Amazon Echo Show is an intelligent speaker part of the Amazon Echo line of products. Similar to other devices in the family, it is designed around Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa but additionally features a 7-inch touchscreen display.
It can display visual information to accompany its responses, play videos, and conduct video calls with different Echo Show users. The video call feature was later extended to include all Skype users.
Alexa can now show and inform you when your security camera spots someone. In addition, intelligent Show Echo displays can now automatically show you when your security camera spots a person or package.
You may already be used to conveying to your Alexa smart speaker what to do:
- Play your Spotify playlist.
- Set a timer for the hard-boiled eggs.
- Turn on your bright lights.
But you might not understand that the voice assistant has several proactive features — fortes it can do without being prompted.
One such feature is holding an Amazon Echo speaker broadcast when motion is detected on a compatible security camera. Motion announcements work on a large number of Alexa-compatible cameras and, as of last week, that includes Google Nest’s newest cameras.
Echo speakers can also announce when a smart camera sees a person or, on some devices, a package. Plus, it can also automatically show a live feed from that security camera on any Echo Show device, so you can take a look without having to do or say anything.
Person and package detection are currently limited to specific models from Ring, with support for Google Nest and Abode cameras coming soon. However, regardless of which camera you have, the steps to enable the announcement features are the same.
Alexa can now announce when your Ring security cameras and doorbell cameras see a person. Integration with cameras from Google Nest and Abode is coming soon.
Before enabling this feature, you will also need to have at least one Echo smart speaker or bright display and an Amazon Alexa account and have activated the Alexa skill for your camera. You will also need person and package detection enabled on your compatible camera. It may require paying for a subscription to the camera manufacturer; for example, Ring cameras require a Ring Protect Plan starting at $3 a month.
- Open the Alexa smartphone app
- Tap Devices
- Scroll through the list at the top of the app and select Cameras
- Select the camera that you want to detect the person and/or package
- Tap the Settings icon on the top right-hand corner
- Under Camera Events, toggle on Person Detection Announcements and Package Detection Announcements (if it’s an option)
Tip: Click Camera Events Settings > Person Detection > Cameras to quickly enable the feature on all compatible cameras you have.
Below are the steps to enable person and package detection in the Alexa app.
- To select which Echo device(s) in your home makes the announcement, go to the same settings page and tap Announcement Devices.
- Select which Echo speaker or display you want to make the announcement. You can select more than one. If you choose an intelligent collection, it will pull up a live feed from the camera and make the announcement.
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You can use an announcement as a trigger for an Alexa Routine — so, for example, you can have the porch light turn on when the camera detects a person. Ring cameras also can see a timeline of all the events that triggered an announcement and review them — you can find the feature on the camera’s page in the Alexa app.
The Echo Show was disclosed on May 9, 2017, and emitted in the United States on June 28, 2017. Amazon revealed a second generation of the Echo Show at an Alexa-themed product event on September 20, 2018, for release the following month. This device has an improved speaker, 10-inch touchscreen, and mesh casing. In addition, an Echo Show with a smaller, 5.5-inch screen was announced in May 2019 and established in 12 nations in June 2019.
- First Generation : The first-generation Echo Show (unleashed in June 2017) includes a pair of two-inch speakers and is differentiated from other Echo products by having a 7-inch touchscreen. As with other Echo devices, it can execute voice calls and video calls to other Echo Show users via Skype with its 5-megapixel front-facing camera.
- Second Generation: The second-generation Echo Show (unleashed in October 2018) is completely redesigned from the first generation. The new device replaces the black plastic with a mesh casing while keeping the same device shape. In addition, the speakers were moved to the side and back of the device to permit a 3-inch larger display. Amazon asserts that the new version will have better sound quality. It also incorporates a Zigbee hub, similar to the Echo Plus.
- Echo Show 5: The Echo Show 5 is a deviation with a 5.5″ display.
- Echo Show 8: The Echo Show 8 is a deviation with an 8″ display, declared in September 2019 for shipment in November 2019.
- Third Generation:
- Echo Show 10: The Echo Show 10 is the biggest Echo Show until the Echo Show 15 hits the stores.
- Echo Show 15: The Echo Show 15 is a 15.6″, 1080p Full HD device designed to be wall-mounted (a departure from previous tabletop forms). Announced on September 28, 2021, in Amazon’s *Devices and Services Event*, it also includes a 5MP camera.