Tired of having to say "Alexa..." before every command to Amazon's voice assistant? A feature called Follow-Up Mode lets you make multiple requests without having to say the trigger word each time. When enabled, Alexa will keep listening — and the blue ring on your Alexa device will remain lit — for 5 seconds after she responds to your initial request.
So, for example, you can say "Alexa, set the thermostat to away mode." After she says OK, you can then say "turn the lights off," or some other command, like "lock the doors."
This feature is available for all Echo devices, and third-party devices such as the Sonos One, Garmin Speak Plus,GE Sol, and Ecobee4 thermostats. However, it's uncertain if Follow-Up Mode will work with all third-party Alexa devices. It also won't work if you're listening to music or making a call using Alexa.
First, though, you have to activate Follow-Up Mode for all of your Alexa-enabled devices individually. Here's how to do it.
1. Open the side menu from the home page of the Alexa app.
2. Select Settings. Then select Device Settings.
3. Choose an Alexa device. Scroll down and select Follow-Up Mode.
4. Press the slider to activate Follow-Up Mode. You will need to do this for every Alexa device you own.
MORE: For more Alexa-related tips, tricks, and how-tos, check out our complete guide to Alexa.
