If you were around for the early days of Amazon's Alexa, you remember it being a mess compared to other voice assistants. Over the years, things have changed considerably. Now that Amazon has sold millions of diverse smart home devices, the voice assistant has grown into its ambitions and is constantly getting new features as it goes.

One thing that previously put Alexa behind Google Assistant and Siri was the inability to manage and set reminders with voice commands. However, you can now set and manage reminders with your Amazon Echo, iPhone, and Android devices. Let's look at how to set a reminder with an Echo device and manage it with the Alexa app.

How to create reminders on your Amazon Echo device

Since it is a voice assistant, it is intuitive to use Alexa to set up reminders. This guide focuses on how to set a reminder using an Echo device, but the process should be similar for any other Works with Alexa smart speaker.

  1. To start, make sure your Echo device is within hearing range and say, "Alexa, reminder."
  2. Alexa responds by asking you for the details of the reminder, including the topic, time, and date you want to set the reminder for. Let Alexa guide you through the process of creating the reminder by responding to its questions.
  3. Once you have answered Alexa's questions regarding the reminder, Alexa reads back the reminder details to confirm that the reminder was created.

You can also streamline adding a reminder by including all the relevant information when you first issue the command. For example, instead of "Alexa, reminder," you can say, "Alexa, remind me to turn off the oven in 15 minutes."

If you can't remember if you already set a reminder, or if you want to know what your day is going to be like, you can ask Alexa for a run-down of your reminders. For instance, you can ask, "Alexa, what are my reminders for [today/tomorrow/next week]?"

You can also ask Alexa to delete a reminder if you know the name of the reminder. Simply say, "Alexa, delete [name of reminder]," to delete the reminder. Before you delete the reminder, it's important to know that there is no confirmation. Alexa deletes the reminder when you issue the command.

If you use an Echo or Echo Show to set a reminder, the reminder notification also sounds on that device. For example, if you want to play the reminder in the kitchen, set it using the Echo Dot on the kitchen counter. You can change the assigned device and person for the notification, but you'll do that from your Android or iOS device through the Alexa app.

How to edit Alexa reminders on a mobile device

When you create a reminder using Alexa, it is saved to your Amazon account using the Wi-Fi connection on your Echo device. Because Alexa saves the reminders to your account, you can easily edit them after the fact. You can change any parameter after creating the reminder, including which device the notification plays on and who the reminder is for if there are multiple users registered to your Amazon account.

While you can set up new reminders and timers on your Echo smart speakers or Works with Alexa devices, you can only fully edit reminders via the Android or iOS app. You can adjust reminders using your voice by asking Alexa to move the reminder or assign it to a different person, but you cannot change where the notification will sound.

To edit a reminder, open the Alexa App and follow these steps:

  1. On the Alexa app home page, tap the icon with three horizontal lines titled More in right of the bottom navigation bar to open the More options page.
  2. On the More options page, select Reminders to view your reminders.
  3. On the Reminders page, find the reminder you want to edit and tap it to open the Edit reminder page. Then, edit the reminder.
  4. In the reminder options, you can change the name of the reminder as well as the time, date, repetition schedule, and the assigned device and person. Tap the option you wish to change, and edit the value in the page or pop-up that appears. Each pop-up behaves a little differently. Some pop-ups apply the change and disappear as soon as you select a new option, while others have a Done or OK button you need to press to apply the change.
  5. After you change an option, tap Done or OK when necessary. The app puts you back on the main Edit reminder page for that reminder.
  6. After you change all your settings, check to make sure everything is correct, and then tap Save in the upper-right corner of the screen to apply the changes and schedule your reminder.

What types of reminders can Alexa create?

Now that you know how to create reminders, it's worth knowing what functionality Alexa reminders have. The most basic reminders are simple things, like turning off the stove or helping you remember that you have a doctor's appointment.

If you dig a little deeper, you'll see that Alexa can schedule daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly reminders. Repeating reminders are useful for tasks like paying monthly bills, completing tasks for projects, or helping manage time in busy seasons.

It's so close

One of the biggest downsides of using an Echo or another smart speaker to set up reminders is the limited functionality these devices offer. The Android and iOS apps offer more freedom when creating reminders. While Alexa can do a lot with only your voice, the addition of a screen allows for more flexibility and customization when it comes to reminders and calendar events.

If you're curious about Alexa and how it might be able to help you around the house, take a look at our roundup of the best Echo Show displays to make the most of the automation and assistant functionality on offer. If you're shopping for smart-home devices, check out what's being offered during Amazon's Prime Day.