse over 80,000 recipes, or stream ad-free Food Network series. Learn more.
- Starting May 15, customers can listen to iHeartMedia’s “Commencement: Speeches for the Class of 2020,” a podcast series featuring commencement addresses to celebrate and inspire high school and college graduates of 2020. The series will feature some of the most inspiring and accomplished thought leaders impacting today’s culture, including Abby Wambach, Chelsea Handler, David Chang, Jimmy Fallon, DJ Khaled, and more. To listen, just say "Alexa, play the podcast commencement speeches for the class of 2020."
- Sesame Street and Headspace launched a new meditation series for kids. Families with children can watch Cookie Monster and Elmo on the YouTube app on Fire TV.
- Watch Amazon Live for free, live-streamed content from your favorite influencers and celebrities, including at-home workouts with top fitness trainers like Tone It Up and Katie Austin, cooking demonstrations, Q&As, and a look Inside Making the Cut with Tim Gunn. There are new streams daily, which can be watched live or on-demand. Streams are available to anyone in the U.S. via the Amazon Shopping App on Fire TV, and Amazon Live on Fire tablet, desktop, and mobile. View the Amazon Live content calendar.
- Fire TV and Fire Tablet owners in the US can use the new ‘#AtHome’ destination to discover popular and new content including educational experiences, health & fitness apps, free movies, shows for the whole family, news and information, games that can be played without a console or controller, and much more. Content will be refreshed regularly.
- Prime Video is now streaming the top 30 MLB games from 2019, as well as nearly 80 NBA Hardwood Classics. Prime members in the US looking to for their sports fix can watch on Fire TV, Fire Tablet, and Echo Show, as well as anywhere else Prime Video is available.
- Fire tablet owners will be able to participate in the World Health Organization’s #PlayApartTogether campaign, which encourages social distancing through the joys of gaming.
- Families everywhere can now stream free audio stories in six languages from Audible, more than 20 kid-friendly shows from Prime Video, and access free digital books across all genres.
- Prime members in the U.S. have access to the first season of select shows on Prime Video Channels at no additional cost to their membership. This list will be refreshed with new shows each month and each first season will only be available for a limited time.
- Prime customers have access to eBooks across genres including children's literature, romance, and health and wellness for free with Prime Reading on your Kindle, tablet, or phone.
- Say, "Alexa, play music," to listen to an ad-supported selection of top playlists and thousands of stations for free with Amazon Music in the U.S. UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.
- Stream live concerts from Bandsintown, a website that compiles live music shows, and support musicians through the Twitch app on Fire TV and Echo Show devices. You can open the Twitch app by saying, "Alexa, open Twitch."
- Learn how Alexa can keep you entertained, say, "Alexa, what should I do today?" Or visit the Alexa blog for a list of all the helpful things that Alexa can do for you.
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