The Amazon Echo is capable of a lot, from turning on the lights to ordering the latest book online.
One of the coolest and most useful things you can do with your Echo is make and answer phone calls.
Your Echo can receive calls from other Alexa users and make calls to anyone you want to call. This is a very practical function that does not attract the attention of some
If you have an Amazon Echo and your friends or family have one too, or Alexa on their smartphone, you can make free calls using voice control directly from your device.
If you want to make calls outside of this infrastructure, you can call from an Alexa device in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Setting up Amazon Echo for phone calls
Before you can make and answer calls with your Amazon Echo, you first need to set everything up.
You will need to install the Alexa app on your smartphone and link it to your Amazon account and your Echo.
I'll describe the whole process in case you're completely new to Alexa. Here are the steps to set up your Echo to make and receive phone calls:
- Download the latest version of the Alexa app on your smartphone and install it. Either from the application itself or from a new version, iOS from here and Android from here.
- Follow the wizard to set it up and give it permissions to access your phone's data.
- Add your phone number and allow Alexa to access it. You will receive a verification code which you will need to respond to for this to work.
- Once you've completed the wizard, you should be able to see a contact icon. Select this option to see which of your phone contacts also have Alexa. You'll be able to make Alexa-to-Alexa calls to anyone you see there.
Making calls with an Amazon Echo will use your phone's data, but not phone minutes. If you're low on data for the month, keep that in mind when making calls with Alexa.
I don't know how much data to use to make a call, but make sure you have enough spare data left on your plan to cover it.
Make a call with your Amazon Echo
You can make an Alexa-to-Alexa call or "go out" and call a landline or mobile phone.
You can use the Alexa app or your Amazon Echo. To make a call with your Echo, just say “Alexa, call NAME” to call someone in your phone contacts or " Alexa, call the NUMBER” to call a specific phone number.
As long as the contact's name is in your phone contacts, Alexa should call their Alexa app.
If you're calling a non-Alexa user or calling a number, it obviously shouldn't be in your contacts. you just say "Alexa, call 555-555-5555" or whatever the number is, and Alexa will call it.
If you want to make a call from the Alexa app instead, select the conversation screen and select the Contact icon in the top right, select the contact and select the phone icon. Select the camera icon to make a video call.
Answer a call with your Amazon Echo
When you receive a call on your Echo, you will also receive the call on your Alexa app. The light ring on the Echo should turn green and Alexa will notify you of the call. To respond using echo, say “Alexa answers the call. »
If you want to answer using the app, just answer your phone as normal.
You don't have to pick up the call if you're busy. You can say "Alexa, ignore" and it will. Just let your phone ring if you don't want to answer from the app.
Sending voice messages with Alexa
Another cool feature of the Alexa app is Voice Messages that lets you send audio messages to someone. These voice messages from the Alexa app are like pre-recorded voice messages and can be useful for quick updates or messages when you don't have time for a full phone call.
To send a voice message using your Echo, say “Alexa, send a message to NAME” and speak your message out loud. Of course, this assumes that NAME is a name in your contacts.
To send a voice message through the Alexa app, open the conversation window and select the blue microphone icon instead of the phone icon to record a message.
Alexa receives the message the same as a call, the Alexa app will alert your phone and your Echo will turn on. You can listen to the message immediately or save it for later.
The Amazon Echo and Alexa can do more than just play music or tell you the weather. If you know other people with the device, you can talk as much as you want without costing you a penny. You can do all of this from your Amazon Echo or your Alexa app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my Echo call another Echo device?
Yes, Alexa has a Drop-In feature that you can use to make calls between two devices in your home. Open the Alexa app and tap the three horizontal lines in the top right corner. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eFrom here you can activate the Drop-In function. You can configure the feature to come from inside your home or you can configure it to come from anywhere. If you choose the latter, it will only allow certain contacts to drop in on your Alexa device. activated. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eNow you can use the Alexa app on your phone to call your Alexa device.
If you found this article helpful, you might also find other Amazon Echo TechJunkie articles, including Amazon Echo Troubleshooting Guide and How to Set the Amazon Echo Alarm to Wake You to Music.
Do you have any tips and tricks for making and receiving phone calls with your Amazon Echo? If so, leave us a comment below!
