If you're using Amazon smart speakers, you'll be glad to know that you can now synchronize your iCloud calendar with Alexa. Initially, you can only synchronize the Google and Microsoft calendar with Alexa, so the new feature is a great relief for people who are tied to the Apple ecosystem and depend on iCloud for everything. One of my favorite things about Alexa is that I can easily add events to my calendar and remember them without even having to raise my hand. Now, even the most demanding Apple users can enjoy these functions without any problem. However, there are some more steps involved before you can start the synchronization function.
Apple always takes the security game very seriously. To maintain a high level of security, Apple does not allow users to log in to third-party applications using their main Apple ID and password . Instead, users can generate application-specific passwords to log in to third-party applications. Therefore, when logging on to the iCloud calendar within the Alexa application, notice that you are requesting a specific password for the application and not your iCloud password. So, before we can synchronize our iCloud calendar within the Alexa application, we will have to generate the specific application passwords required . If you don't know how to do it, follow the steps to get the specific password for your application.
Generating the specific passwords of the application
To generate a specific application password, you must first enable two-factor authentication in your iCloud account.
- Visit the official Apple ID website log in with your credentials . Scroll down until you find the options for " Security " and click " enable two-factor authentication ".
- Now, choose the correct country code and enter your phone number .
3. Enter the verification code You just received and click "Continue" to verify your devices.
4. Once you have enabled two-factor authentication, see that in the " Security "there is an option for generate application specific passwords . Click on it and follow the steps.
5. When you click on "Generate password", a pop-up window will appear asking you to enter a password tag . Don't worry, it's just a way to remember what password you have used for each application. You can write whatever you want. I called her Alexa for obvious reasons. Press " Create "after you're done.
6. Vers that Automatically generates a 16 character password for you. You can generate and maintain 25 passwords at once. Remember not to use the same password for two different applications, as it will not work. To manage your passwords, click on the "Edit button " in the upper right corner. Here, you can remove the specific passwords from the application. Delete a password revoke the access of the corresponding application and disconnect it.
Synchronizing the iCloud calendar with the Alexa application
Make sure you've already installed the Alexa application on your iPhone and you've paired your Amazon smart speaker with it. If you have not done so, please do it first. Now, open the Alexa application and touch the hamburger menu. Go to Settings-> Calendar and find an option to link your Apple iCloud calendar.
Once you have pressed the Apple iCloud option, the application will guide you through the process of generating the application-specific password. But we've already done it, so just press " Continue "until you see the login page.
On the login page, enter your Apple ID and the specific password of the application that we generated earlier to give Alexa access to its iCloud calendar. That's it, as soon as you log in, Alexa can access your iCloud calendar.
All ready to synchronize Apple's calendar with Alexa
Synchronizing your calendar with Alexa opens a new realm of possibilities. Be like having your personal time manager, who write down all your time-based events and tasks and remind you before they expire. I personally enjoy this feature very much. Now even Apple calendar users can access these functions. Synchronize your calendars from your iPhone and let us know your favorite Alexa features in the comments section below.
