Every time you want to speak to Alexa, you first need to wake up the device by using the “wake word,” Alexa.

To get started, use your natural voice and speak “Alexa” into the device.Follow instructions to set up your Echo, Echo Dot, etc.

Select the “ +” icon in the top-right corner of the screen to add a device.

In the bottom-right corner of the screen, select Devices.

Download the Alexa app on your mobile device.

Power on your device by plugging it into a wall unit or surge protector.

Amazon suggests that it fits best in communal spaces, like living and family rooms. However, our tester opted out of this feature.Echo, Amazon’s flagship smart speaker, connects to Alexa to play music, set alarms and timers, answer general questions, control smart home devices and lots more. This could come in handy if you’re interested in Alexa Together, an Amazon program designed to help you watch over older loved ones like parents or grandparents through your Echo. With your contacts built into your smart speaker, you can call or video chat with anyone listed in your phone through the Echo Dot. But if you do say yes, it will give you the ability to call people in your contacts list via the smart speaker. The Alexa app might also ask you for access to your contacts. It has all kinds of uses, but we opted out because there’s only one Echo device in our home.

This way, you can tell the kids 'Dinner is ready' without yelling upstairs. We also opted out of Drop In, a feature that lets you broadcast messages to other speakers in your home. And for digital security reasons, we chose to keep our Wi-Fi inside and opted out. Our tester didn’t have any Ring cameras outside their home. So, if you or your neighbors have a Ring camera outside your home, that little piece of Wi-Fi pie can help them stay connected. Sidewalk is an Amazon feature that shares a slice of your internet connectivity with other Ring and Amazon devices nearby, whether they're in your house or not.

Setting up echo dot