Amazon’s Echo Show smart displays let you use voice commands to control your smart home devices, make video calls, watch movies and TV shows, and more. However, your Echo Show won’t be so smart until you set it up properly. Here’s how to set up your new Echo Show device, how to use it, and common settings that you might want to change.
How to Set Up Your Echo Show
To set up your Echo Show, plug it in first. Then select your language and connect to a WiFi network. Next, log in to your Amazon account, confirm your time zone, and choose a name for your device. Finally, follow the on-screen instructions to choose which settings you want to enable and disable.
Plug your Echo Show into a power outlet. Use the included power adapter to connect your device to power. Then select your language. The Echo Show has a touchscreen, so you just have to tap the selection you want. If you don’t see your preferred language, you can swipe down to see more options. Next, select your WiFi network. Then and enter your WiFi password and tap Done. If you want to make sure that you are entering your password correctly, tap Show to the right of the text box. Next, select Connect. If you don’t want Amazon to remember your password, un-check the box next to Save Password to Amazon. Then tap Sign In and enter your Amazon username and password. If you don’t have an Amazon account yet, you will need to open a web browser on another device and create a new account on Amazon.com. Next, tap Sign In. Then tap Continue. This confirms that your Echo Show is now registered to your Amazon account and that you agree to Amazon’s Terms and Conditions of Use. Next, confirm your time zone. Then select which room your Echo Showis in. This allows you to group and organize your Amazon smart devices. You can also tap Skip and change this setting later. Next, enter a name for your device and tap Continue. You can also just stick with your default Echo Show name. However, giving your Echo Show a simple name makes it easier to use voice commands later. Then choose your preferred clock and wallpaper and tap Continue. You can also change these settings later. Next, choose if you want your Echo Show to be used as a security camera. Tapping Enable will allow members of your family to be able to see a live view of your Echo Show’s camera in the Alexa app. Then choose whether you want to enable Amazon Sidewalk. Tapping Enable will allow your device to share your WiFi signal with other Alexa devices, so they always stay connected. To find out more about what Amazon Sidewalk is and how to turn it off, check out our article here. Next, decide if you want to make your Echo Show a dedicated children’s device. Tapping Yes will allow you to set bedtime limits, review the device activity, and block explicit content. Finally, tap No Thanks to skip the promotional offers. Once you skip the promotional offers, you will finish setting up your Echo Show. The screen will show Almost Done for a while, depending on how fast your WiFi connection is. How to Connect Echo Show to Alexa App
Once you set up your Echo Show, it will appear in your Alexa app if you are signed in to the same Amazon account. To find your Echo Show in the Alexa app, go to Devices > Echo & Alexa and it will be in the group that you assigned it to.
From the Alexa app, you can change your Echo Show settings by tapping the gear icon in the top-right corner. Plus, you can control the volume of your Echo Show, see a live video of your device’s camera, set up an alarm, and more.
How to Use Your Echo Show
To start using your Echo Show, swipe left from the far right side of the screen. This will open up a menu that will let you make video calls, control your smart home devices, listen to music, watching videos, and more.
To make a video call on an Echo Show, swipe left from the far-right side of the screen and select Communicate. Then select Call and choose one of your contacts or tap Dialer in the top right-corner to dial a number. To listen to music on your Echo Show, you can say, “Alexa, play [song]” or swipe left from the right side of your screen and tap Music. Then tap your screen to reveal the play, rewind, and skip buttons.
If you want to know how to listen to other music streaming services, check out our guides on how to connect Spotify to Alexa and how to play Apple Music on your Alexa devices.
To watch a video on your Echo Show, you can say, “Alexa watch .” You can also swipe left from the right side of your screen and select Video. Then choose a streaming service and navigate to a video you want to watch. To watch a YouTube Video on an Echo Show, you have to say, “Alexa search YouTube for .” You can also use the built-in Silk web browser to watch YouTube videos, but it can be difficult to navigate with the touchscreen. How to Change Settings on Your Echo Show
To change settings on your Echo Show, swipe down from the top of your screen and select the gear-shaped icon in the top-right corner. From here, you can connect to a different WiFi network, change your background image, and more.
Once you know how to set up your Echo Show, check out our article on the best Alexa commands you didn’t know about.
