Alexa, How Do I Set Up My Amazon Echo?

There’s no lack of digital assistants to talk with—Siri, Cortana, Bixby, the Google Assistant—but for Amazon, the audio assistant of choice is Alexa, the technology inside its Echo and Fire TV devices, not to mention other third-party speakers and gadgets.

Amazon Echo speakers really showcase Alexa’s capabilities. Echo is a standalone speaker that needs nothing more than Wi-Fi and power connections. There’s the orb-like Echo and Echo Dot, the high-end Echo Studio for real acoustic snobs, and now an entire line of touch-screen Echo Show devices. They all have their differences, but the setup is essentially identical.

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Download the Amazon Alexa App

Get it free on iOS(Opens in a new window), Android(Opens in a new window), or Fire OS(Opens in a new window) on Amazon’s own tablets. Newer Fire tablets should have it already, though first- and second-generation tablets are not supported.

Pick a Device to Set Up

You need an Amazon account to use Alexa, but you don’t need Amazon Prime(Opens in a new window). Sign in on the app. Then click More on the lower right and select Add a Device. Here you can add any number of Alexa-supported devices to your account, from smart lights to smart plugs. But we’re focused on Echo devices, so tap Amazon Echo. At the next screen, select which Echo you have; it covers almost every type of Echo created since 2014, even the discontinued devices. Make sure your Echo device is plugged in.

Enter Setup Mode

When you enter setup mode, the Echo’s light ring or bar will flash blue and then orange. If you don’t see orange, press and hold the Action button for five seconds. Eventually, Alexa will perk up and tell you it’s “now in Setup mode.” (You may also need to hold down the microphone and volume buttons for up to 20 seconds until the light goes from yellow to blue to get it into Setup mode.)

Connect to Wi-Fi

Amazon has an option to save your Wi-Fi credentials—the network’s SSID and the security password/code—so you don’t have to enter them all the time when setting up Amazon products. If you’ve already done this before, Wi-Fi setup on a new Amazon Echo is a breeze. Once the app detects the new Echo, press the name (like Echo Dot-BG8) and you’ll see it search for Wi-Fi, connect to your saved network, and confirm the Echo is on the network.

It’s a little different if you didn’t save your Wi-Fi info (or you did, but want to set up the Echo on a different Wi-Fi network, even in the same location). In this case, you’ll see a list of available Wi-Fi networks visible to your phone or tablet; pick your preferred Wi-Fi network. Enter the Wi-Fi password when asked, if you have one. (You should really put a password on the Wi-Fi.) This is also where you can save your network credentials to Amazon.

Once all the info has been sent to the device, Alexa will say “Your Echo is ready,” and the orange lights go out. Select the language to use and set the Echo’s location.

Wi-Fi password-saving works across Amazon’s Fire tablets and Kindle ebook readers as well. Here’s more on what Amazon does(Opens in a new window) with saved Wi-Fi passwords. If you change the Wi-Fi password on your router, you’ll have to change the stored Wi-Fi password used by your Echo(s) at least once.

Say ‘Alexa’

You can now ask your Echo device to do your bidding by using the wake-word “Alexa.” You can change the wake word on each individual device from Alexa to Echo, Amazon, or Computer in the mobile app via Settings > Device Settings > [Your Echo] > [gear icon] > Wake Word (you can’t change them all at once.) You can now connect your Echo to music apps, external speakers, and other Echo devices (for multi-room music playback) around the house.

Special Note for Amazon Echo Show Devices

Because the Echo Show line comes with a screen, the setup is easier—no mobile app on the phone is required. Yet the basics are the same: Plug it in, select a language, connect to the Wi-Fi (including entering the Wi-Fi password on the screen if it’s not saved), log in to your Amazon account, and you’re ready to go.

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