How to Set Up an Amazon Echo

Congratulations on your very firstAmazon Echo smart speaker, and welcome to a new and exciting world of lightning-fast automation, music streaming, powerful home security, impressive search engine capabilities, and a means to connect with friends and family.

With so many features and so much potential, it’s no wonder Amazon’s smart speaker is revered among smart home adopters and audiophiles. Don’t get too overwhelmed thinking about the possibilities, though. First things first: Let’s get your Echo up and running.

Here’s a guide on how to do just that.

Step 1: Download the Alexa app

The free Alexa app is a must-have if you’re the owner of an Amazon Echo or Echo Dot. Download the app on any smartphone or tablet with iOS 11.0 or higher, Android 6.0 or higher, or Fire OS 5.3.3 or higher. Downloading the app on a computer? Make sure you’re connected to Wi-Fi, then visit the Amazon Alexa website.

Step 2: Plug in the Echo

This is probably the easiest step in the whole process, as the Echo doesn’t require any batteries. Simply plug the included power adapter directly into the Echo, then connect the plug to a power outlet. When the light ring turns blue, that means the power is connected. Then, wait for it to turn orange, as this is a sign that Alexa is preparing to greet you. After that, you’ll hear Alexa’s voice telling you the device is ready for setup.

Step 3: Connect the Echo to Wi-Fi via the app

Next, you’ll need to connect your Echo device to your home Wi-Fi network. The latest versions of the Echo should guide you through this process. However, if you get stuck, simply open up the Alexa app and search through the available networks until you find yours. If you have multiple Echo devices, make sure you go to the Devices tab, then click the icon for Echo & Alexa in the top carousel and select your Alexa device. Under the Wireless heading, you should be able to see the state of the Wi-Fi network connection.

Once you’re connected, you have the option of saving your Wi-Fi password to Amazon, which makes it easy to connect to smart home devices. You can also set up a new Alexa device on the same network should you decide to purchase more Echo speakers for other rooms. You also have the choice of connecting your Echo to a public network, although the password won’t be saved on Amazon.

Step 4: Start talking to Alexa

To get started, say the wake word, which is “Alexa” by default. If there’s already someone named Alexa, Alexis, or similar in the house, you can change the wake word to something else. Simply tell the Echo, “Alexa, change the wake word.”

You can also change the wake word manually by opening up the Alexa app, tapping Help & Feedback, and selecting Change the Wake Word. Currently, you can change the Echo to respond to “Echo,” “Amazon,” or “Computer.” There’s no word on when Amazon will allow you to customize Alexa and call her a name of your choosing.

Step 5: Start using your Echo

Congratulations, your Amazon Echo is all set up and ready for use! To make sure everything’s working properly, you can conduct a simple test by trying out a few basic commands. For example, say the wake word and “Hello.” If your Echo is properly set up, Alexa should respond with a simple “Hello” in return. In the Alexa app menu, you will see two sections called Skills & Games and Things to Try. These are both excellent ways to see what Alexa is capable of.

Skills can help you customize Alexa by giving her certain abilities — think of them as mini-apps from many different creators that you can use for entertainment, organization, news, and much more.

You can start using your Echo device for a range of tasks. You can make to-do lists, find out the weather, check on traffic conditions, call your friends, send text messages to your family, or stream podcasts with simple voice commands. You also have the option to expand your digital network by connecting smart home devices. Everything from color-changing lightbulbs to home security cameras can communicate with your Echo. Alexa has thousands of essential and not-so-essential skills you can add, too. Check out some of the most useful things that the Amazon Echo can help you do.

Step 6 (optional): Connect smart home devices or an external speaker

Open your Alexa app and navigate to the menu on your tablet or phone. Select the Devices option. We’ve discovered that Alexa typically allows an advertisement to appear at this point, but you can tap on it to close it. Select the + sign located at the top right corner of the app, then hit Add Device. After this, you can select the device you’d like to join from the list. If you’re unable to find the right one, you’ll want to click Other.

At this point, Alexa can connect with any smart devices that happen to be closeby. You can build more high-level Scenes where multiple devices interact simultaneously and can order accessories into Groups. We encourage you to look at our post on Routines for more details and helpful tricks and tips on how to set up these interactions.

We believe it’s worth considering joining an external speaker to your Echo device if you’re looking to ensure that you’re getting a high-quality listening experience when enjoying an all-out jam session to your favorite tunes listening to audiobooks. Pairing a Bluetooth speaker with Echo compatibility is the most reliable way to guarantee you’re receiving second-to-none sound. Remember that your Echo can only connect to one Bluetooth device at a time. If you already have a device paired to your Echo, you’ll need to disconnect it first. Only then can you start to go through the entire setup process with the new accessory. Other smart home devices can’t connect via Bluetooth, though, so they stay connected. One instance is your home’s security camera, which utilizes your Wi-Fi connection to communicate with your Echo device.

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