You can already do a whole lot with your Amazon Echo, but now you can have Alexa read out tweets from your Twitter timeline and more. Here's how to use Twitter on the Amazon Echo.
Twitter now has an Alexa skill called Twitter Reader that you can use to have your Amazon Echo read back tweets in your timeline, or even mentions and replies that you get. You can also have Alexa read top tweets from trends and even narrow it down to a specific location, like top tweets in Chicago or New York City.
Since it's a third-party Alexa skill, you'll need to manually install from within the Alexa app on your phone. You can read our guide on how to install Alexa skills, but you simply select "Skills" from the sidebar menu, and then search for "Twitter Reader". From there, tap on "Enable Skill" and sign in to your Twitter account to link it.
So what can you do with the Twitter Reader skill? Here are a handful of Alexa commands that you can say:
- "Alexa, ask Twitter what is happening." This will read the latest tweets from your timeline by Twitter users that you follow.
- "Alexa, ask Twitter for Trends." This will read off Twitter trends that are trending near your location. You can also ask for a specific location by adding "in Chicago" (or whatever city) to the end of the command. You can also select a specific trend by saying "tell me more about number four" (or whatever trend within the list).
- "Alexa, ask Twitter for my mentions." This command will read off your latest mentions and replies.
- "Alexa, ask Twitter has anyone retweeted me?" This is self-explanatory, but it will tell you who retweeted you and what tweet was retweeted.
- "Alexa, ask Twitter for tweets I liked." Alexa will read off the latest tweets that you liked or favorited.
- "Alexa, ask Twitter for my own tweets." If you can't stop cracking up about your latest joke you told on Twitter, you can have Alexa read it back to you.
It's probably not the best way to navigate Twitter and read through tweets, but if you're busy and your hands are full with doing chores around the house, this is at least an option that you can use if you really want to know what's happening in the Twitterverse.