# Can You Rename Alexa (et al?) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 25, 2020, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-rename-alexa-et-al/916270 "2020-07-25T00:25:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2020, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-rename-alexa-et-al/916270/21 "2020-07-26T08:38:33Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Why do people _bother_ with this silly thing? I leave mine off most of the time, but sometimes it’s useful. (I keep my button-activated rather than word-activated, which means I don’t have to proceed commands with “Alexa” because I already have its attention) ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2020, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-rename-alexa-et-al/916270/22 "2020-07-26T11:42:02Z")
I know people named Alexa and also named Alexis, Alexandra, and similar names. What in the world are they supposed to do if they want this capability in their house? (People don’t call themselves by name, generally, but people who live with them do.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2020, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-rename-alexa-et-al/916270/23 "2020-07-26T13:13:56Z")
Read the first reply. You can change the wake word to “echo,” “computer,” or “Amazon.” ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-rename-alexa-et-al/916270/24 "2020-08-11T04:04:10Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Does it? I don’t remember that, but I’ve had mine for two or three years now, so I wouldn’t remember. The amazing this is it understands my four-year-old with a pacifier in her mouth better than I do. Seriously. And it definitely wasn’t trained on her voice. Alexa does a pretty good job out of the box at recognizing voices and what they are saying (presumably the system is constantly refining itself). That said, if you are having trouble getting it to recognize you, then you can train it to your voice: [How to set up Amazon Alexa Voice Profiles on an Echo device | Digital Trends](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/how-to-set-up-an-amazon-alexa-voice-profile/) Personally, I often find that people who say it does not understand them are not speaking in a clear, well modulated voice and are more like, “Grumble, grumble, grumble, Alexa, grumble, something, grumble” and then complain it didn’t hear them. It’s not as good as in Star Trek where the crew just says shit and the computer figures out if they are talking to it and context and lots of stuff. You need to actively address the machine, clearly, or it will miss a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-rename-alexa-et-al/916270/25 "2020-08-11T17:13:13Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > It’s not as good as in Star Trek where the crew just says shit and the computer figures out if they are talking to it and context and lots of stuff. Grin! And the doors knew not to open when you approached them, but didn’t actually want to pass through them just yet. Damn clever doors! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-rename-alexa-et-al/916270/26 "2020-08-11T17:15:54Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > I thought I heard commercials (or articles?) along the lines of, you can buy the Samuel Jackson pack and say “Sam, [insert Amazon Echo command]”. Is that not a thing yet? I have the Samuel L. Jackson “skill” activated on my Alexa, but it doesn’t make “Sam” or “Samuel” a wake word. You have to still say, “Alexa, ask Sam to tell me a joke.” There are only certain things that Sam is able to do/say, so it’s not a complete replacement for Alexa’s voice or commands. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-rename-alexa-et-al/916270.md?page=1)