Check in when you’re not home
Home security is a booming business, with set-ups that go into thousands of dollars. If you’re not ready to dive in, you can get a taste of it with a device you already have: your Echo Show.
A new feature lets you keep an eye on things in a simpler way, via the camera on your device. It’s not as advanced as a dedicated security camera, but it’s a great feature for people who want to use it occasionally; it’s easy to do, and knowing Amazon, it’s only going to improve.
Setup needs to be done on the device itself, not via the app. Here’s how it works.
- Go to the Echo Show and say, “Alexa, go to Settings,” or swipe down from top of screen to access the Settings screen. Tap the Settings cog on the top right.
- Scroll down to Camera and tap.
- The first option should be Home Monitoring. Tap the toggle to blue to enable.
- You’ll get a screen explaining the feature; hit continue. Next, verify your account by inputting your Amazon password.
- Then you’re set! You can customize by enabling a video delay, and enabling an audio alert when your camera begins streaming.
Now that you’re set up, you have a couple of ways to use the feature.
- For Echo Show devices or Fire devices, just say “Alexa, show me [device name].” She’ll turn on the camera and whatever it can view will show up on your screen, in real time.
- In the Alexa app, tap Devices on the bottom, tap Camera, and then select the enabled Show and it will show you the camera feed.
Pro Tip: So why not just use Drop In? Some people use Drop In as a security feature, but that is an interactive two-way call where the “dropped in on” can see you too. If you want something more discreet, this is a good option. And no, this is NOT a spy camera. When you activate it, the other end, a pop up notice will appear saying “A household member is viewing your camera.” When you clock off, the notice will change, saying a household member is no longer viewing your camera.