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Amazon Alexa Now Gives Users More Time to Issue Commands

Patience, young grasshopper

By Lawrence Bonk Lawrence Bonk News Reporter Florida State University Lawrence Bonk is a tech news reporter for Lifewire, specializing in gaming, AI, VR, and consumer tech, including iOS, macOS, wearables, and more. lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on October 7, 2021 03:51PM EDT Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Smart & Connected Life Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming To those who find Alexa to be a bit impatient when you issue commands, you are in for a treat. According to Forbes, Amazon has rolled out a software update for its immensely popular virtual assistant that forces Alexa to wait longer for a person to finish speaking. The feature was included in a software update to the official Alexa app for iOS and Android. This is an opt-in functionality, so it must be enabled in the Alexa Settings app. Shehzad Mevawalla, head of Alexa speech recognition at Amazon, said in a statement that the company is always looking for ways to improve speech recognition for all users and all speaking styles. He also said that many customers have expressed a desire for more time before Alexa responds to requests. The longer wait time should be useful for garden-variety Alexa users, but it will be a major boon to those with a speech impairment. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), over 3 million Americans stutter and 5% to 10% of the population has another communicative disorder. The rise of virtual assistants has been a net positive for this community, offering much-needed inclusivity, and this move by Amazon is another step in that direction. If you are planning on making use of the feature, there are plenty of useful commands you can try out with your favorite Alexa device. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire Can I Call Alexa From My Phone? How to Skype With Alexa The 8 Best Speech to Text Software of 2022 Google Home vs. Alexa: Which Smart Speaker Is Best For You? How to Set up the Amazon Echo Show Use Speech Recognition to Control Windows How to Fix It When Alexa says the Echo is Offline How to Use the Amazon Alexa App to Set Up Shopping Lists What Is Alexa? How to Connect a Printer to Alexa How to Make Calls Through Your Echo Using Amazon's Alexa How to Enable and Use Amazon Alexa App Alarms How to Get Amazon Alexa in Your Car Roav VIVA by Anker Review: Take Amazon Alexa Along for The Ride Is Alexa Safe to Use? How to Fix 8 Common Alexa and Amazon Echo Issues Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies