Basic Setup for Your Amazon Echo Dot Intelligent Personal Assistant

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

1. Introduction: Amazon Echo Dot: Basic Setup

This will guide you through the initial setup of your Amazon Echo Dot.

Make sure you have your wifi login information, and your Amazon account login information available before continuing with setup.

Amazon echo images explaining how easy it is to use


2. Amazon Echo Dot: Physical Setup

  1. First, pick a spot you'd like your Echo Dot to be.
  2. Plug in the Micro-USB power cord. It will boot up right away.

The back of an echo dot showing the micro usb power plug

  1.  
  2. The light ring on Echo Dot will turn blue.
A blue light ring on the echo dot

  1.  
  2. When the light turns orange, Alexa will greet you.
An orange light ring on the echo dot

3. Go to Installing Amazon Alexa app to your phone or tablet

Go to Installing Amazon Alexa app to your phone or tablet

4. Amazon Echo Dot: Connect to Wi-Fi

  1. Your Amazon Alexa app should already be prompting you to begin setup.
setup screen of the amazon alexa app


  1. In the Alexa app, follow the instructions to connect Echo Dot to a Wi-Fi network.
network setup screen of the Amazon Alexa app


  1. Select your Wi-Fi network and input your password.

5. Amazon Echo Dot: Speakers

While Echo Dot has a speaker, you can connect it to external speakers with the included audio cable or through Bluetooth.

Amazon alexa app asking how you want to use your echo dot

6. Amazon Echo Dot: Basic Commands

You can talk to Alexa through your Echo Dot now. Start by asking Alexa what the weather is like. Say, "Alexa, what's the weather?"

Alexa will answer you with the weather in your area!

Go ahead and try out these commands:

  • Alexa, what's the news?
  • What's the traffic like?
  • Alexa, set a timer for 20 minutes.
  • Play music by David Bowie.
  • Alexa, what movies are playing?
  • Find me a nearby sushi restaurant.
  • Alexa, create a to-do list.
  • Alexa, create a shopping list.
  • Add toilet paper to my shopping list.
  • Alexa, how hot is the sun?