Are you a fan of GB News and curious about whether you can access its content through your Alexa device? In today’s digital age, where news consumption is increasingly streamlined and personalized, it’s no wonder that people are seeking convenient ways to stay informed.
GB News has made a splash in the media landscape, offering an alternative perspective on current affairs. If you’re wondering, “Can you get GB News on Alexa?” then you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll explore the possibilities and provide you with the information you need to access GB News on your Alexa-enabled device.
Jump to a Specific Section
Can You Get GB News on Alexa
GB News is a popular news channel that provides an alternative perspective on current affairs, covering a wide range of topics including politics, business, culture, and more. As an Alexa user, you might be wondering if you can access GB News content directly through your Alexa-enabled device.
Unfortunately, GB News does not have an official Alexa skill or integration. This means that you cannot directly ask Alexa to play GB News like you would with some other news outlets or radio stations.
However, there are still ways to access GB News on your Alexa device.
How to Get GB News on Alexa
Are you eager to stay informed with the latest updates from GB News on your Alexa device? While GB News doesn’t have official Alexa skill, there are alternative methods to access their content. Here are 2 of the possible methods that can work for you:
Method 1: Connecting via Bluetooth
One way to access GB News on your Alexa device is by connecting it via Bluetooth to another device that can stream GB News content. Follow these steps:
- Enable pairing mode on your Alexa device: Say “Alexa, pair” to put your Alexa device in pairing mode.
- Activate Bluetooth pairing mode on the streaming device: Consult the instructions of your streaming device (e.g., smartphone or tablet) to enable Bluetooth pairing mode.
- Pair the devices: On your Alexa device, say “Alexa, pair” again, and it will search for available devices. Follow the prompts to complete the pairing process between your Alexa device and the streaming device.
- Launch the GB News app: Ensure that the GB News app is installed on your streaming device.
- Select the content and play through connected devices: Open the GB News app, choose the desired content, and select the option to play the audio through connected Bluetooth devices. The audio should start playing through your Alexa device.
With your smartphone or tablet streaming GB News content and your Alexa device connected via Bluetooth, you can now enjoy GB News through your Alexa device’s speakers.
Method 2: Using the “Play GB News Radio” skill
Although GB News does not have official skills, there are alternative radio skills that can potentially provide access to GB News radio streams. One such skill is the “Play GB News Radio” skill. Follow these steps:
- Enable the skill: Open the Alexa app on your smartphone or visit the Amazon Alexa Skills Store and search for the “Play GB News Radio” skill. Enable the skill by clicking the “Enable” button.
- Link your account (if necessary): Some skills may require you to link your GB News account or provide authentication information. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete this process, if applicable.
- Activate the skill: Once enabled, you can activate the skill by saying “Alexa, open GB News Radio” or “Alexa, play GB News Radio.”
- Listen to GB News radio streams: The skill should start playing the live GB News radio stream, allowing you to stay updated on the latest news and discussions.
Please note that the availability and functionality of alternative skills may vary, and it’s essential to check the skill’s reviews and ratings to ensure a satisfactory experience. Additionally, it’s worth regularly monitoring any updates or announcements from GB News or Amazon regarding potential collaborations or official skills that may provide direct access to GB News content on Alexa devices.
Alexa News Skills – A Complete Guide
Alexa news skills are third-party applications that you can enable on your Alexa-enabled device to access news from a wide range of sources. These skills provide a convenient way to stay updated on the latest headlines, stories, and topics of interest. Here’s a detailed explanation of Alexa news skills:
What Are Alexa News Skills?
Alexa news skills are voice-activated applications that provide access to news content on Alexa-enabled devices such as Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, or Echo Show. These skills are developed by various news organizations and media outlets, allowing users to listen to news updates, stream live radio broadcasts, and access on-demand news content using voice commands.
Enabling News Skills on Alexa:
To use a news skill, you need to enable it on your Alexa device. This can be done through the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet.
Simply search for the desired news skill in the Alexa Skills Store, select it, and click the “Enable” button. Some news skills may require additional account linking or setup processes, which will be guided by on-screen prompts.
3 Types of News Skills:
Alexa news skills cover a wide range of categories and sources, including:
- General news: These skills provide a curated selection of news updates from multiple sources, offering a variety of perspectives and headlines.
- Specific news sources: These skills focus on delivering news content from specific sources or media outlets, such as BBC News, CNN, NPR, or Fox News.
- Topic-specific news: These skills cater to specific interests or categories, such as sports news, technology news, business news, entertainment news, or local news.
Accessing News With Alexa News Skills:
Once you have enabled a news skill, you can use voice commands to access news content. For example:
- “Alexa, what’s the news?”
- “Alexa, play BBC News.”
- “Alexa, give me the latest sports news.”
- “Alexa, tell me technology news.”
Alexa will then provide the requested news content based on the skill you have enabled and the command you provided.
Customizing News Preferences:
Many news skills offer customization options to personalize your news experience. You can often configure preferred news sources, categories, or specific programs. To customize your news preferences, you can access the settings for each enabled news skill in the Alexa app.
Daily News Briefings:
Some news skills provide daily news briefings, which are personalized summaries of the day’s top stories. You can configure these briefings to include news from your preferred sources or categories. Simply ask Alexa to play your news briefing, and it will provide a tailored update.
Discovering and Managing News Skills:
You can explore and manage news skills in the Alexa app. In the Skills & Games section, you can search for news skills, read reviews and ratings, and enable or disable them as per your preference. The app also allows you to discover new and trending news skills based on recommendations and categories.
By leveraging Alexa news skills, you can conveniently access news content using just your voice, keeping yourself informed and up to date on the topics that matter to you.
What News Channels Can I Get On Alexa?
Alexa offers a wide range of news channels and sources that you can access on your Alexa-enabled device. Here are some popular news channels available on Alexa:
- BBC News: BBC News skill provides the latest news updates, top stories, and in-depth reporting from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Stay informed about global news, business, technology, entertainment, and more.
- CNN: The CNN skill enables you to listen to the latest news, top stories, and live audio streams from the Cable News Network (CNN). Get access to breaking news, political updates, health reports, and feature stories.
- NPR News: The NPR News skill offers news, stories, and radio programming from National Public Radio (NPR). Stay updated with national and international news, politics, science, culture, and other topics.
- Fox News: The Fox News skill provides the latest headlines, breaking news, and live radio streams from the Fox News Channel. Access news on politics, business, sports, entertainment, and more from a conservative perspective.
- Bloomberg: The Bloomberg skill allows you to access news, market updates, financial information, and business analysis from Bloomberg, a renowned source for financial news and market data.
- Reuters: The Reuters skill provides news and insights from the Reuters news agency. Stay informed about global events, business, politics, technology, and other topics with unbiased reporting.
- Associated Press: The Associated Press skill delivers news, stories, and updates from the Associated Press, one of the largest news organizations in the world. Get breaking news, investigative reports, and feature articles.
- ESPN: The ESPN skill provides sports news, updates, and analysis from the worldwide leader in sports coverage. Stay up to date with the latest scores, highlights, and news from the world of sports.
- The New York Times: The New York Times skill offers the latest headlines, news stories, and articles from one of the most prestigious newspapers in the United States. Access a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, science, and more.
- CNBC: The CNBC skill provides business news, financial updates, market data, and analysis from the CNBC network. Stay informed about stocks, investing, business trends, and economic news.
- ESPN: Sports enthusiasts can access the latest sports news, scores, and highlights through the ESPN skill on Alexa. Stay updated on your favorite teams, players, and sporting events.
- The New York Times: Get news from one of the most reputable newspapers in the world with The New York Times skill on Alexa. Listen to top headlines, opinion pieces, and in-depth reporting from journalists at The New York Times.
These are just a few examples of the news channels available on Alexa. Remember to enable the respective skills for each news channel through the Alexa app or the Amazon Alexa Skills Store.
Keep in mind that availability and functionality of skills may vary based on your location and the specific Alexa device you own. It’s always a good idea to explore the skills store for more news options and stay updated with any new additions or changes in the Alexa news channel lineup.
How Do I Add News Channels to Alexa?
If you want to customize your news experience on Alexa and add specific news channels or sources to your device, you’re in luck. Alexa offers a simple process to add and manage news channels, allowing you to stay updated with your preferred sources. Let’s get started!
Explore News Skills in the Alexa Skills Store
The first thing that needs to be done when adding a news channel to Alexa is to explore skills that match your needs. Follow these steps to explore news skills:
- Open the Alexa app: Launch the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet. Ensure that you are signed in to your Amazon account associated with your Alexa-enabled device.
- Access the Skills & Games section: Tap on the “More” button at the bottom right corner of the app, then select “Skills & Games” from the list of options.
- Search for news skills: In the search bar at the top, enter the name of the news channel or source you want to add. For example, if you want to add BBC News, type “BBC News” and tap the magnifying glass icon to search.
- Browse and select the desired skill: Review the search results and select the news skill that corresponds to the channel or source you want to add. Ensure that the skill has positive ratings and reviews to ensure a satisfactory experience.
- Enable the skill: On the skill’s page, tap the “Enable” button to add it to your Alexa device. Some skills may require you to link your account or provide authentication information, so follow the on-screen instructions if necessary.
Set Up and Manage News Channels
After you have selected a news skill that fulfills your requirement, you will have to set up and manage that skill. These steps will help you set up the skill and control it according to your needs:
- Open the Alexa app: Launch the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet and sign in to your Amazon account associated with your Alexa-enabled device.
- Access the Settings menu: Tap on the “More” button at the bottom right corner of the app, then select “Settings” from the list of options.
- Tap “Notifications”: Scroll down and select “Notifications” from the list of options.
- Select “News”: On the Notifications page, tap “News” to manage your news channels.
- Add news channels: Tap the “Add” button and choose from the available news channels or sources. You can select multiple news channels to customize your news briefing.
- Customize your news briefing: Once you’ve added news channels, you can reorder them, set the order in which news sources are played, and configure other settings such as the number of news updates and the frequency of updates.
- Save your changes: After customizing your news briefing, tap the “Save” button to apply the changes.
How to Listen to News on Alexa: 6 Types Of Commands
Listening to news on Alexa is a convenient way to stay informed about the latest headlines, updates, and stories. Once you have enabled news skills on your Alexa device, you can easily access them using voice commands. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to listen to news on Alexa with an already-enabled news skill:
- Wake up Alexa: Start by saying the wake word, which is typically “Alexa,” followed by a command.
- Command for general news: To listen to general news updates, you can say “Alexa, what’s the news?” or “Alexa, give me the latest news.” Alexa will provide you with a curated selection of news updates from various sources based on your preferences and the news skills you have enabled.
- Command for specific news channel: If you have enabled a specific news skill, you can ask Alexa to play news from that channel. For example, say “Alexa, play BBC News” or “Alexa, open CNN” to access news from those specific sources.
- Command for specific news category: Alexa can provide news based on specific categories or topics. You can say commands like “Alexa, give me sports news,” “Alexa, tell me technology news,” or “Alexa, play business news” to get news tailored to your interests.
- Command for news briefings: Many news skills offer daily news briefings that provide a summary of the day’s top stories. To listen to a news briefing, you can say “Alexa, play my news briefing” or “Alexa, give me my flash briefing.” Alexa will then play a personalized news summary based on your selected news sources and preferences.
- Command for specific news query: If you have a specific news query or want information on a particular topic, you can ask Alexa. For example, say “Alexa, what’s the latest on climate change?” or “Alexa, tell me about the upcoming elections.” Alexa will provide relevant news and information based on your query.
Remember that the exact voice commands may vary depending on the news skills you have enabled and the specific news sources you want to access. It’s worth exploring the individual skill settings or checking their documentation for any unique voice command requirements or features they offer. Additionally, you can manage your news preferences and customize your news experience in the Alexa app by accessing the settings for each enabled news skill.
Takeaway
while there is currently no official GB News skill available on Alexa, there are alternative ways to access GB News content on your Alexa-enabled device. By connecting your Alexa device via Bluetooth to a compatible device that can stream GB News or utilizing the “Play GB News Radio” skill, you can still enjoy the latest news and discussions from GB News.
Keep an eye out for any updates or announcements regarding potential collaborations or official skills that may provide direct access to GB News on Alexa devices. Until then, these alternative methods can help you stay connected to GB News and ensure you don’t miss out on the latest updates and insights.