Alexa will now speak louder if she detects a lot of background noise

Amazon has rolled out a new feature for Alexa that can make sure you hear what the voice assistant is saying even when the TV is on or while people are talking. According to The edge, the new feature called Adaptive Volume will make Alexa speak louder if it detects a lot of ambient noise. The goal, the company told the post, is for you to be able to hear the voice assistant’s responses to noise in your home or office. If you’re outside of the US, however, you won’t be able to try it out yet – The edge says it’s only available to US customers at the moment.

The post tested the functionality using an Echo Dot located right next to a desktop computer with a spinning fan and found its performance inconsistent. Alexa sometimes responded in a louder voice than usual, but other times she responded at her usual volume. The company may still refine the feature before making it available in other regions. The edge also noted that Amazon did not say whether Adaptive Volume can also make the voice assistant respond in a calmer voice if it detects almost no ambient noise. Alexa has long had a “whisper mode”, however, which can make her respond in a softer voice when you whisper commands to her.

If you are in the US and want to try adaptive volume, just turn it on by saying “Alexa, turn on adaptive volume.”