Amazon has developed Alexa as an intelligent personal assistant for a variety of devices. Alexa enables users to accomplish a number of tasks – play music, get information, access news, manage shopping lists and operate smart home devices – simply using their voice. At present, Alexa supports several mobile platforms including Android. The users have option to download Alexa app for Android from both Google Play Store and Amazon Appstore. They can even use the Alexa App to manage their devices more efficiently with voice commands.

1. What do Android App Developers need to
know about Alexa Skills?

2.  Amazon has developed Alexa as an intelligent personal assistant
for a variety of devices. Alexa enables users to accomplish a
number of tasks – play music, get information, access news,
manage shopping lists and operate smart home devices – simply
using their voice.
 At present, Alexa supports several mobile platforms including
Android. The users have option to download Alexa app for
Android from both Google Play Store and Amazon Appstore.
They can even use the Alexa App to manage their devices more
efficiently with voice commands.

3. The latest version of the mobile app further enables users to
communicate with their Echo devices by making calls or sending
text messages. Amazon currently allows users to choose from over
15000 skills or voice experiences.
The users even have option to install specific skills to interact with
specific smart appliances or access specific apps, websites, or
services. Amazon further allows developers to create and upload
new Alexa skills using Alexa Skills Kit (ASK).

4.  The tools, APIs, code snippets, and documentation
provided by ASK help programmers to simplify and
accelerate Alexa skill development.
 The Android app developers also have option to develop a
variety of skills for Alexa. However, it is important for the
Android App Developers to understand various aspects of
Alexa skill development.

5. Understanding Important Aspects of Alexa Skill Development
Types of Alexa Skills
An Android app developer has option to develop a variety of skills for
Alexa – custom skills, smart home skills, flash briefing skills and video
skills. A custom skill must have the capability to handle any user
request, whereas a smart home skill must enable users to
operate/control cloud-enabled smart-home devices. A flash briefing
skill needs to provide original content for a user’s flash briefings, while
a video skill must enable users to find and access video content
without invoking any specific skill.

6. Specific APIs
Alexa Skills Kit allows developers to choose from a wide range of self-
service APIs. The Android app developer needs to use specific APIs
according to the type of Alexa skill he wants to develop. For instance,
while developing a smart home skill, the developer must use the
Smart Home Skill API. The Smart Home Skill API defines the requests
to be handled by the skill and the voice commands required to invoke
the skills. The Android app developer must use the Video Skill API to
develop video skills and the Flash Briefing Skill API to create flash
briefing skills.

7. Voice User Interface
Amazon requires developers to focus extensively on voice user interface (VUI)
while developing a new Alexa skill. The VUI creates custom voice experiences and
enables users to interact with devices through voice input. While developing a
new Alexa skill, the Android app developer must keep in mind the latest trends in
VUI development – natural language understanding (NLU), automatic speech
recognition (ASR), text to speech (TTS), machine learning, and Internet of Things
(IoT). Also, he must refer to the Amazon Alexa Voice Design Guide to create skills
that deliver voice experience based on human conversation.

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