Yes, Alexa can work even if you do not use your smartphone. However, Alexa requires a smartphone for setting it up.
Once the set-up is complete, you no longer need the phone. If you do not have a phone, a device that has Bluetooth will also work.
Once the set-up is complete, a tablet or PC will do as an alternative for controlling it.
What can Alexa do without a smartphone?
Alexa operates via WiFi, not your phone. Below are some of the things you can do with Alexa without a phone.
- Weather
- Traffic
- Sports scores
- Using Alexa’s search engine
- Setup timers, reminders and alarms
- Create To-do lists
- Play music
- Play games
- Control other smart devices such as thermostats and TVs
If you want, you can also use Alexa with your Windows 10 PC. Amazon has an app for Alexa, and you can install that in your computer.
From here, you can access Alexa and make it do some of the most common things you want from it.
Of course, you cannot make a phone call with Alexa without a smartphone. The call feature only works on a smartphone device, or a tablet that is capable of making calls.
The Alexa Home app also works with many types of browsers. Below are some browsers that are compatible with Alexa:
- Google Chrome
- Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
- Safari
- Internet Explorer
Because of this compatibility, your Alexa app will pretty much work on any kind of computer. You can even use the Alexa search engine on your browser if you want.
For example, you may be using Google Chrome, but it is not necessary that you use Google for your search.
Can Alexa work without the app?
Yes, Alexa works without an app, and the way to do it is similar to the usual process—you give a voice command.
However, there are some occasions when an app makes much more sense. For example, it is easier to manage schedules with an app because you have visibility on it.
Still, you will need the app to set it up. It is always best to have a phone around, and it is not recommended to buy the Amazon Echo dot without a phone.
An alternative you can try is downloading the app on your computer. Once you have downloaded the app, make sure that you have an account with Amazon.
The beauty of the app is that you can use Alexa no matter where you are, provided that you are connected to a WiFi network. Of course, it is better if you have the app on your phone.
You can also set other features in the Amazon Echo Dot device with an app on your phone. Overall, it is much more convenient to use Alexa on a phone than not having one.
Can Alexa work without Wi-Fi?
No, Alexa cannot work without WiFi. The way this algorithm works is through the internet. It connects to Amazon’s “brain” and that is how Alexa communicates with the servers.
At the very least, you can play music from Alexa without WiFi. However, many functionalities will not work well without an internet connection.
The music function will work only because it uses Bluetooth.
There are two ways by which you can use Alexa without WiFi. First, you can use it with a mobile hotspot.
Second, you can use it to connect with a Bluetooth device. Of course, a mobile hotspot device is still connected to the internet.
Why does Alexa need WiFi anyway? Well, the Alexa system is an internet-based application.
It is not like an offline game that you install on your PC, and you can make it work even if there is no internet.
Think of Alexa as a complicated internet-based mobile gaming platform where you play with other players online.
Without the internet, your game cannot communicate with the server; it cannot access what the other players are doing.
As such, the game will not work—you must be able to access the server because that is where all the action comes from.
What is the difference between Alexa and Echo?
Alexa and Amazon Echo Dot are not the same things.
Essentially, Alexa is the service or the software program, and the Dot is the physical device or hardware.
Alexa
- Virtual voice assistant
- Uses voice commands and Alexa Skills App
- Alexa is the software that works on any Echo; it does not matter if your Echo is an old version
Echo
- Smart speaker device
- Has Alexa built-in
- You can talk to the speaker
- It is the device that processes the communication between you and the software program
Think of Echo in terms of a PC or a desktop computer. It has a hard drive, keyboards, speakers, wires—all of these are hardware.
Now, think of Alexa in terms of Microsoft Office Word. MS Word is software that executes your command.
If you press the letter A on the keyboard, the MS Word program recognizes that, and it puts the letter A on the document.
Alexa works similarly. It needs hardware before it can hear you. The Echo Dot is both a speaker and a microphone.
It hears you, transmits what you said to Alexa, and then Alexa is the one that does the research or executes your command.
If you told Alexa to play music, it is Alexa that plays the music, but the speaker is the hardware that makes it possible for you to hear it.
Conclusion
In our conclusion, the answer is no, not really. While there are available workarounds to make Alexa work without a smartphone, the functionalities are severely limited.
You will end up getting frustrated. You also need a smartphone to set up Alexa, so it is a requirement.
Without any smartphone device, your Amazon Echo Dot and Alexa are nothing more than a paperweight. And on top of a smartphone, you also need WiFi.
So, if there is a power outage, you really cannot make any good use of Alexa except to listen to some music.