Quick steps
- Open the Alexa smartphone app
- Go to the devices menu and select the Echo device you want to change the wake word of
- Open the device's settings and look for Wake Word under the General settings
- Pick Ziggy from the list and hit OK
While Amazon's smart speakers are officially called Echo devices, most of us likely know them by their most commonly used wake word: Alexa.
But did you know that whichever of the best Alexa speakers you own (be it an Amazon Echo Studio, an Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen), or an Amazon Echo Show 10) you can actually change the word you use to ask it for help? There's Alexa as well as Amazon, Computer, Echo, and now Ziggy to choose between.
If you're ready to say goodbye to Alexa (or at least to stop saying it), here's how to change your Amazon Echo's name to Ziggy.
Tools and Requirements
- An Amazon Echo device
- A smartphone with the Alexa app downloaded
How to change Alexa’s name to Ziggy
- You'll first need to open the Alexa app on your smartphone. If you want to change the wake word on your Amazon Echo device to Ziggy you'll also need to make sure you're logged into the account associated with that Echo.
- Then in the menu at the bottom of your screen, you should see an option for Devices.
Once in the Device menu, select Echo & Alexa and then pick the Echo device you want to change the wake word for – unfortunately, you'll have to repeat the next steps for each Echo device you own.
- You next want to look under General settings for Wake Word. If your Echo has any Reminders or Routines set up you may need to hit the gear symbol in the top right corner of your screen first to find your settings.
- Lastly, pick Ziggy from the list of possible options. Alternatively, pick an alternative name from Alexa, Echo, Amazon, and Computer. Whether you pick, make sure to hit OK and your Echo's wake word will have been changed.
Final thoughts
Of all of the possible Amazon Echo wake words, Ziggy is our favorite option.
First of all, it's not a name that's likely to be shared with someone you know or live with. Plus it's not quite as dystopian as calling out to Amazon or Computer whenever you need a hand.
But beyond that Ziggy is also just a fun name to say, especially when compared to the otherwise bland alternatives Amazon offers.
If you want to change your Echo's voice to help establish its new Ziggy identity then check out our guide on how to change Alexa’s voice to a masculine tone on an Amazon Echo.
