Here's how to change Alexa's name and voice

Amazon Alexa is both a personal voice assistant and smart home platform. Alexa’s default identity can occasionally cause problems however, especially if you have a family member with a similar name, or even casually mention the assistant in conversation. You might also tire of the same voice day in and day out. If any of the above is true, here’s how to change Alexa’s name and voice.

How to change Alexa’s name

Changing Alexa’s name is simple, but at the moment, you only have a few Amazon-sanctioned alternatives: Computer, Echo, Amazon, or Ziggy. Ziggy is probably the least likely to cause accidental triggers, although Computer is no doubt tempting for Star Trek fans. 

Here are the steps to switch names:

• Open the Alexa app on your Android or iOS device.
• Select the Devices tab.
• Tap on the Device Type drop-down menu.
• Select Echo and Alexa, then tap Apply.
• Choose the device you want to change the name of.
• Tap on the Settings gear icon.
• Tap on Wake Word.
• Select your new name.

Remember that you can only change names on a speaker-by-speaker basis. This can be time-consuming if you have several devices and want to make changes across the board, but you can also exploit the arrangement to trigger specific speakers, or let family members use names they prefer.

How to change Alexa’s voice

If you’re tired of the same voice answering commands, it’s time to give Alexa a new one. You can tap into various languages and regional dialects. Depending on your country, you may also be able swap a voice from female to male, or choose alternate accents.

Here are the steps for switching built-in voice options:

• Open the Alexa app on your Android or iOS device.
• Select the Devices tab.
• Tap on the Device Type drop-down menu.
• Select Echo and Alexa, then hit Apply.
• Choose the device you want to change the voice for.
• Tap on the Settings gear icon.
• Tap Language.
• Choose your new language or languages (Alexa can sometimes be bilingual!). This includes different dialects and accents. Changing to “English (United Kingdom),” for example, will give Alexa a British accent.
• Hit Sync if you want changes applied across several or all Alexa devices.
• To flip between male and female voices, or in some cases accents, go back to the gear icon menu, and tap on Alexa’s Voice. Unfortunately, you’ll have to control this on a per-device basis. Adjust the Speaking rate slider if you find Alexa is talking too slowly or quickly.

Note that only some languages are fully supported in each region, so Alexa features may be lost if you go outside those boundaries.

What happened to celebrity voices for Alexa?

Amazon has phased out official celebrity voices, which once included the likes of Samuel Jackson, Melissa McCarthy, and Shaquille O’Neal. They can no longer be bought, and all of them stopped working towards the end of 2023.

Free third-party voices out there include the likes of Gordon Ramsay, R2-D2, and others. You can enable them as skills, but they’re functionally limited — they’re self-contained rather than system-wide. Still, it’s a way of eking a little more personality out of your smart home tech.

Frequently asked questions