How To Use The Echo Show

This story is role of Home Tips, CNET's collection of practical communication for getting the most out of your domicile, inside and out.

Alexa is no doubt a fun sidekick. Information technology can host a top-tier game night, it help you relax at the cease of a long day and information technology even has acracking humour. But more importantly, Alexa is super practical. One of the main perks of Alexa is that information technology tin can streamline your daily communication.

That'south right -- if you have an Amazon Repeat Show 10, Echo Dot, Echo Flex, the latestEcho Testify fifteen or one of the many other neat Alexa devices on the market today, y'all could ditch your landline and utilize Alexa to make calls and send messages.

Not just tin you lot use Alexa to make Amazon Echo-to-Echo calls, but you can use your Repeat device to call someone'due south mobile phone or landline, and use your Echo Show to brand video calls. Sound complicated? It'south actually uncomplicated. All y'all have to do is say, "Alexa, call Mom" or "Alexa, call (insert name)," and you can start your voice or video phone call. We'll walk you lot through what you need to know and how to set Alexa for calling and video chats. (If you're on the market for a new Alexa device, cheque out our favorite Alexa devices, inexpensive Alexa devices and smart displays of the year).

Read more: Keep Amazon, Google and Apple Out of Your Conversations: A Guide to Protect Your Privacy

Set up upwardly Echo-to-Repeat calls with these 5 easy steps

1. Get an Amazon Repeat device: Repeat Show, Echo Dot, Echo Flex or others

Information technology probably goes without saying, but if you want to engage in Echo-to-Echo communication, you're going to need an Echo device. At least, sort of. Y'all tin technically use the Alexa app, likewise, only that seems like a stretch given how many other means there already are to use your phone equally, you know, a phone.

Here are the devices that offer Echo-to-Echo calls:

Amazon Echo (fourth Gen)
Amazon Echo Studio
Amazon Repeat Show xv
Amazon Echo Show x (2020)
Amazon Echo Testify viii (2021)
Amazon Echo Prove five (2021) and Echo Show 5 Kids
Amazon Echo Dot (2020) and Repeat Dot Kids Edition (2020)
Amazon Echo Dot with Clock 4th Gen (2020)
Amazon Echo Flex

2. Download the Alexa app and brand sure it's up to date

This one'southward a biggie since the Alexa app is basically going to act as your call middle. You'll demand to make sure you've updated to the most contempo version, which features a new design and, most chiefly, support for the vox chat feature.

To exercise so, just head to the App Shop on iOS devices or the Google Play Store on Android devices and make sure that you've downloaded and installed the about recent version of the app.

An Echo Show 15 sitting on a media console — The new Echo Show fifteen offers Echo-to-Echo calls.
Amazon

3. Ready upwards the Alexa app to prepare for Repeat-to-Echo calls

Once your app is upwards to date, it'll walk yous through the messaging setup process automatically upon first launch. You'll just need to follow a few quick instructions, including confirming your name and phone number as well equally enabling access to your contacts listing.

4. Make sure your contacts are right in the Alexa app

The Echo messaging feature uses your contacts to match a phone number to whatever name you're telling Alexa to make it bear upon with. Information technology then uses that number to place the Alexa user y'all're trying to attain -- which is why you need to tell Amazon your phone number during setup.

That'south all well and practiced, only information technology won't work if your contacts aren't up to engagement. For instance, if y'all want to send a message to your mom's Echo Dot, you'll need to take an entry for "Mom" in your phone'southward contacts, complete with the same phone number that she associated with her Alexa account. And hey, speaking of which...

5. Make sure the person you're calling is on board

This obviously but works if both of y'all follow those beginning four steps, so you might need to call mom and walk her through the process (or at least send this article her mode).

Now for the sticking points -- or at to the lowest degree the things you should exist aware of:

When someone calls you, all of your Echo devices will ring. This includes any phones or tablets that have the Alexa app installed, since you lot can apply those to take calls or listen to messages, too.
Your Echo will glow greenish when you take a new bulletin. To hear it, just tell Alexa to play your messages.
Amazon volition transcribe your messages in the Alexa app. The new messaging section of the Alexa app is a little like a voicemail in-box that lists your recent messages and conversations. For the letters, information technology'll even include transcribed speech-to-text readouts of what was said -- convenient when you lot aren't able to mind to a message just then. Just exist warned that the transcription accuracy is only and so-then -- you lot might demand to decipher a confused phrase or two.

Read more:Alexa Blinking Yellowish or Green? Hither's What Those Lights on Your Amazon Echo Mean

How to use your Amazon Echo to call someone's mobile phone or landline

Echo-to-phone phonation calls are possible on all Repeat devices and most mobile and landline numbers in the The states, UK, Canada and Mexico. Similar Echo-to-Echo calls, connecting an Repeat device and a phone is possible through simple voice commands.

But say "Alexa, phone call (name of contact)" to phone call someone from your phone's contact listing. Y'all can also specify which number to call if at that place are multiple numbers -- say a work and a mobile number -- nether ane contact. Simply say, "Alexa, phone call (name of contact) mobile" or "Alexa, call (name of contact) work."

If yous're wanting to call a number that'southward not saved in your contact list, say "Alexa, telephone call (phone number)."

While Echo-to-phone calling is user-friendly and easy, it'south not limitless. Emergency services numbers (such equally 911), premium-charge per unit numbers or toll numbers (such as 1-900 numbers) and near international numbers except for the U.s., UK, Canada and Mexico cannot be called through Echo devices.

How to video call using the Echo Show

Whether you have the original Echo Evidence 5, the Echo Show viii, the third-gen Testify 10 or the newest -- and largest -- Repeat Show 15, you lot can make video calls to your friends and family using the smart display.

Before you tin can make a call, however, y'all accept to first brand sure the person yous desire to video chat with either has the Alexa app prepare on their mobile phone or also owns an Echo Bear witness. There are two easy means to start a video call.

Using voice commands: Say, "Alexa, video phone call (contact proper noun)."
Using the display: Start by swiping the right side of the brandish to the left to open the Echo Show characteristic carte. In the top-left corner of the menu, hitCommunicate > Evidence Contacts to open your contact list. Scroll to the contact you're trying to accomplish and select the contact proper name. Next, hitting Phone call under the "Alexa devices" menu to begin a video call.

This is a nifty feature that nevertheless works even if your contacts only have a smartphone. Plus, the option to do a group video call is bachelor, also. Just make certain that anybody joining enables Alexa'southward group phone call features first, and then you tin create a contact group through your Alexa app and say "Alexa, video call (whatever yous named the contact grouping)" to begin chatting.

So will Echo-to-Echo or Echo-to-phone calling catch on and cease up replacing our landlines? Who knows -- simply if you're itching to endeavor out calling with your Alexa devices, now you know how.