Learn the most useful everyday voice commands

Beyond "play music" and "set a timer," smart speakers handle dozens of daily tasks. Productivity: "Add milk to my shopping list," "What's on my calendar today?" Information: "Convert 3 cups to milliliters," "What's the traffic to work?" Home control: "Turn off all lights," "Set the thermostat to 70." Communication: "Call Mom," "Send a message to the family group."

Why It Works

Voice commands are fastest when your hands are busy — cooking, cleaning, getting dressed. Most people only discover 10-20% of their speaker's capabilities. Learning the full command set transforms it from a novelty to an essential tool.

Tips

• Ask "What can you do?" for a guided tour of capabilities
• Cooking commands are invaluable: unit conversions, multiple named timers, recipe lookups
• "Good morning" routines can read your weather, commute, calendar, and news in one command
• Smart displays can show video recipes, make video calls, and display photo albums