Skip to main content

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

Amazon rolls out Alexa hands-free to Fire 7, Fire HD 8 tablets

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Amazon is officially rolling out support for Alexa “hands-free” mode to more of its Fire tablets. While the feature was originally only available for the Fire HD 10 — running Fire OS 5.5 or later — it’s now available for the Fire 7 and Fire HD 8 tablets.

Prior to the update, users with the

Fire 7

or

Fire HD 8

could only activate Alexa by holding down the Home button. This triggers a blue status bar — similar to the one you see with Siri — which appears on the screen prompting you to voice your command or question.

Recommended Videos

With hands-free mode, you can pull up the assistant by saying “Alexa,” even if the tablet is locked. You can use about things like the weather, show times, restaurant recommendations, and more. In order to use the feature, you also have to make sure you’re connected to Wi-Fi.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

But there are some limitations if you’re not using it on the HD 10. Hands-free mode only works on the Fire 7 and Fire HD 8 if the device is plugged into a power source. It’s also important to note that it might not work when plugged into a low-power source either, such as a USB port.

Fire tablets also don’t include far-field microphone arrays, but you should be able to easily activate Alexa if you’re close to the tablet. For those who have a variety of Alexa-enabled devices in their space, the tablets have Echo Spatial Perception support — meaning the closest device will respond when activated. With ESP technology, an Echo speaker that is on your nightstand will respond to you before your tablet does if it’s further away.

Similar to the Echo Show or Echo Spot, the Fire 7 and Fire HD 8 will also show graphics on the screen when activating Alexa with a specific question or command. For example, if you ask about the weather, it will pull up an animated forecast for the week ahead for you.

The feature is rolling out this week through an over-the-air software update. Once it’s downloaded on the device, Alexa hands-free can be enabled by heading into Settings, tapping on Alexa, and toggling on Hands-Free Mode. You can also swipe down from the display to toggle it on via quick settings.

Brenda Stolyar
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brenda became obsessed with technology after receiving her first Dell computer from her grandpa in the second grade. While…
Leaked Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 renders show sleek design similar to the S7
Samsung Galaxy Tab A7.

Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Tab S8 has just leaked in new renders. Coming from prominent leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer, more commonly known as OnLeaks on Twitter, these renders look a lot like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 that preceded it.

Despite Android's lackluster reputation in the tablet market, Samsung has worked hard to build up a respectable slate of tablets. These include both the Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S7 FE in recent times. With high-resolution displays, stylus support, and clean design, these tablets manage to match and rival the iPad on a pure hardware basis, though the available app library and screen optimization need work.

Read more
The most common Amazon Fire problems, and how to fix them
Kindle Fire tablet on a table.

The Amazon Fire, previously known as the Kindle Fire, is Amazon's flagship tablet product combining the best of their famous e-book reader with the standard tablet offerings we've become accustomed to in recent years. First released in 2011, these tablets have served in a niche space for voracious readers looking for more smart device features for their home or office. For those of you in that crowd, we're taking a look at the most common problems with the modern range of Amazon Fire tablets. We also keep tabs on common issues for the older Kindle Fire tablets since there are plenty still out there on living room coffee tables.
See more

Amazon Fire HD 10 review
Amazon Fire tablet tips and tricks

Read more
Alexa Show Mode transforms your Lenovo laptop into a hands-free Echo Show
Alexa Show Mode - Lenovo Laptop

Lenovo and Amazon are looking to transform the way you use Alexa on Windows 10 laptops.

Now rolling out to newer ThinkPad, IdeaPad, and Yoga Lenovo laptops is Alexa Show Mode -- an experience that can turn your PC into an Echo Show-like display.

Read more