Basic Setup for Your Amazon Echo Intelligent Personal Assistant

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

1. Introduction: Amazon Echo: Basic Setup

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

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

Simple to set up and use amazon echo photo showing how to plug in, connect, and ask

2. Amazon Echo: Initial Turn On

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

Back of an amazon echo showing the plug

The light ring on Echo will turn blue.

A blue light ring for the echo

When the light turns orange, Alexa will greet you.

An orange light ring on the echo

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: Connecting to Wi-Fi

  1. Your Amazon Alexa app should already be prompting you to begin setup.
Amazon alexa app showing how to setup the device

  1.  
  2. In the Alexa app, follow the instructions to connect Echo to a Wi-Fi network.
Amazon alexa app network connection page

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

5. Amazon Echo: Speakers

While Echo 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

6. Amazon Echo: Basic Commands

You can talk to Alexa through your Echo 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?