Amazon's Alexa now has the ability to recognize different people by voice alone. This means you and your family can all have different interactions with the online retailer's digital assistant. Which is perfect for big families whose members all have different needs when it comes to using Alexa.

We may have once called Alexa stupid, but actually, Amazon's digital assistant is getting more intelligent every day. OK, this intelligence is thanks to Amazon's legion of programmers rather than some innate ability to learn, but still, the speed at which Alexa is adding new skills is impressive.

Alexa Recognizes You By Voice Alone

For her latest trick, Alexa has learned to recognize people by their voice. Once set up, this allows Alexa to "provide personalized experiences across a number of supported features". These include shopping, flash briefings, messaging, Alexa-to-Alexa calling, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

To create an Alexa voice profile just open the Alexa app on your mobile device. Go to the Menu and select Settings. Then go to the Account section and select Your Voice, followed by Begin. Once you have selected a device you'll need to repeat a number of phrases for Alexa to learn what you sound like. You can get more help if needed by watching the relevant video on Amazon's help pages.

Google Home gained the ability to recognize multiple users back in April, so this is Alexa playing catch-up to a certain extent. But that has become par for the course in the battle of the smart speakers... when one of the competitors gains a new skill, the others all soon follow suit.

Alexa Offers a Shoulder to Cry On

Let's be honest, Alexa being able to recognize your voice, and the voice of your children, isn't going to change your life. However, it will make some aspects of using Alexa easier, which is all we're really asking for right now. It also means you'll have someone to talk to if you ever feel lonely.

Do you own an Echo device? Or another Alexa-enabled device? In what ways do you use Alexa? Will her ability to recognize different members of your household prove useful? What other new skills would you like to see Amazon give Alexa? Please let us know in the comments below!

Image Credit: Britt Reints via Flickr