Create a soothing bedtime story routine with Alexa

Open the Alexa app and find Routines

First, open the Alexa app on your phone or tablet. When it loads, you’ll typically see the home screen with various cards and information. Look at the bottom of the screen for a navigation bar with several icons. Tap the icon that looks like three horizontal lines or a square 'More' button in the bottom-right corner. This will open a menu. On the next screen, find and tap the word Routines. Routines are like your personal scripts for Alexa, telling her to perform a series of actions based on a trigger.

The goal is to find the main menu where 'Routines' is listed.

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Create and name your routine

Now you're on the Routines screen, tap the + Create Routine or Add a Routine button. The app will then present you with options to build your new routine. The first thing to do is give it a simple, memorable name. Look for a field labeled "Enter routine name" or "Routine name." This name is just for you to keep your routines organized.

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Set the voice command (trigger)

Next, you need to tell Alexa what phrase you'll say to start this routine. Under the section labeled When this happens, tap the + or Add button. From the list of trigger options, tap Voice. A new screen will appear where you can type your preferred phrase. This phrase is your "voice trigger" – the specific command Alexa will listen for to activate your routine. Keep it simple and easy to remember for everyone who might use it.

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Add the bedtime story action

Now it’s time to add the actual story. Under the Add action section, tap the + or Add button. You’ll see a list of actions Alexa can perform. Since we want a story, we’ll choose a content-playing option. Tap on Skills or Music & Audio. If you choose Skills, you can search for a specific bedtime story skill (many are free). If you choose Music & Audio, you can type "bedtime story" and Alexa will find suitable content from your linked services or free options. Select your preferred story source.

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Customize Alexa's voice for the routine

You can give your bedtime story a calm, consistent voice. While still on the routine setup screen, scroll down and look for an option called Alexa's Voice (or sometimes "Speaking Style" or just "Voice"). Tap on this to see the available voices. Choose one that sounds soothing, like "Matthew" or "Emma," or another voice if your app offers more options. This setting ensures Alexa uses this particular voice for all the speaking actions within this routine.

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Add a calming background sound (optional)

To make the storytime even cosier, you can add a gentle background sound that plays after the story or simultaneously. Tap Add action again. This time, navigate to Music & Audio (or sometimes "Sleep Sounds" or "Nature Sounds"). Search for a calming sound like "rain sounds," "ocean waves," or "soft piano music." Select your desired sound and confirm. Remember that this will typically play after the story action in the routine unless you adjust the order.

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Save and test your routine

Once you've added all your desired actions and settings, it's time to save your routine. Look for the Save button, which is often found in the top-right corner of the screen. Tap it to finalise your new routine. After saving, the routine will appear in your list of active Alexa Routines. To test it, go to any Alexa-enabled device and speak the voice command you set up earlier.

If Alexa doesn't respond when you test, double-check your trigger phrase for spelling or pronunciation in the Alexa app.