Struggling to set up Amazon Alexa? Not getting enough help from Amazon’s guide? We’re here to help.
Keep reading to learn more details about setting up Alexa. We’ll follow the steps Amazon provides while fleshing them out to give you more detail.
How to Set Up Amazon Alexa
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5. Select Amazon Echo.
Once you’ve navigated to the Setup menu using the previous steps, the app screen will read, “What kind of device are you setting up?”
Select Amazon Echo. The app will You can also select the Devices on the lower right-hand corner of your homepage, then hit the plus sign in the upper right-hand corner. Then you’ll hit Add Device to reach the Setup menu. Then it will present a list of Echos to choose from.
6. Choose your Echo type.
You need to select the correct Echo to finish installation. If you can’t remember what kind of Echo you have, check the packaging.
Currently, the Alexa app has the following options:
- Echo
- Echo Dot
- Echo Dot Kids Edition
- Echo Sub
- Echo Auto
- Echo Buds
- Echo Loop
- Echo Input
- Echo Link
- Echo Link Amp
- Echo Studio
- Echo Show 15
- Echo Show 10
- Echo Show 8
- Echo Show 5
- Echo Show 5 Kids
- Echo Frames
- Echo Flex
- Echo Glow
7. Follow the app’s instructions.
Once you start connecting your Echo to the app, the process will be a little different depending on your Echo type. But rest assured, we’ve connected five different Echo models, and none of them were difficult to set up.
Be aware: setup is a visual process. The instructions will direct you to look at the light ring or screen as you set up your smart speaker.
Screen switching
If you’re setting up an Echo Show, or any other Echo device with a screen, the setup process will jump back and forth between your Echo screen and your phone screen.
If this is your first Echo, you’ll have to connect it to your Wi-Fi. But if you already have a few Amazon Echos, your app may save the Wi-Fi login so you don’t have to keep using it.
Amazon Alexa FAQ
To fully maximize your Amazon Echo experience, you need internet that stays reliably connected. Otherwise, Alexa may tell you that she can’t help you with your inquiries.
If you have smart home devices connected to your Echo, you’ll want internet that’s fast too. The more devices you have, the speedier your internet should be. Slow Wi-Fi can’t keep up with multiple smart home products.
To learn more about setting up a smart home, check out our guide to smart home setup.
Yes. This can be inconvenient at times. For instance, if Alexa’s also your alarm clock, she won’t wake you up if the power goes out.
There’s a way around this, though. Some third-party companies make Alexa battery stands so you can place your Echo in a spot with no accessible plug.
You control your Alexa device through voice command. For example, if you want Alexa to read you a story, you say, “Alexa, read me a story.”
Alexa pulls from many different “skills.” To use an Alexa skill, you usually have to agree to the conditions of the third party that made the skill.
Alexa can do all kinds of things, like tell you the weather, set timers for you, call your friends, and sing you songs. She can also control compatible smart devices. Try hooking a smartbulb or smart lock to your Alexa app and say, “Alexa, turn on the lights,” or “Alexa, unlock the front door.” It’s like magic.
To learn more about how to use your Echo, check out our roundup of how to have fun with Alexa.
We’re partial to the Amazon Echo Dot. It packs the capabilities of a full size Echo into a small and affordable package.
However, if you’re looking for an Echo speaker with a screen, the Echo Dot is not for you. You'd be better off with an Echo Show.
You won't need to have Amazon Prime to use Alexa, but you will need a basic Amazon account. Your Amazon account is how you will set up Alexa and get it working properly.
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