What Can Alexa Do Without Internet? (Best Options!)

You may be wondering what can Alexa do without internet since every function seems to require a connection.

Interestingly, there are many functions that Alexa can do without a Wifi. If you are in a situation where you need to use Alexa but do not have a connection, we have a list of many functions you can use.

The most important function you can use on Alexa without Wifi is to play music. You can play music stored on your local storage through the Skill function.

You can also carry out plenty of other important functions such as setting reminders, asking general knowledge questions, and setting timers among others. 

Why Use Alexa Offline?

In answering the question of what can Alexa do offline, we must first consider why you may want to use Alexa offline.

There are a few scenarios where using Aexa offline might be necessary. For instance, this might be necessary if your Wifi is having a downtime. Your internet services may also be disconnected. 

In such and many other similar situations, you may have to use Alexa without Wifi. 

What Can Alexa Do Without Internet and How?

Now that we have confirmed Alexa can perform certain functions without the internet, let us look at the specific functions.

For some of these functions, you should have already configured your Alexa.

Here are the main functions you can operate without the internet:

1. Set Alarms and Timers

Alexa can set alarms and timers even when not connected to the internet.

This feature can be helpful in situations where you don’t have access to the internet or have limited connectivity.

If you need to set an alarm, you do not have to wait for a connection to proceed.

Either use your app or an echo device to set the reminder.

✅ Set Alarm Using Voice Commands:

1. Wake up Alexa by saying “Alexa” or pressing the wake button on your Echo device.
2. To set an alarm, say “Set an alarm for [time]”
3. To set a timer, say “Set a timer for [duration]”
4. Alexa will confirm the alarm or timer and set it accordingly.

✅ Set Using the Alexa App:

1. Open the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet.
2. Tap the “Alarm” icon on the bottom menu bar.
3. Tap the “+” button on the top right corner to create a new alarm or timer.
4. Select “Alarm” or “Timer” from the options.
5. Set the time or duration, and choose the days of the week for the alarm to repeat, if applicable.
6. Tap “Save” to confirm the alarm or timer

2. Play Music on Your Device

There are some third-party music player skills available on the Alexa Skills Store that allow you to play music from your local storage.

These skills work by scanning your device’s local music library and creating a playlist.

However, these skills may have limited functionality compared to online music services and may not support all file formats.

✅ How to play music without the Internet:

1. Open the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet.
2. Tap the More icon in the bottom right corner and select “Skills & Games.”
3. Search for a music player skill that supports playing music from your device’s local storage.
4.  Some popular music player skills include My Media for Alexa, Player for SoundCloud, and Neato.
5. Select the music player skill you want to use and tap “Enable” to install it.
6.  Grant the skill Permission to access your device’s storage.
7. Ask Alexa to play your music library by saying “Alexa, ask [skill name] to play music.” For example, “Alexa, ask My Media to play my local music.”
8. The music will start playing on your Echo device or any other device connected to Alexa.
9. You can use voice commands to control playback, such as “Alexa, pause,”

Note: When you play music in this manner, you will only be able to play the songs stored on your device and not on Amazon or cloud storage.

3. Control Smart Home Devices

If your smart home devices support local control or have an offline mode, you may need to enable it in the device settings.

This can be done through the manufacturer’s app or web interface.

For example, with Philips Hue lights, you can enable local control by going to Settings > Hue Bridges > Advanced > Local Network.

To control your smart home devices without an internet connection, use voice commands as usual.

For example, say “Alexa, turn on the lights” or “Alexa, set the thermostat to 72 degrees.”

Alexa should be able to communicate with your smart home devices directly, without the need for an internet connection.

4. Make Phone Calls

There is one option when it comes to making calls with Alexa without the internet. You must connect your phone to Alexa echo via Bluetooth.

If you have set up Alexa to make phone calls and your Echo device is connected to your phone you can make calls.

However, you will not be able to make calls by voice command. All you have to do is use your Alexa application.

How to make a call from your Alexa Application without internet:

1. Open the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet.
2. Tap the “Communicate” icon in the bottom center.
3. Tap the “Call” icon in the top right corner.
4. Select the contact you want to call from your address book or enter the phone number manually.
5. Tap the “Call” button to initiate the call.
6. If your smartphone supports VoLTE or Wi-Fi calling, the call should go through without an internet connection.

5. Tell Jokes

Alexa has a built-in library of jokes and can tell them without requiring an internet connection.

If you have lost your connection, here are some of the jokes you can get from Alexa.

How to make Alexa play jokes:

1. To activate Alexa, say “Alexa” or “Echo” (depending on your device’s wake word).
2. Ask Alexa to tell you a joke in a number of ways, such as

• “Tell me a joke”
• “Give me a joke”
• “Tell me something funny”
• “I want to hear a joke”
• “Can you tell me a joke?”

 After you ask Alexa for a joke, she will respond with a humorous one-liner or a short story.

You can also ask Alexa for more jokes by saying “Tell me another joke” or “Give me another one.

When you’re finished listening to jokes, you can end the conversation by saying “Thank you”

6. Answer Basic Questions

Alexa can answer some basic questions, such as providing the time, date, and weather information.

Most of such general knowledge questions are answered without an internet connection.

Here are the steps to ask Alexa basic questions:

1. To activate Alexa, say “Alexa” or “Echo” 
2.  Alexa a wide variety of basic questions, such as:

• “What’s the weather like today?”
• “What’s the time?”
• “What’s the date?”
• “What’s the capital of France?”
• “Who is the President of the United States?”
• “What’s the meaning of life?”

After you ask Alexa a question, she will respond with a verbal answer. If you ask for information that requires a visual representation, Alexa might also show you a card on your Echo Show or Fire TV device.

Note: Alexa may not be able to answer technical questions such as stock market prices since such require a real-time internet connection.

7. Set Reminders

 You can set reminders using Alexa even without an internet connection.

However, Alexa will not be able to send you a notification when the reminder goes off unless you have internet connectivity.

How to send a reminder without a connection

1. Say “Alexa, set a reminder” or “Alexa, remind me to [task] at [time].”
2. Give a specific time like “3 PM” or a general time like “tomorrow morning.”
3. Alexa will confirm the reminder with you, and you can choose to add more details or cancel the reminder if needed.
4. Once you’ve confirmed the reminder, Alexa will save it and send you a notification at the designated time.

Note: You can also set reminders using the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet. Simply open the app, tap on the "Reminders & Alarms" section, and follow the same steps as above.

Summary

The question of what can Alexa do without internet is very common among Alexa users.

As we have seen, there are many functions that Alexa can perform without the internet. Look at the above services and try them with your device

Read Next: How to Enable Alexa Calling? – Complete Guide