The line of products in Alexa Amazon is just irresistibly amazing and if you own an Alexa product you will certainly agree to it as Alexa can do all beyond your imagination. A digital home assistant, it answers questions and performs tasks with ease and you do not even have to make a move.
With the launch of various options in the Amazon Alexa devices naming -the Tap, Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Look, Echo Show – Alexa’s a very capable assistant, and Amazon regularly adds new Alexa features.
Out of the various amazing features of Amazon Alexa, Alexa Calling and Messaging feature add great value to the gadget.
Technically called Alexa-to Alexa calling and messaging, this feature was first launched at the Amazon Echo Show. The device has a display and is competent in letting users place audio and video calls. However, Amazon was keen to extend this characteristic to other Echo devices as well, so developed the Alexa calling and messaging feature for supported Echo devices and the Alexa for iOS or Android app for phones or tablets. With this wonderful feature of Alexa, the user can not only place a call using the service but can also leave a voice message or text message. The best part about the new feature is that it’s free to use as it works over Wi-Fi and mobile data, so you don’t need to invest in a talk plan.
How does Alexa calling and messaging work?
In order to make use of this feature, you need to have an Amazon account, a mobile phone number, and the Alexa app on a device running Android 5.0 (or higher), iOS 9.0 (or higher) or on an Android Fire tablet.
All these must be set up using the Alexa app since it needs to validate your number. The aspect also works with all recent Echo devices,
Sign up for Alexa Calling and Messaging
- Sign Up the Amazon Alexa app (on your compatible iOS or Android phone)
- Open the Conversations tab from the bottom menu.
- Follow the on-screen directives to enter and confirm your mobile phone information.
Here’s the list of Compatible devices:
- Amazon Echo
- Amazon Echo Dot
- Amazon Echo Show
- Amazon Echo Spot
- Amazon Echo Plus
- Alexa app (on Android, iOS or Fire tablet)
Make and receive calls using Echo devices
To start a call from a compatible Echo device, just ask Alexa to call the person. You can dial numbers directly as well, by saying each digit (including the area code) of the number you want to call. Just bear in mind that Alexa uses voice profiles to verify who is making a call. If you have a voice profile and Alexa is able to distinguish your voice, your contacts list is automatically used.
Enclosed are some Alexa commands you can say:
- Make a call to another Echo device: “Alexa, call (George)”.
- Make a call to a mobile or landline number saved in your contacts: “Alexa, call (Smith’s) mobile” or “Alexa, call (Alexender) on his home phone” or “Alexa, call (Ronald) at work” or “Alexa, call (Mom’s) office”.
- Dial a mobile or landline number: “Alexa, call [any number]”.
- Hang up / end the call: “Alexa, hang up” or “Alexa, end call”.
- Answer the call: Just say, “Answer.”
- Ignore the call: Just say, “Ignore.”
To call your contacts and supported mobile and landline phone numbers:
- Go to the “Conversations” menu in the Amazon Alexa App.
- Opt for Conversations from the bottom navigation bar.
- Select the Contacts icon to view your available Alexa-to-Alexa contacts.
- Choose the contact you want to reach and then select Call (the “phone” icon).
- To end the call, select the End button on-screen.
Text messages:
In order to send a text message with the Alexa app, select the Conversation icon, then pick an existing conversation or tap the Start Conversation icon in the extreme corner. Afterwards, tap the keyboard button near the microphone at the bottom of the screen to send a fresh text message. It will be pushed to your friend’s Alexa app, and, they will get a notification. However, you cannot send or receive texts on Echo devices.
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