Connect with us

Alexa

How to make Alexa stop saying ‘OK’

In this guide, we will show you how to replace “OK” with a more subtle response.

Amazon Alexa on the purple background
Image: KnowTechie
Giveaway: Enter to win a BLUETTI Charger 1 ($399 value): Enter Here

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

Many users have complained about how annoying Alexa’s default response of “OK” is when making a request. While beginners might find this acceptable, more experienced users have a harder time dealing with it.

The issue is easily understandable if you live in a smart home with Alexa-controlled devices and sensors. Imagine you wake up at night and ask Alexa to turn on the lights, and she replies, “OK.”

And it happens again and again as you make more commands. It might wake up your spouse or kids who are sleeping nearby.

No matter your reason for wanting to get rid of “OK” responses from Alexa, the good news is that it can be done.

In this guide, we will show you how to replace “OK” with a more subtle response.

Steps to make Alexa stop saying “OK”

Fortunately, Amazon recognizes that most users get frustrated with their Alexa devices’ verbose or repetitive replies.

Over the years, they have introduced several modes that change how Alexa responds to user requests. Here is a short introduction to each mode.

Brief Mode

In Brief Mode, Alexa will cut down her responses to be as concise as possible and even replace some responses with a short beep. 

The idea is that it should still be able to understand what you’re trying to make it do, but her replies will be shorter.

Whisper Mode

This mode is particularly useful when you don’t want to wake up anyone in the room.

As the name suggests, Whisper Mode will make Alexa lower her voice to the level of a whisper when she speaks. It can even listen to commands given in a whisper.

Adaptive Volume

This feature allows Alexa to listen to the environment and understand how loud or soft she should speak.

The device will automatically adjust the volume based on the noise in the room.

So, if you’re in a quiet room, Alexa will lower her voice, and if you’re in a noisy room, she’ll automatically raise it.

That’s great, but what mode do I use to make Alex stop saying “Ok”?

Keep in mind that these modes might not be available to all regions.

However, we are pretty sure that all Alexa-compatible devices in USA and UK will have access to all the modes.

What mode should you enable to stop Alexa from saying “OK” after every command? ‘Brief Mode.’

How to enable Alexa’s Brief Mode

amazon echo device with alexa sitting on books
Image: Unsplash

If you want to use Alexa’s Brief Mode, you’re in luck. It only takes a couple of taps to start using it. We’ll break it down below:

Open the Alexa appAlexa App interface on smartphone
Tap on the Menu Icon located in the top-left corner of the screenAlexa app on screen instructions
Then, tap on Settings from the listAlexa app settings screen instructions for brief mode
In the Alexa Preferences section, find and tap on Voice ResponsesAmazon alexa app on screen image on purple background
Finally, toggle the switch next to Brief ModeAmazon alexa app open on smartphone

As soon as you enable this mode on the app, it will be applied to all your connected devices i.e. your Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, etc.

The Brief Mode will not only take the “OK” out of Alexa’s responses but she will also be more concise in general. So, if you ask her to play a song, she might just say, “Playing,” instead of announcing the artist and song title.

Wrapping Up

Alexa devices can get pretty annoying with their default sayings, especially the “OK” response.

Luckily, Amazon has introduced several modes, such as Brief Mode and Whisper Mode, that can be used to change the way Alexa responds.

While ‘Brief Mode’ is the best way to get rid of “OK” responses from Alexa, we recommend trying other modes to see what best suits your needs.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

Follow us on Flipboard, Google News, or Apple News

I write about tech and gadgets, and in particular, smartwatches.

More in Alexa