Skip to main content

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

How to send a note using Visual ID on Echo Show 15

Amazon’s Echo Show 15 is touted as the biggest and best of the Alexa devices. With a bigger screen for more information, plus the ability to handle lots of daily tasks, Echo Show 15 is meant to become a family home center. One of the things Echo Show 15 lets you do is set up Visual ID, which is Amazon’s facial recognition service. By seeing and recognizing your face using the built-in camera, the Show 15 can personalize results and responses just for you — or for members of the family. If you need a quick primer on that, read how to set up Visual ID here.

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

  • Amazon Echo Show 15

One of the personalization options in the Echo Show 15 is the ability to send a note to a family member. It's worth pointing out there are two options here: Sending a Note and sending a Sticky. Here’s what to know about each and send them.

Notes and Stickys: What's the difference?

Notes are wrapped in little digital envelopes and are a cute communication tool. They’re not terribly proactive, in that you need to see them on the screen or ask if you have any. There’s no verbal alert from Alexa informing you that you’ve got mail. The Note notification appears and disappears from the screen seemingly at will.

Sticky notes are just like they sound; they stay stuck to the screen in the widget gallery and look like a digital Post-it note on the screen.

amazon fall 2021 event everything announced echo show 15
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to get Alexa to send a Note

To write a Note, just say, “Alexa, send a Note to Erin.” Alexa will take the dictation via your voice and deliver it to that person the next time they pass by the screen and the camera recognizes them.

To send a Note to a specific person, the sender and recipient both need to have Visual ID and Voice ID enabled. If your recipient doesn’t have these features set up, you can still leave something for them — you’ll just do it as a Sticky instead.

how to send note using visual id amazon echo ssticky
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to get Alexa to send a Sticky

Step 1: If your person is not part of Visual ID, you can simply say, “Alexa, write a Sticky.”

Step 2: You’ll dictate the contents of the note by voice, or you can type it in.

Step 3: The note will stay stuck to the screen as part of the widget grid until you tap and hold to remove it or ask Alexa to delete it.

Notes and Stickies make it easy to pass messages between family or household members on the go, whether they use Visual ID or not.

Editors' Recommendations

Erin Lawrence
Erin has over 20 years of experience as a journalist in the media and news industries, with time both on camera and behind…
How to fix an Echo Dot with clock display that isn’t working
Amazon Echo Show 5th Generation on a shelf with dishes.

The Echo Dot with clock is one of the most popular gadgets in the Echo lineup. With an affordable price tag and full access to the Alexa voice assistant, the smart speaker is a great way to dip your toes into the world of smart homes and start automating your daily tasks. However, some users have reported issues with the Echo Dot with clock’s display.

Read more
How to use Alexa Together
Alexa together.

Alexa Together is a unique, premium program that’s available to anyone with an Echo device. Developed as a way to support loved ones who live in different households, the service is an affordable way to provide remote care for older family members. Alexa Together is a surprisingly versatile platform -- and since it’s built on the standard Echo operating system, it’s remarkably easy to use.

Available through the Alexa app and put into action using just a single Echo device, Alexa Together provides real-time activity monitoring and alerts to caregivers, along with a number of Remote Assist functions, like the ability to create reminders and set up streaming services for loved ones.

Read more
How to Drop In on an Echo, Echo Show, or Echo Dot
Drop In on the Amazon Echo Show 10.

If you own an Echo device, such as the Echo Show or Echo Dot, you'll have access to a nifty feature known as Drop-In. This allows you to start a conversation with Alexa contacts or use the smart home gadget as an impromptu intercom.

Read more