Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Alexa update offers in-home intercom support between Echo devices

Amazon Echo best amazon deals
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Rolling out to all Echo devices this week, Amazon’s new update to the Alexa software will include the ability to make intercom-style calls between rooms that have an Echo, Echo Dot or an Echo Show. Useful for large families, users will be able to specify a room in the home they want to call. For instance, if a parent has just finished preparing dinner, they can use the Echo to call their kids to the table without having to shout across the home.

To activate this functionality, users will first need to download the Alexa app to their Android or iOS mobile device. Using the app, each Echo device within the home will have to be assigned a specific name. In addition, users will have to enable the drop-in feature to activate the intercom. The intercom function isn’t tied to a home’s Wi-Fi network, but rather to the household groups created within the app.

To place a call, the user will have to say something like “Alexa, drop in on the kitchen” in order to call the kitchen’s Echo device. Be aware that the drop-in feature lets users immediately start chatting with you or video conferencing if you have an Echo Show. This could be problematic for anyone in the family that prefers privacy over intrusion, such as the vast majority of teenagers.

Interestingly, users will also be able to activate the intercom system outside of the house using the smartphone or tablet app. For instance, a parent using the app could remotely call in order to make sure a latchkey kid got home safely from school. If video is enabled from a smartphone to an Echo Show, pet owners could use the device to check up on their dog or cat and speak over the intercom device.

This new feature is likely strategic by design for Amazon, as it basically increases the number of Echo devices customers would be likely to own and install within their homes. Ultimately, this will increase the accessibility of Alexa’s features within a home, ideal for a retail company that’s aggressively promoting voice ordering and other services like Amazon Music Unlimited.

Expect additional promotions related to voice ordering and sales on the Echo family of devices within the next two weeks. Amazon’s next Prime Day is currently scheduled for the second week of July 2017. It’s likely the Echo and Alexa will play a significant role in the event.

Editors' Recommendations

Mike Flacy
By day, I'm the content and social media manager for High-Def Digest, Steve's Digicams and The CheckOut on Ben's Bargains…
I tried the Amazon Echo Show 8, a smart display that transforms when you get close
The third-generation Amazon Echo Show 8.

If you’ve ever used the last Amazon Echo Show 8, you mostly have a pretty good idea of what you’re going to get with this updated model: a decent screen with which to see things, a surprisingly good speaker.

And that’s still true going into this new iteration, one of several new Echo devices announced today. Even in our crowded, noisy demo area after Amazon's fall devices event at its new HQ2 building in Arlington, Virginia, you could hear music (the sort your kids love) just fine. The speaker on this thing is still surprisingly good.

Read more
Everything announced at Amazon’s fall 2023 devices event
The Amazon Echo Show 8 at the Devices Event 2023.

The leaves are starting to turn color, and you know what that means: Amazon's annual fall Devices and Services event is upon us, bringing with it a veritable smorgasbord of product announcements, from new Fire TV streaming gadgets and Echo devices to Amazon smart home gear like Blink and Ring cameras, as well as Eero Wi-Fi routers and Alexa galore.

Taking place Wednesday, September 20, from Amazon's shiny new HQ2 second headquarters in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, the invite-only event was heavy on themes of generative AI and its use in the home, specifically how it relates to its own products. Dave Limp, Amazon's outgoing senior vice president of devices and services, delivered his last keynote, spilling the details on Alexa's most significant AI upgrade yet. Limp revealed its all-new advanced large language model (LLM), which will make the smart assistant more intuitive, conversational, and able to understand more complex nomenclature and nuances. And it's all integrated with Amazon's Alexa devices throughout your smart home.

Read more
Amazon’s Echo family expands with an on-wall hub, smart glasses, and more
The Amazon Echo Frames on display at the 2023 Amazon fall devices event.

Another year, another batch of new devices from Amazon's fall event. This year's showcase had plenty of newly announced gear and improvements to some much-loved Alexa-powered products. From an all-new interactive touchscreen display for controlling all your smart home devices to a fresh set of Echo shades, many of these cutting-edge gadgets are already available for preorder. Here's all the hardware we found out about today.
The all-new Echo Hub

 

Read more