This App Lets You Control Your Amazon Echo with Apple Watch

While Siri is poised to gain a few new tricks and capabilities in the upcoming iOS 12 and macOS 10.14 Mojave updates, she’s still lagging far behind her closest competition: Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant.

What’s more, given the private and secure nature of Apple’s ecosystem, if in the event Siri isn’t living up to your expectations, and perhaps you want to use a different voice assistant to get stuff done, you’re basically out of luck as she is your only option — especially on devices like Apple Watch and HomePod, which feature deep integration with the platform.

(SIDE NOTE: you can always try Microsoft’s Cortana assistant on iOS, too, but we wouldn’t wager that you’d be getting much done with her, either.)

Luckily, for those who’ve grown weary of Siri’s laggardness, there’s now an alternate (albeit unofficial) means of bringing voice assistant functionality to your Apple Watch — and it’s taken on the form of an all-new app dubbed Voice In a Can.

Available to download now for just $1.99, Voice in a Can is an all-new iOS app which brings Amazon Alexa functionality (along with many, but not all of her core features) to the Apple Watch, allowing owners the option to control their Amazon-powered Echo devices and more from the comfort of their wrist.

What Can and Can’t I Do with Alexa on My Apple Watch?

While Alexa via Voice in a Can will allow users to do things like control their smart lights, turn on their Alexa-enabled kitchen electronics, and even read a flash briefing, LifeHacker warns that “you might come across a few skills that won’t work,” even though developers are confident that “almost everything” is supported in its current state.

Notably, with Alexa on Apple Watch you will not be able to do things like read audiobooks or listen to Music — primarily because those services rely on different Amazon apps such as Kindle and Prime Video. But if you’re already an Amazon Echo owner and looking for an easier way to control your device while out and about from the convenience of your Apple Watch, then Voice in a Can just might be the solution you’ve been waiting for!

How to Control Amazon Echo on Apple Watch

1. Download Voice in a Can on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Once you’ve paid the $2 fee and the app is installed, you’ll need to login and connect your Amazon account through it, too.
3. Once configured in iOS Settings, simply tap the app icon on your Apple Watch display and get started controlling your Echo from anywhere.