How to Video Call on an Echo Show

This article explains how to make and receive video calls using an Echo Show. These instructions work for all versions of the Echo Show.

How to Place a Video Call on Echo Show

There are two ways to initiate a video call using an Echo Show. After you've set up your Echo Show, you can use your Alexa wake word and then give a command, or you can use the touchscreen interface to start a call. Both you and the person you’re calling need to have the Alexa app installed on your phones, you both need to have an Echo Show device, and the person needs to be in your Alexa contacts.

Here’s how to video call on an Echo Show using voice commands:

1. Open the camera shutter on your Echo Show if it’s closed.

2. Say your Echo wake word, then issue the command video call (contact name).

   For example, you might say “Alexa, video call Dave” to call a contact named Dave.

3. If Alexa asks you to confirm the contact information of the person you’re trying to call, confirm it’s the right person or correct Alexa, so you call the correct person.

4. Wait for the person to answer your call.

   You will see yourself on the screen until the person answers, at which point your image will move to a small picture-in-picture box.

5. When you’re done, tap the red hang-up button or say, “Alexa, end video call.”

How to Place a Video Call on Echo Show Using the Touchscreen

Your Echo Show device also has a touchscreen to access a variety of functions. The touchscreen is useful if you’re having trouble getting Alexa to recognize the correct contact for your video call, and you don’t want .to call the wrong person accidentally

Here’s how to use the Echo Show touchscreen to place a video call:

1. Make sure the camera shutter is open.

   

2. Swipe from the right side of the screen toward the center of the screen.

   

3. Tap Communicate.

   

4. Tap the name of the person you want to call.

   

   If you have multiple people connected to your Amazon account, select whose contacts to show.

5. Tap the video call icon.

   

Can You Do Group Calls on Echo Show?

In addition to placing calls between one Echo Show and another, you can also make a group call that includes up to seven participants. This feature allows you to call both Echo and Echo Show users simultaneously, including a mix of both audio-only and video participants in the same call. To use this feature, you need to set up a group in the Alexa app, and each member of the group needs to opt-in.

Here’s how to make a group call on Echo Show:

1. Set up a group in the Alexa app.

2. Opt into group calling.

3. Wait for the other members to opt in.

4. Make sure the camera shutter is open on your Echo Show.

5. Say, “Alexa, call (group name)” to initiate a group call.

Can You FaceTime on Amazon Echo Show?

No, you can't FaceTime on an Echo Show. FaceTime is Apple’s proprietary video chat app which only runs on Apple devices. Echo Show devices can only place video calls to other Echo Show devices and the Alexa phone app, and only Apple devices can FaceTime. There is no interaction between the two. Video calls on Echo Show work just like FaceTime, though, allowing you to see your friends, family, or co-workers while you’re talking to them. It’s also free, just like FaceTime.

Frequently Asked Questions