Dish’s devices just got easier to control with new Alexa voice commands

If you’re a Dish subscriber, you may already be familiar with Amazon’s Alexa, as the company introduced Alexa for its Hopper devices in April 2017 and expanded support to its Joey clients in October 2017. Whether you’re already a user or just bought a device with Alexa, your life is about to get a little easier, as Dish has rolled out a handful of new Alexa voice controls.

The new commands let you control your Dish DVR as well as navigate the interface and launch apps. If you’re watching a show and suddenly realize you want to record it, simply saying “Alexa, record this” will take care of that for you. If, on the other hand, you want to look through shows you’ve already recorded, all you need to do is say “Alexa, go to my DVR.”

When it comes to navigation, you can move through the interface by saying “Alexa, go to my Home Screen” or “Alexa, open Game Finder.” This works similarly for apps as well, which you can launch by saying “Alexa, launch Netflix” or “Alexa, launch Pandora.” The new commands join those that were already available, which would let you change channels or search for TV shows.

“We are working to create the best Hands-Free TV options for our customers, and these new voice capabilities are an important step in that direction,” Dish vice president of product management Niraj Desai said in a statement. “Dish customers already love the convenience that our Alexa compatibility brings to their home, so we’re continuously identifying popular voice commands to enhance that experience.”

These commands are available to any Dish customer with an Alexa device and internet-connected Dish hardware, which includes all generations of its Hopper DVR, the Hopper Duo, all models of the Joey, and the Wally. When it comes to Alexa devices, you can use the Amazon Echo, Echo Show, Echo Dot, or even the new Fire TV Cube or another Alexa-enabled device. There is one slight catch, in that each Dish set-top box will need to be paired with its own Alexa device.

These new commands are available now. For more about Alexa integration with your DVR or set-top box, see the Dish website. If you are new to Alexa, make sure to take a look at our guide to all the different things you can do with Amazon’s insanely popular virtual voice assistant.