Ultimate Alexa Voice Assistant - Voice assistant & control

Ultimate Alexa is a comprehensive voice assistant application that leverages the Amazon Alexa voice service and stands out as the first app on Google Play to integrate Alexa's Display Card technology, similar to the Amazon Echo Show. Users can listen and view various information such as weather forecasts, to-do and shopping lists, news headlines, Wikipedia entries, and other features. The app is compatible with both smartphones and Wear OS devices. If your smartwatch lacks a speaker, the audio will be played through your connected smartphone.

You can activate Alexa on your device by saying the wake word "Alexa" or by pressing a prominent button. Additionally, Alexa can be launched from the notification area, via a resizable widget, or by using the voice command "OK Google. Start Ultimate Alexa" through the Google Assistant.

You also have the option to set Ultimate Alexa as your default assistant, allowing it to continually listen for the wake word and respond when you long-press the home button.

If you upgrade to the Pro version, you can simply shake your phone to wake up Alexa. For Samsung users with a Bixby button, the Pro version provides the ability to use that button to communicate with Alexa.

On a Wear OS smartwatch, just press the large button to start interacting. You can also utilize the Wear OS tile to swiftly launch the app and input voice commands immediately.

You have complete control over the app’s listening capabilities and can select from various Alexa voices.

The app supports all permitted Alexa features offered by Amazon, which include:

• Initiating phone calls.

• Sending and reading text messages across most messaging platforms, such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.

• Playing music and audio files stored on your mobile device or tablet.

• Setting reminders, timers, and alarms.

• Repetition of alarms; for example, you can set Alexa to wake you every morning.

• Managing calendar entries to hear and view upcoming events.

• Reading Kindle eBooks.

• Controlling smart home devices.

• Retrieving local information including businesses, restaurants, movies, and more.

• Accessing updates on news, weather, sports, and traffic.

• Engaging in fun activities and games.

• General inquiries regarding information like Wikipedia entries, mathematics, unit conversions, and beyond.

• Creating to-do and shopping lists, which can be displayed on-screen or read aloud.

• Facilitating shopping on Amazon.

• Accessing thousands of third-party skills.

• And much more!

Regarding calling and text messaging, these functions are available in several regions including the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. A unique Alexa skill is utilized for this, which can be activated through additional applications.

As for music playback, due to Amazon's restrictions, voice commands for playing music are limited solely to tracks stored on your device and compatible third-party skills. Commands cannot be used to stream music from services like Amazon Music, Pandora, or Spotify.

For owners of Amazon Echo devices looking for an app to manage their settings and preferences, a designated Alexa app is available for download.

Some optional functionalities of the app may require an accessibility service, and you will be prompted to enable this if necessary. When substituting the Bixby assistant with this app, the service keeps track of the active foreground application. Upon detecting the Bixby app in use, it automatically launches Ultimate Alexa to take its place. Furthermore, on devices running Android 9 and earlier, this service allows the app to share microphone access with other applications by pausing wake word detection when another app requiring microphone access is in the foreground.

FAQ

If the app never responds or rarely responds:

If the app never responds or rarely reponds, even when it's running in the foreground, go to the settings area and check the wake word options. Make sure the option to listen for the wake word is on. You can also try increasing the sensitivity setting.

If the app responds in the foreground but not in the background:

Make sure the app is actually running and listening in the background. If it is, you will see a notification that indicates this. If the notification is not there, you may have accidentally closed the app or turned off the setting to listen for the wake word in the background. If the notification appears for a while and then disappears, Android itself is likely killing the app to free up memory or reduce battery usage. If you are using a power saving mode, try turning it off. Also, in the Apps section of your system settings, you can open Ultimate Alexa and turn off battery optimizations for the app.

One way to be certain that Android will not kill Ultimate Alexa when it's listening in the background is to set it as your default voice assistant. In the app's settings area, you will find the option to do this, along with detailed information about the pros and cons of this feature.

If you don't want to replace your default assistant, another option is to enable the app's accessibility service. When this service is running, Android is less likely to kill the app and will give it priority access to the microphone (without interfering with other apps such as your camera). You can enable this in the accessibility section of your system settings. Within the accessibility settings, go to the section for installed apps or services, and enable Ultimate Alexa.

If the app is only unresponsive when the screen is off:

When your phone's screen is off and the wake word is heard, the app will attempt to turn on your screen and display a notification over your lock screen to let you know that it heard you. If the option to double-check the wake word is off, then you will also hear a beep. On some devices the screen may not become very bright and the notification may be invisible. Try saying your voice command right after you say the wake word to see if you get a response.

How do I cancel my subscription?

Your subscription can be cancelled quickly and easily using the Play Store app on your phone or tablet or from play.google.com in a web browser.

Here is a direct link to Google's subscription management area. You can also view Google's detailed online instructions.

When the app is listening for the wake word, other apps cannot use the microphone.

Android only allows a single app to use the microphone at once. On Andorid 10 and up, microphone access is intelligently managed so that Ultimate Alexa does not have access when a foreground app, such as your camera is using the microphone.

On Android 9 and below, if Ultimate Alexa is listening for the wake word in the background, other apps will not have access to the microphone. You can work around this by setting the app to be the default assistant. This will give it the ability to release the mic and stop wake word listening when an app moves to the foreground that may need microhpone access.