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Not a fan of Siri? Use Alexa on your Apple Watch thanks to a third-party app

By Alan Friedman

Updated: Jun 08, 2018, 2:46 AM

Not happy with the performance of Siri on your Apple Watch? Thanks to a third party app, you can use Amazon's virtual personal assistant Alexa on the timepiece, but she does have limited functionality on the device. Alexa will be able to turn on/off smart appliances and answer some requests for information. Because of the closed nature of the Apple Watch, you won't be able to make a phone call, stream music, hear flash briefings or listen to a podcast.

The app you will need to run Alexa on your Apple Watch is called Voice in a Can, and it does not require you to be paired to an iPhone. All you need is a Wi-Fi or LTE signal (the latter can be used with the Apple Watch Series 3 cellular model). The app uses a complication allowing you to launch it directly from the Apple Watch face. When you need to throw a task or question Alexa's way, you'll tap on an icon in the app and state your request. Voice in a Can then syncs with your Amazon Alexa account to get the job done.

Voice in a Can will cost you $1.99 and there is something you need to adjust first before you use it. When the Apple Watch screen goes blank, you lose your connection to Alexa. As a result, you need to set the screen timeout setting to the longest option available on the Apple Watch.

Click on the video at the top of the screen to see Alexa in action on an Apple Watch. To install the app on your timepiece, click on the sourcelink below.

source: VoiceinaCan, DamianMehers via TheVerge

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.

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Not a fan of Siri? Use Alexa on your Apple Watch thanks to a third-party app

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