How Do I Register To Make Calls Using Eco Dot?

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 lot how to practise that, using the Echo Testify, without requiring your loved one to practise any of the "setting upward".

New to This Topic?

This is a Deep-dive "How To" article. If you are not yet sure if the Repeat Testify is the right product for your situation, you probably want to start with one of these related pieces of enquiry.

Amazon Echo Evidence: Older Adults Explore; or
Tin can Alexa Assistance Fight isolation and Loneliness; or
Applied science for Sheltering in Place; or
Best Video Call Technology.

Setting the Stage: Common Questions

Let's listen on in a conversation between two seniors: Bob, whose mother merely moved into a nursing home, and Frank, who but completed an Alexa Calling setup for his Mom.

Alexa Calling for Staying in Affect with Mom

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

Frank: Amazon Alexa Calling is a great mode to do video chats with your Mom. You lot can have a video call with her fifty-fifty if she is unable to say the proper Alexa command to answer the call or unable to tap the icon on the Amazon Echo Show screen. That is achieved using the "drib-in" feature. Hither are the various Repeat Show sizes (fig one).

Echo Show Variants

Figure i: Unlike versions of the Amazon Repeat Show.
Fifty-R: Echo Show 5; Echo Show 8; Echo Show (Gen 2).

Simply I Can't Visit Mom to Set It Upward

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

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

I propose you follow their advice and configure your Mom's Repeat Show at YOUR home, using YOUR Wi-Fi, then the but thing that will have to change at her home is the Wi-Fi.

Tin't Mom Merely Utilize My Amazon Account?

Bob: Ok, simply equally I read their setup procedure, I see she would need her ain Amazon account. Can't she only employ mine?

Frank: I recommend getting her a free Amazon account. That manner all her preferences such every bit music and contacts are separate. You will nonetheless be able to log into her account when you are dwelling to later make any changes necessary. In fact, if you go on an Echo device, say an Echo Dot, at your domicile logged into her business relationship, you can remotely aid her troubleshoot problems. And… y'all volition exist able to remote "push" family unit photos to her Repeat Show every bit a slide testify.

But She Doesn't Have a Cell Phone. It Says She Needs 1.

Bob: Hmm, they also mention using "her jail cell telephone" to consummate the setup. She does non take 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 free Google Voice account, which creates a free mobile number that Amazon needs to complete the Alexa Calling setup. You tin can log into her Amazon account with YOUR cell phone to complete the setup, including Contacts. I'll give you details later on on how to perform this pace past step.

I Don't Desire All MY Contacts in HER Alexa

Bob: Ok, I become it, but I read that if I use MY prison cell phone, that all my contacts exist in at that place!

Frank: No, you can add the contacts your Mom needs one by one.

The Retirement Home Might Not Allow Me Connect to Their WiFi

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

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

Her TV is Then Loud. She Volition Non Hear the Phone call.

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

Frank: I have a set up for that! Yous also install a Fire TV Cube for her Goggle box. If she is watching Idiot box when your call comes in, it volition actually pause the TV! (Reference two). She will besides have other benefits using the Fire Goggle box Cube such as vox control of her Tv set shows and family pictures.

Do My Siblings Also Need an Repeat Prove to Video Chat with Mom?

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

Frank: They can just apply an Alexa app on their cell phone. They will be able to call Mom and she can even 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 prison cell phone telephone call and can then call her correct back in the Alexa app. One of the benefits of using an Echo Show is that it will testify you lot when Mom is nearby her Echo Show and that might be a good time to call her.

OK. You lot Convinced Me. :)

Bob: Ok, OK… I'thousand convinced. Please requite me all the step by step info you mentioned.

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

List of Equipment, Software, and Applications Required

Equipment needed:

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

Exist certain to lodge hers equally a "gift" and so that Amazon does not pre-configure it for your settings.
You could reset it to "Factory Default", if you lot ordered information technology configured (see below).

Wi-Fi at both locations.

Add together a portable Wi-Fi hotspot, if Wi-Fi is non available if at your Mom's location.

You demand a mobile telephone other than your own.

If your Mom does non have one, see the Google Voice workaround below.

Software needed:

Dissever Amazon accounts for yous and your parent.
Alexa app on your mobile phone.
Setup a Google business relationship and a costless Google Voice for your Mom — if she has no mobile phone.

Setup Instructions: Step by Step

1. Set up YOUR Echo Device

Plug it in and wait for the prompts. (If you accept previously ordered Amazon Echo devices, it may already accept the steps below performed.)
Select a language by tapping the screen.
Select your Wi-Fi network name.
Enter your Wi-Fi countersign.
Enter your Amazon account email and password.
Sign in.
Confirm the time zone.

2. Set Up your MOM's Repeat Device

Plug it in and wait for the prompts.
If information technology was delivered with your settings, you can perform a Factory Default Reset (see below).
Select a language by tapping the screen.
Select YOUR Wi-Fi network proper noun (this will exist changed later).
Enter YOUR Wi-Fi password and Tap CONNECT.
Enter your MOM's Amazon account email and password and Tap Washed.
Sign in with your MOM's account, tap Continue.
Set the correct time zone & address, tap Go along.
Choose a room location or skip.
Rename the device to your preference, due east.g. Mom'south Echo Show.
Choose some wallpaper, east.k. Nature.
Picket the video tutorial that pops up during setup for some usage hints.
Select which "Amazon offers" y'all desire (if any). NOTE: Your MOM does NOT need a Prime business relationship, nor a payment method for this to piece of work. And in full general nosotros recommend keeping things elementary to starting time.
When you bring this Echo Testify to your Mom's house, yous will need to modify the Wi-Fi settings.
This would exist a good time to review all the messages that will be popping up on her screen… some people are annoyed by likewise many messages. See next department.

Review Her "Settings"

Swipe down from the top of the screen.
Tap the "Settings" gear in the upper right.
Scroll to "Abode Content".
Choose which messages yous think she will find appropriate. (Annotation: you can but set these messages up while at her Repeat Show… they are not remotely changeable.).

Notes on "Settings"

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

Adjust Her Accessibility Settings

Ringlet to "Accessibility".
Cull the settings yous think might exist helpful.

Notes on Accessibility Settings:

Closed caption may be helpful.
Alexa Captioning helps by displaying the text of Alexa's spoken language on the screen.
Communication Without Speech is useful. Information technology transcribes vox messages into text.
Tap to Alexa adds an icon on the screen that your Mom could touch to call back Alexa actions you decide. For case:
1. Music
2. News
3. Call your Alexa devices

Factory Default Reset (needed only if the Repeat Bear witness comes with your settings and you want to reset them)

Swipe down from top of the screen.
Tap "Settings" gear.
Gyre to "Device Options" and tap it.
Scroll to "Reset to Factory Defaults" and tap information technology.

3. Configure Alexa Communications for Your MOM's Account

There are two different ways to create and configure your mother's Alexa Business relationship, depending on whether or not she has a mobile phone capable of running the Alexa App.

The basic result hither is that the Alexa App needs some type of phone number to use as a reference to your female parent'south Alexa.

If she has a cellphone modernistic enough to run the Alexa App, then Alexa tin can use her cellphone number to remember her. Nevertheless, if she does not have such a jail cell phone (or if you can't get your hands on it because she is locked style), then you can create a separate Google voice number in your mother's name, and give that to Alexa to use as 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 y'all can access that phone, and then jump to "Scenario B".
If she does Not have a mobile telephone, or if you cannot admission information technology, then at that place is an extra stride first, equally explained in Scenario A beneath.

Footstep 3a: Create Your Mother'south Alexa Account

Scenario A: She does Not accept a mobile telephone, or yous cannot admission her mobile phone.

You will demand to perform these extra steps using YOUR cell phone past calculation a Google Vocalization number. Google Vocalism will need to use your cell phone number to setup the new number.

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

UPDATE: Since this was first published, reader Allynn fabricated a swell suggestion about usingTextNow to receive the SMS text setup bulletin. I tested it on a few systems and it works great as an alternative to Google Voice. Notwithstanding as of September 2021, TextNow requires you to employ a paid version in social club for the number to stay allocated to you for a period longer than a few months. Y'all need this, and then y'all demand the paid version if y'all want to use this approach.

Sign up for a Gmail account in her proper name (here is the link to signup for a Gmail account).
Sign up for a Google Voice number in her proper noun (here is the link to signup for Google Voice).
Sign into the Alexa app on your phone, using your MOM's Alexa business relationship. (You will demand to delete and re-install the Alexa app to practise this). [Don't worry. Your settings are stored in the deject, and so when you take reinstalled the App and logged in again equally you lot, your onetime settings should still be there!]
Proceed to Stride 3b.

Notes about setting upward Google Phonation:

Search a new number… do Non use your phone number. Select any location & number.
Google will demand to use YOUR mobile phone number to consummate the setup with a text message.
Be sure to use your Mom's Gmail account.
When you see the "Enter your telephone number" prompt, enter YOUR cell phone number. (This will be used to receive a text code for confirmation of setup).
Enter the code y'all received.
Note: Your jail cell phone number can take only I 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 telephone.
Log into the Alexa app (as your mother).
Proceed to Footstep 3b.

Step 3b: Enter the Telephone Number Alexa will Use to Identify your Mother's Alexa

Once logged in (as your mother) you lot should run into a screen that looks like this:

Alexa screen 1

Figure two: Screenshot showing "Communicate" Icon.

Tap the "Communicate" icon on the lesser left (fig 2). Then:

Scenario A:

Enter the Google Voice number, then grant permissions for calling and messaging.
Your phone'southward Google Voice app will receive a verification code.

Scenario B:

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

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

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

Person button on Alexa

Figure 3: Screenshot showing "Person Sillhouette"

Tap the "Person outline" in upper right (fig 3) A unlike screen volition appear showing a "Contact List" equally in figure iv below.

Dots

Figure four: Screenshot showing Contact List

Tap the three vertical dots in the upper right (Fig 4).
Add YOUR contact info so that Alexa Communications can achieve you

Step 3d: Avoid "Importing your contacts"

Alexa volition suggest you "import your contacts" but nosotros don't recommend that.

Importing contacts

Figure v: Decide whether to "Import Contacts"

Do Not import all contacts (fig 5)

Footstep 3e: Set up "Driblet-in Feature"

If your Mom approves, y'all could also enable Drop-in for your contact. (This can be enabled afterward, by signing into her Alexa account if conditions change).
Salvage and close the Alexa app.

4. Configure Alexa Communications for YOUR business relationship

Log dorsum into your Alexa app. (If you had to use your telephone to complete your Mom's setup, you will need to delete & re-install the Alexa app).
Tap the "Communicate" icon on the bottom left (Fig 2).
Tap the "Person silhouette" in upper right (Fig iii).
Tap the three vertical dots in the upper right (Fig iv). Then Add together your Mom's contact info then that Alexa Communications tin reach her from YOUR Alexa App.
Don't import all contacts (Fig 5).
Save.

5. Exam the Installation

You lot can test this fifty-fifty before delivering to your Mom's firm.

Movement your Mom's Repeat Show to another room to reduce sound feedback. This also enables you to talk to one of the Alexas without the other one responding to your voice.
On your Echo Evidence say "Alexa, phone call Mom" (or whatsoever name or nickname you lot put in your Alexa Contacts). (Note: the first time Alexa may ask if you lot want her mobile phone or Alexa devices… cull Alexa devices.)
Your Mom's Repeat Prove should offer her the pick to reply.
After hanging up, endeavour calling your Echo Show from her Echo prove.

Concluding steps

If everything worked, bring the Echo Prove to your Mom's habitation and change the Wi-Fi settings when information technology boots up.

Q&A

Please go out any questions in the comments below, and I will endeavour and respond.

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

References

(1) Amazon advice mail service on setting up Alexa "for your loved 1".

(2) See my DIY Solution: FireTV Cube to interruption Tv set when Alexa calls.

Disclaimer: This commodity represents the opinions of the author. This commodity was Non sponsored by Amazon or any other corporation.