How to Use Alexa Drop in and Calling on Echo Devices

If you use an Echo device or Echo speaker with a screen, you can enjoy the coolest feature of Amazon Alexa, which is Drop In. This feature conveniently connects you to any Echo device (if they grant permission). It doesn’t need anyone to answer your call either. If you want to learn how to use Alexa drop in keep reading.

If you cannot get a hold of your grandpa and want to run a check if he is okay, this handy device is excellent. Similarly, if you want to Drop In and see that your Fido is not tearing things apart, Alexa Drop-In on the Echo show is all you need. Alexa Drop In is incredibly useful to check on anyone with whom you want to stay connected. It can be even more helpful if the one you want to get connected with cannot answer the Echo devices physically.

Amazon’s Alexa is a smart communicator that comes loaded with brilliant features to help you talk to your loved ones. It makes an amazing home intercom system. Plus, through Alexa calling, you can easily make calls to anyone at home. From checking at what time dinner will be ready to requesting a cup of coffee from upstairs, Alexa Drop In enables people to speak to other members in the house.

And, what is more, the smart communicator is not just confined to your home. It allows you to Drop In on relatives or friends to check if they are ready or not to let you come in their rooms unchecked.

However, it doesn’t mean that you can intervene in someone’s privacy. Alexa Drop In comes with a plethora of safeguards to save users from any embarrassing situations. Besides this, Alexa announcements is another feature that allows you to broadcast messages to Alexa-enabled speakers without needing to reply back.

Let’s understand what Drop In is and how it works.

WHAT IS ALEXA DROP-IN?

As mentioned earlier, Alexa Drop In is an advanced feature that instantly connects you with Echo devices, including your contacts if they permit you. For example, with Alexa Drop In, you can connect with Echo devices that your friends and family own. When someone Drops In on your Echo device, the light ring in the device turns green, and it starts beeping and blooping automatically. 

As soon as you get connected, you can hear the sound that comes in the range of the device. If you’re using the Echo device with a screen, you can see your contact and anything that comes within the range. You and your contact hear a beep and see a frosted video that will transition to a clear video after you are properly connected. It gives you and your partner enough time to get ready for an abrupt call.

USE ALEXA AS INTERCOM

Alexa Drop In serves as an Alexa intercom and is very handy for large rooms. However, with all its handy features, Drop In has become more of a catch-all term mostly used to describe calling devices of Alexa. In general, it applies to only Echo speakers that are registered to Alexa app. It allows your contacts to Drop In on you. In other words, you can connect to the devices of your contacts to chat through two-way audio or video at will without having them to accept or answer the call.

HOW TO SIGN UP?

Before you sign up, you need to download Alexa app and get all your Amazon Echo devices hooked up. Once the app is downloaded, the next step is to sign up for Alexa calling and messaging through Alexa app.  Press conversation tab present with the speech bubble at the bottom to sign up. It will ask your name and permission to access the contact list. Also, your phone number is verified through an SMS. 

Alexa automatically accesses to your phone book once permission is granted. Then it adds contacts that have Echo devices and Alexa app.

WHICH DEVICES ARE CAPABLE TO SUPPORT ALEXA DROP IN AND CALLING?

Here is an up to date list of every Alexa device that is capable of Alexa calls.

• Echo (first and second generation)
• Echo Dot (first, second, and third-generation)
• Echo Show (first and second generation)
• Echo Spot (first and second generation)
• Echo Plus
• Echo Plus
• Compatible iPads, android phones, Iphones, tablets with Alexa app
• Fire HD ( fourth generation) with Alexa app

ENABLING DROP-IN

Once you have signed up for Alexa messaging and calling via the Alexa app, both you and your contacts have to enable Alexa Drop In to give access to each other. To do that, all you need is to click the chat bubble on the conversation screen, select contact, tap, and toggle on “Allow Drop In” given at the bottom of your contact card.

Enabling Drop In and granting permission to Echo devices means it is applied to your all household members. To put it simply, if you allow your grandpa, he will be able to Drop In on you as well as on your Amazon contacts.

HOW DO YOU DROP IN ON SOMEONE ELSE’S ECHO?

Drop ins to and from devices outside your household will need to have the appropriate permission for each device’s contact applied.

This can be done through the conversations icon, and then under contacts. You just choose the contact that you want to Drop In on and you can add them from there. Of course, they will need to add you using the same process for this to work. It’s not like you can just hack anyone’s Alexa!

HOW TO USE DROP-IN WITH ECHO DEVICE?

·        DROP-IN ON ECHO DEVICES

You can call or drop In between Echo devices in your office or house. In case you have multiple devices, it is essential to specify the echo device you want to get connected with by different names such as “Alexa, Drop In (Echo Device name). The other option is to say “Alexa to Drop In on (name)” and it will allow Alexa to list all Echo devices in your home for you to choose the one you want.

·        DROP-IN THROUGH ALEXA APP

To drop In through Alexa app, you need to go to your conversation screen and hit Drop-In. It will show a list of Echo devices to Drop In on. Select any Echo device to initiate, and from there you can see and hear the contacts that come in the range of Echo device through Alexa app.

WHY CAN’T I DROP IN ON MY ECHO?

If you are running into a problem using Drop in on your Alexa device, for example, if Drop In doesn’t connect or can’t access a specific device or if Drop In disconnects or has poor quality. Then there are a few select things you can try to get things with your Alexa device to get things working correctly.

• Check your Internet connection and make sure the device is connected.
• Ensure that you are using the right device or even contact name when using calling and messaging with your voice.
• Contact the person you are trying to connect to and make sure they have calling and messaging set up through the Drop In feature as well.
• Make sure that you actually have drop in enabled on your device as well.
• If you are trying to enable drop in from the app and it isn’t working then you may need to sign in and out of the app.

FINAL THOUGHTS

There is no denying that Amazon Echo is a useful device. Not just for playing music, turning on lights or checking the weather, but also for making calls and checking on people at home. Using Alexa-powered speakers to connect to your friends and family makes sense and makes its use even more powerful to use. We have several Alexa devices throughout our home and we tend to use the Alexa drop in features on a regular basis. If you haven’t tried this feature then you are really missing out.