If you have an Amazon Echo or the Amazon Alexa app, you can easily connect with someone who has an Echo device or the Alexa app. Here’s how to use it.
If you have an Amazon Echo Show 10, Echo Dot, Echo Flex, or even the new Echo Show 15, you can use it to make calls or send messages to another Echo device. Just say “Alexa, call your mom”or “Alexa, call <<contact name>>”and you’ll start an Echo-to-Echo audio or video call.
But if you want to be able to take advantage of this feature, the system must be properly configured on various devices and applications. Here’s how.
1. Get an Amazon Echo device: Echo Show, Echo Dot, Echo Flex, or more.
Sounds logical, but if you want to initiate an Echo-to-Echo conversation, you need an Echo device. You can technically use the Alexa app, but it’s useless because the app is installed on… a smartphone.
Here are the devices compatible with this feature:
- Amazonian echo (4th generation)
- Studio Amazon Echo
- Amazon Echo Show 15
- Amazon Echo Show 10 (2020)
- Amazon Echo Show 8 (2021)
- Amazon Echo Show 5 (2021) and Echo Show 5 Kids
- Amazon Echo Dot (2020) and Echo Dot Kids Edition (2020)
- Amazon Echo Dot with 4th Generation Watch (2020)
- Amazon Echo Flex
2. Download the Alexa app and update it.
It is probably the most important, since it is she who will perform the functions of the call center. You also need to make sure it’s up to date to support chat features.
To do this, visit the App Store for iOS devices or the Google Play Store for Android devices and make sure you have downloaded and installed the latest version of the app.
3. Set up the Alexa app for Echo-to-Echo calls
Once the app has been updated, it will guide you through the entire process from the first run. Just follow a few quick steps, including verifying your name and phone number, and sharing your contact list.
4. Make sure the contacts are correct in the Alexa app.
This feature uses your contacts to match the phone number with the name you provide in the voice command. It then uses that number to identify the Alexa user you’re trying to reach, so you need to enter their phone number during setup.
In fact, the system will not work if your contacts are not up to date. For example, if you want to send an Echo Dot message from “Mom”, you will need a “Mom”contact on your phone with the same phone number she has associated with her Alexa account.
5. Make sure the person you’re calling has set it up too
All of this can only work if both the caller and the called party have completed the previous steps.
Some important points:
- When someone calls you, all your Echo devices ring: including smartphones and tablets with the Alexa app installed, as you can use all of these devices to answer or listen to messages.
- Your echo will turn green when you have a new message: to listen to it, just tell Alexa to read your messages.
- Amazon transcribes your messages in the Alexa app: The new messages section of the Alexa app acts like a little auto-responder that lists your latest messages and conversations. For messages, you’ll even have a transcript of what was said – handy when you can’t listen to the message at the moment. On the other hand, transcription accuracy may be poor.
How to use Amazon Echo to call someone’s mobile or landline
Echo to phone voice calls are available from all Echo devices to most numbers in the US, UK, Canada, and Mexico. As with Echo to Echo calls, connecting an Echo device to a phone is done with a simple voice command.
Just say “Alexa, call <<contact name>>”to call someone on your contact list. You can also specify which number to call if the contact has more than one by saying “Alexa, call <<contact name>> mobile”or “Alexa, call <<contact name>> office.”
If you want to call a number that is not in your contacts, just say “Alexa, call <<phone number>>”.
While calling Echo to your phone is convenient and easy, it’s quite limited. Emergency numbers (such as 911), premium rate numbers, and most international numbers, with the exception of the US, UK, Canada, and Mexico, cannot be dialed this way.
How to make a video call using Echo Show
Whether you have an Echo Show 5, Echo Show 8, Show 10 3rd generation, or the latest and greatest Echo Show 15, you can enjoy video calling with the smart display.
However, before you can do that, you first need to make sure the person you’re chatting with has the Alexa app installed on their smartphone and also has an Echo Show. There are two ways to start a video call.
- Using voice command: Say “Alexa video call <<contact name>>”.
- Through the screen: Start by swiping left on the right side of the screen to open the echo show menu. In the upper left corner of the menu, click “Communicate”> “Show Contacts”to open the contact list. Scroll to the contact you want to call, select their name, and tap Call from the Alexa Devices menu to start a video call.
This is a very nice feature that works even if your interlocutor only has a smartphone. In addition, the ability to make a group video call is also available. Just make sure everyone turns this feature on first, create a contact group through the Alexa app, and say “Alexa video call <<group name>>”.