Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Smart Home
  3. News

Check out what is going on outside your front door with the Echo Show

Lulu Chang
By

Amazon Echo Show
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Amazon’s Echo Show has not been around for all that long, but smart home device makers are already jumping at the opportunity to integrate with the new technology. On Thursday, Vivint, August Home, Nest, Amcrest, EZViz, IC Realtime, Ring, Logitech, and Arlo (all of which produce smart cameras or video doorbells) announced compatibility with Amazon’s new Alexa-enabled touchscreen device.

Thanks to the new Vivint integration, you can now ask Alexa to show you live camera feeds from your indoor, outdoor, and doorbell cameras. If you say, “Alexa, show me my doorbell camera,” you will be able to look to your Echo Show and view content immediately. Similarly, the Echo will be able to control other Vivint smart home products, like smart locks, lights, garage doors, and thermostats. Of course, given that those products do not have cameras attached, Echo’s functionality here is not quite as special.

Recommended Videos

“We continue to expand our relationship with Amazon to enhance and simplify the smart home,” said Jeremy Warren, chief technology officer at Vivint Smart Home. “By enabling consumers to use their voice to access high-quality, live video and audio from their cameras, we’re giving them another convenient way to keep track of what’s happening in and around their homes.”

Related

Similarly, for smart lock makers like August and Ring, the Amazon Echo Show will now allow you to check out live video footage of what is happening outside your front door. If you have an August Doorbell Cam, you can ask Alexa to show your doorstep and watch real-time video of visitors. When your mailman’s left, you can say “Alexa, hide my front door,” if that’s what the name of your Ring doorbell. Footage from connected cameras like the Arlo or Nest will show you what’s going on in the garage, kid’s room, or living room, depending on where you have them placed. For many, it’s probably easier to ask Alexa to show you a certain room, rather than having to pull out a phone and open an app.

This marks the first time that users have been able to divorce their smartphones when it comes to actually monitoring footage from the cameras, doorbells, or Vivint devices, and certainly drives home the usefulness of the Amazon Echo Show.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Lulu Chang
Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Nest Hub Max vs. Echo Show 10: which is the better smart display?
The Nest Hub Max on a table.

The world of smart displays is dominated by two companies -- Amazon and Google. Amazon is responsible for the Echo Show 10, while Google is behind the Nest Hub Max. Both offer large screens, access to a massive roster of apps, and the ability to connect (and control) the rest of your smart home. There are a lot of similarities between the two popular displays, but there are a few key differences you should be aware of before adding one to your home.

Here's a closer look at the Echo Show 10 and Nest Hub Max to help you decide which is best.
Pricing and design

Read more
Lockly is bringing Matter and facial recognition to your front door in 2024
The Lockly Visage Smart Lock

Lockly makes some of the most intriguing smart locks on the market -- including the premium Vision Elite and minimalist Flex Touch Pro -- and now the company is gearing up to bring Matter and facial recognition to its lineup. Several new devices were revealed at CES 2024, including a Matter hub that's backward compatible with most existing Lockly products.

The Matter Link Hub is Lockly's first attempt at bringing the interoperability standard to its roster. By syncing your smart lock to the hub, you'll be able to integrate it with Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and (for the first time) the Apple Home app. Best of all, you won't need to sacrifice any countertop space for the Matter Link Hub, as it connects directly to an electrical outlet and should take no more than a few minutes to install.

Read more
Bring the Grinch to your front door with new Ring Quick Replies
Tech of the Week Ring Grinch

Ring is getting into the holiday spirit this year by launching a slew of new Quick Replies for its video doorbells. Or rather, it's not getting into the holiday spirit, as all the Quick Replies are inspired by The Grinch.

Video doorbell owners can now check out six Grinch Quick Replies, voiced by James Austin Johnson from Saturday Night Live. These can be added to your device through the Ring app by navigating to the Devices menu and selecting your doorbell. Next, simply click Smart Responses and pick Quick Replies -- where you'll see all available options.

Read more