Among many other features that Amazon Alexa has, the best one is the ability to make calls. Even video calls if you have an Echo Show device like Echo Show 5, 8, or 10.

There are several ways you can make calls with Alexa, or similar actions, using your Echo device. The main ways you can use Alexa to communicate are:

1. Calling
2. Group Calling
3. Drop-In
4. Announcements

Using Alexa to keep in touch with your family, friends, and coworkers, especially considering it is entirely free. All you are going to use is the internet connection.

The essential thing to take care of first is to enable the calling services in your Alexa Account:

• Open the Alexa app.
• Then go to the menu bar ☰.
•  Tap Settings.
•  Click Your Profile and add your mobile number.

This way, you will be able to use the calling features. Now let’s go into the details of every channel available.

How to make voice calls with Amazon Alexa

You can make voice calls with Amazon Alexa enabled devices like Amazon Echo or Echo Dot and even the Alexa app.

Still, there is one action you need to do before placing a call with Alexa. You need to add the other person’s contact to your Alexa account contact list. After doing this, all you have to do is ask your Alexa to call the name you have set for such contact. It lets you make a call from one Alexa enabled device to another.

You can also call other people’s phones directly. But this is only available in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Using the Drop-In feature with Alexa

One of the best features of the Alexa enabled devices is the ability to drop-in. Practically you can use all the devices where you can access Alexa as a kind of Walkie-Talkie. All you got to do is ask Alexa to drop-in and mention the name you have set for that specific device. However, this would require you to name each device, preferably based on their location, which can be done from the Alexa app. For example, you are in your bedroom, and your kids are being noisy. In this case, you can just drop-in to the Echo Dot located in their room by saying “Alexa, drop-in to the Kids room”.

Alexa will transmit your message to their Echo Dot through the speaker.

How to setup and make Group Calls

It is a feature launched by Amazon at the beginning of October 2020. The only way you can do it is by creating groups of contacts. Once you build the group and name it, you can make group calls saying:

“Alexa, call (name of the group)”.

To create a group this is what you need to do:

• Open the Alexa app.
• Go to “Communicate”.
• Click the person icon on the top right of the screen.
• Now select “Add New” and then “Add Group”.
• Now add all the contacts you want as part of the group.
• Click Continue, set a name for the group, and then click “Create Group”.
• Remember that you can add up to 8 persons in each group.

Once you create the group, every participant can see it and call the group through Alexa using the group’s name.

Making announcements with your Echo and Alexa app

When talking about making an announcement with your Echo or using the Alexa app, it is more like a ‘Broadcast’ option.

It allows you to transmit the same message to all the Alexa enabled devices in your house. For example, when you are coming back from work, and want to let your family know you will be home in 10 minutes. And this can be done from your smartphone using the Alexa app. All you need to say is “Alexa, announce that (what you want to say)”.
In case you want to explore more than just making calls with Alexa, you can create your own Alexa Skill. All you need to have is the idea of what you want your Skill to do. With Ipervox, you don’t need to have coding skills or knowledge. Just click “Start for Free” and build your first Alexa Skill in just a few simple steps.