How to customize your Amazon Echo Alexa flash briefing
One of the many fun things you can do with an Amazon Echo is create a morning routine that includes a flash briefing. This flash briefing is designed to present you with just the news you want to hear, without having to scroll around on your phone. Because it’s audio only, you can listen while you get dressed, have breakfast, or make coffee. Plus, you can trigger it anytime to stay up to date during the day. For example, the Sky News briefing is updated every hour.
The flash briefing is fully customizable as you can include whatever sources you want and omit the rest. Each source delivers its news just as you can hear it on traditional radio. It’s a fantastic feature that you should really try. It’s also compatible with Echo smart speakers and smart displays. Here’s how to set up and customize your own Alexa Flash briefing.
How to choose your Flash Briefing news sources
When you set up your flash briefing, you’ll see two different options that sound similar. One is your “news channel” and the other is your flash briefing. The idea is that the latter is a quick hit of the latest headlines, while the former is an in-depth look at the news. Both can be set up in the same way.
To customize your Flash briefing, you must have your phone or tablet handy and the Alexa app open.
- Tap the more option in the lower right corner.
- Choose settings.
- Select the news Possibility.
- Tap on Flash briefing.
Here you indicate which news sources should be included in your flash briefing. You may already have some depending on what skills you have activated on your Echo. However, if you don’t or want more, tap + Button to open the directory.
Here you will find all Alexa skills that are compatible with the flash briefing at your location. To use them, just select the one you want and click on it Activate to use. This skill is automatically added to your flash briefing.
To remove one of your abilities from the flash briefing, simply toggle the relevant buttons off. This won’t remove the skills from Alexa, so you can still use them individually from your Echo at any time.
How to listen to your flash briefing
The easiest way to hear your Flash briefing any time of the day is to simply say to your Echo:
- “Alexa, play my flash briefing.”
That’s all there is to it. But Alexa is way more powerful than that, and you can build your flash briefing into any of your Alexa routines. For example, you could create a routine in the morning that plays your alarm on the Echo in your bedroom, turns on your lights, and then plays your flash briefing.
How far you get with routines is entirely up to you, but if you want to hear a flash briefing every day at a certain time of the day, it’s best to build it into a routine.
The Amazon Echo is the best all-around smart speaker for most people, with a beautiful design, great sound, and the immense power of the Alexa ecosystem at its disposal.