How To Set Up Echo Show For Someone Else

Are you looking for a way to setup video chats with your loved one who lives independently or in a facility?

This article tells you how to exercise that, using the Echo Show, without requiring your loved one to do any of the "setting up".

New to This Topic?

This is a Deep-dive "How To" article. If you lot are not nevertheless sure if the Echo Testify is the correct product for your situation, you probably want to kickoff with one of these related pieces of research.

• Amazon Echo Show: Older Adults Explore; or
• Can Alexa Aid Fight isolation and Loneliness; or
• Technology for Sheltering in Place; or
• Best Video Telephone call Technology.

Setting the Stage: Common Questions

Permit's listen on in a conversation betwixt ii seniors: Bob, whose mother but moved into a nursing domicile, and Frank, who but completed an Alexa Calling setup for his Mom.

Alexa Calling for Staying in Touch with Mom

Bob: I have been reading that Amazon Alexa Calling is the easiest style for me to have video chats with my Mom, but I take no thought how to get started for her.

Frank: Amazon Alexa Calling is a great way to do video chats with your Mom. You can accept a video call with her even if she is unable to say the proper Alexa control to answer the call or unable to tap the icon on the Amazon Echo Show screen. That is accomplished using the "drop-in" characteristic. Hither are the various Repeat Bear witness sizes (fig one).

Figure i: Different versions of the Amazon Echo Testify.
L-R: Repeat Prove v; Repeat Prove 8; Repeat Prove (Gen 2).

Just I Can't Visit Mom to Set It Up

Bob: Great. I actually setup an Echo Show in my own home and have done video chats with other family members, just they each setup their own Repeat Show… How can I setup i for my Mom, especially since she doesn't live nearby?

Frank: Amazon recently offered some advice (Reference ane) on how to practise that remotely.

I advise yous follow their advice and configure your Mom's Repeat Bear witness at YOUR abode, using YOUR Wi-Fi, then the only thing that will accept to change at her home is the Wi-Fi.

Tin can't Mom Just Use My Amazon Account?

Bob: Ok, only as I read their setup procedure, I encounter she would demand her own Amazon account. Can't she only utilize mine?

Frank: I recommend getting her a complimentary Amazon business relationship. That way all her preferences such as music and contacts are split. You volition still exist able to log into her account when yous are home to later make whatsoever changes necessary. In fact, if you continue an Echo device, say an Echo Dot, at your domicile logged into her business relationship, y'all tin remotely help her troubleshoot problems. And… you volition be able to remote "push button" family photos to her Repeat Show as a slide show.

But She Doesn't Have a Jail cell Phone. Information technology Says She Needs I.

Bob: Hmm, they also mention using "her cell phone" to complete the setup. She does not have or desire a cell phone and I don't want to buy a "burner" just for this setup.

Frank: Not to worry. There is a manner to do this using her Amazon account and a complimentary Google Voice business relationship, which creates a free mobile number that Amazon needs to consummate the Alexa Calling setup. Yous tin can log into her Amazon account with YOUR cell telephone to complete the setup, including Contacts. I'll requite you details later on how to perform this step past stride.

I Don't Want All MY Contacts in HER Alexa

Bob: Ok, I go information technology, but I read that if I use MY cell telephone, that all my contacts exist in at that place!

Frank: No, y'all tin can add the contacts your Mom needs one by one.

The Retirement Abode Might Not Let Me Connect to Their WiFi

Bob: Oh, I forgot to mention that she is at present in a nursing home. I know an Echo Show device needs Wi-Fi to work. What if they won't permit it on their network?

Frank: Aha, there is a way around that using a paid prison cell service with what the carriers phone call a mobile hotspot.

Her Boob tube is So Loud. She Will Not Hear the Telephone call.

Bob: Oh, one more thing. She plays her TV very loud and I'yard afraid she won't be able to hear me calling her.

Frank: I take a set up for that! Yous also install a Fire TV Cube for her TV. If she is watching TV when your phone call comes in, it will actually break the Television! (Reference 2). She will also have other benefits using the Burn down TV Cube such as vox control of her TV shows and family pictures.

Practice My Siblings Also Need an Echo Prove to Video Conversation with Mom?

Bob: Oh, one last thing. My brothers and sisters will also want to do video chats with Mom. Volition they all need an Echo Show?

Frank: They can only use an Alexa app on their prison cell telephone. They will be able to call Mom and she can fifty-fifty call them! If they have the Alexa app running when she calls, they volition exist asked to answer the call. If the Alexa app is non running at that time, they will get a regular jail cell phone phone call and can then phone call her correct dorsum in the Alexa app. One of the benefits of using an Echo Show is that it volition evidence you when Mom is nearby her Echo Show and that might be a skilful fourth dimension to call her.

OK. You Convinced Me. :)

Bob: Ok, OK… I'm convinced. Delight give me all the footstep by step info yous mentioned.

Frank: Of form. Here are some detailed setup instructions.

Listing of Equipment, Software, and Applications Required

Equipment needed:

Amazon Echo Show device for your home and your Mom'south home.

• Be sure to order hers as a "gift" so that Amazon does not pre-configure it for your settings.
• You could reset information technology to "Factory Default", if you ordered information technology configured (see below).

Wi-Fi at both locations.

• Add a portable Wi-Fi hotspot, if Wi-Fi is not available if at your Mom's location.

You lot need a mobile telephone other than your own.

• If your Mom does not have one, encounter the Google Vox workaround below.

Software needed:

• Separate Amazon accounts for you and your parent.
• Alexa app on your mobile phone.
• Setup a Google account and a free Google Voice for your Mom — if she has no mobile phone.

Setup Instructions: Footstep past Step

1. Set up YOUR Echo Device

1. Plug it in and wait for the prompts. (If y'all take previously ordered Amazon Repeat devices, it may already have the steps below performed.)
2. Select a language by tapping the screen.
3. Select your Wi-Fi network name.
4. Enter your Wi-Fi password.
5. Enter your Amazon account email and password.
6. Sign in.
7. Confirm the time zone.

2. Set up Upwards your MOM'due south Echo Device

1. Plug information technology in and wait for the prompts.
2. If it was delivered with your settings, you tin perform a Factory Default Reset (see below).
3. Select a language by tapping the screen.
4. Select YOUR Wi-Fi network name (this will be changed afterwards).
5. Enter YOUR Wi-Fi password and Tap CONNECT.
6. Enter your MOM's Amazon account electronic mail and countersign and Tap DONE.
7. Sign in with your MOM'south business relationship, tap CONTINUE.
8. Fix the right time zone & address, tap CONTINUE.
9. Choose a room location or skip.
10. Rename the device to your preference, e.g. Mom'south Echo Show.
11. Choose some wallpaper, e.g. Nature.
12. Watch the video tutorial that pops up during setup for some usage hints.
13. Select which "Amazon offers" you want (if any). NOTE: Your MOM does NOT need a Prime number account, nor a payment method for this to piece of work. And in general we recommend keeping things elementary to starting time.
14. When you bring this Echo Show to your Mom's house, you volition need to modify the Wi-Fi settings.
15. This would be a good time to review all the letters that will exist popping upwardly on her screen… some people are bellyaching by too many letters. Come across next section.

Review Her "Settings"

1. Swipe down from the summit of the screen.
2. Tap the "Settings" gear in the upper right.
3. Curl to "Habitation Content".
4. Cull which messages you lot think she will find appropriate. (Note: you can but set these messages up while at her Echo Show… they are not remotely changeable.).

Notes on "Settings"

• Drop-in is useful, if your Mom has trouble speaking to Alexa or tapping the reply push button on a call.
• Weather is always useful.
• Shared with You can give you a means to transport her pictures to automatically display.

Adjust Her Accessibility Settings

1. Scroll to "Accessibility".
2. Choose the settings you think might be helpful.

Notes on Accessibility Settings:

• Airtight caption may be helpful.
• Alexa Captioning helps past displaying the text of Alexa's oral communication on the screen.
• Communication Without Voice communication is useful. It transcribes vox messages into text.
• Tap to Alexa adds an icon on the screen that your Mom could bear on to telephone call up Alexa actions you determine. For example:
  1. Music
  2. News
  3. Telephone call your Alexa devices

Mill Default Reset (needed only if the Repeat Testify comes with your settings and you want to reset them)

1. Swipe downward from meridian of the screen.
2. Tap "Settings" gear.
3. Scroll to "Device Options" and tap it.
4. Scroll to "Reset to Manufactory Defaults" and tap it.

3. Configure Alexa Communications for Your MOM's Account

There are two unlike ways to create and configure your female parent's Alexa Account, depending on whether or non she has a mobile phone capable of running the Alexa App.

The basic consequence here is that the Alexa App needs some blazon of phone number to use as a reference to your mother'south Alexa.

If she has a cellphone modern enough to run the Alexa App, then Alexa can use her cellphone number to recall her. However, if she does non have such a cell phone (or if you can't become your hands on it because she is locked way), then you can create a separate Google voice number in your mother'due south name, and requite that to Alexa to use equally a reference. In that instance, she does not need a cellphone at all.

• If she does accept a mobile phone capable of running the Alexa Appp, and you lot can admission that telephone, then jump to "Scenario B".
• If she does NOT have a mobile phone, or if y'all cannot access it, so there is an extra footstep kickoff, every bit explained in Scenario A beneath.

Stride 3a: Create Your Mother's Alexa Account

Scenario A: She does Non have a mobile phone, or you lot cannot access her mobile phone.

You will need to perform these extra steps using YOUR prison cell phone by adding a Google Vocalisation number. Google Voice will need to use your cell phone number to setup the new number.

NOTE: Alexa Communications really doesn't "phone call" this number… it merely uses information technology as a reference to find your Mom'southward Alexa Echo Show.

UPDATE: Since this was outset published, reader Allynn made a groovy suggestion nearly usingTextNow to receive the SMS text setup message. I tested it on a few systems and it works great equally an alternative to Google Phonation. However as of September 2022, TextNow requires y'all to use a paid version in lodge for the number to stay allocated to you for a period longer than a few months. You need this, and then you lot need the paid version if you want to use this approach.

1. Sign up for a Gmail business relationship in her proper noun (here is the link to signup for a Gmail account).
2. Sign up for a Google Voice number in her name (hither is the link to signup for Google Vocalisation).
3. Sign into the Alexa app on your phone, using your MOM's Alexa business relationship. (You volition need to delete and re-install the Alexa app to do this). [Don't worry. Your settings are stored in the cloud, so when you take reinstalled the App and logged in once more as you, your old settings should still exist in that location!]
4. Proceed to Step 3b.

Notes nigh setting upwardly Google Voice:

• Search a new number… do NOT use your phone number. Select any location & number.
• Google will need to use YOUR mobile telephone number to consummate the setup with a text bulletin.
• Exist sure to utilise your Mom's Gmail account.
• When you see the "Enter your phone number" prompt, enter YOUR prison cell phone number. (This volition be used to receive a text lawmaking for confirmation of setup).
• Enter the code you lot received.
• Notation: Your cell phone number tin can have simply ONE Google Voice Number assigned.

Scenario B. If your Mom has a mobile phone capable of running the Alexa app:

• Install the Alexa app on her phone.
• Log into the Alexa app (equally your mother).
• Keep to Footstep 3b.

Pace 3b: Enter the Phone Number Alexa will Use to Place your Female parent's Alexa

Once logged in (every bit your mother) you should see a screen that looks like this:

Figure 2: Screenshot showing "Communicate" Icon.

• Tap the "Communicate" icon on the bottom left (fig ii). And so:

Scenario A:

• Enter the Google Phonation number, then grant permissions for calling and messaging.
• Your phone'southward Google Vocalization app will receive a verification lawmaking.

Scenario B:

• Enter your Mom's mobile telephone information, then grant permissions for calling and messaging
• Your Mom's mobile telephone volition receive a verification lawmaking via text.

Step 3c: Add Your Contact Info So She Can Call You.

In figure 3 below you come across the "Person Silhouette" in the upper right.

Figure 3: Screenshot showing "Person Sillhouette"

• Tap the "Person outline" in upper right (fig 3) A different screen will appear showing a "Contact Listing" as in figure 4 beneath.

Figure iv: Screenshot showing Contact Listing

• Tap the three vertical dots in the upper right (Fig 4).
• Add YOUR contact info so that Alexa Communications tin can reach yous

Pace 3d: Avoid "Importing your contacts"

Alexa will propose you "import your contacts" only we don't recommend that.

Figure 5: Make up one's mind whether to "Import Contacts"

• Do Not import all contacts (fig 5)

Footstep 3e: Ready "Driblet-in Feature"

• If your Mom approves, you could also enable Drop-in for your contact. (This tin can exist enabled later, by signing into her Alexa account if weather change).
• Save and close the Alexa app.

4. Configure Alexa Communications for YOUR business relationship

• Log back into your Alexa app. (If you lot had to utilise your telephone to complete your Mom's setup, yous volition need to delete & re-install the Alexa app).
• Tap the "Communicate" icon on the bottom left (Fig two).
• Tap the "Person silhouette" in upper right (Fig 3).
• Tap the iii vertical dots in the upper correct (Fig 4). And so Add your Mom'due south contact info and then that Alexa Communications can reach her from YOUR Alexa App.
• Don't import all contacts (Fig 5).
• Save.

5. Test the Installation

You tin test this fifty-fifty earlier delivering to your Mom's house.

• Movement your Mom's Echo Evidence to another room to reduce audio feedback. This also enables yous to talk to one of the Alexas without the other 1 responding to your voice.
• On your Echo Show say "Alexa, telephone call Mom" (or any name or nickname you put in your Alexa Contacts). (Note: the first time Alexa may ask if you desire her mobile phone or Alexa devices… choose Alexa devices.)
• Your Mom'southward Echo Show should offer her the selection to answer.
• After hanging up, attempt calling your Echo Evidence from her Echo testify.

Final steps

If everything worked, bring the Repeat Prove to your Mom's abode and alter the Wi-Fi settings when it boots up.

Q&A

Delight leave whatsoever questions in the comments below, and I will endeavor and reply.

In improver, we are collecting common questions and answers people have sent u.s.a. on the folio: "Alexa Questions & Answers" (too here on Tech-enhanced Life).

References

(one) Amazon advice post on setting up Alexa "for your loved one".

(ii) Run across my DIY Solution: FireTV Cube to pause TV when Alexa calls.

Disclaimer: This article represents the opinions of the author. This article was NOT sponsored by Amazon or whatsoever other corporation.

Source: https://www.techenhancedlife.com/citizen-research/how-set-alexa-calling-loved-one

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