Both the Echo smart speakers and the Echo Show smart displays from Amazon are continually being improved and added new features by Amazon’s Alexa. Video calling has become more popular than ever in the year 2020, as seen by the increased use of this technology. Echo Shows were already capable of calling each other, but Amazon has recently expanded this to include the 2nd generation Fire TV Cube, to which you can now connect a webcam. Here’s how to do it. Group calling has been offered to several video calling providers this year, but it was a long time coming. For both voice and video calls, it’s now possible on the Echo and Echo Show. Using the Alexa app’s group feature, say “Alexa, call [name of group]” to get the call started. The Echo isn’t necessary. In the Alexa app for iPhone and Android, as well as the newest Fire tablets with Alexa, calling is possible.
Now the main question comes: Is it possible to use WhatsApp on Amazon Alexa Devices?
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The answer to this is clearly No, WhatsApp does not work on Amazon Alexa devices and presumably will not in the future. Organizational and pseudo-technical factors are to blame. For the following reasons:
Reason 1:
An API is not available for WhatsApp Alexa must work with an API to communicate with other software. There is a lot of debate online about why WhatsApp does not have an API, but it’s safe to assume that Facebook and WhatsApp do not want to expose their software to abuse or uncontrolled use by other companies. If an API can be used to skip crucial functionality, how, for example, can they profit (through adverts or whatever)?
Reason 2:
Amazon and Facebook aren’t exactly close business partners despite their size and prominence. You’ll notice that huge competitors don’t always get along in the business world. Apple doesn’t like Facebook; Google doesn’t like Amazon’s YouTube, and so on. This is because large corporations must always have a variety of options available to them. Likely, Facebook will eventually become a significant player in the automation field, and they won’t want to snatch away something they built with Amazon.
What other means of Communication with Alexa are there besides WhatsApp?
As part of the September launch of new Echo devices, Amazon said that group calling would be available and that video chats would be able to be surrounded by bubbles, a garden setting, or art like street art or a classic painting.
With Alexa, you can communicate in many ways. Here are a few examples:
- You can make phone calls using the Alexa app, compatible Fire tablets, and the Echo speaker.
- Echo Show and Fire TV Cube, Fire tablets, and the Alexa app can all be used to make video calls.
- To another Alexa contact, Alexa sends audio messages (voice recordings).
- Users of the Alexa app can text each other.
How do I get Alexa to call someone?
To communicate, there are four primary methods:
1. Calling
2. Messaging
3. Drop-in
4. Announcing
The Alexa app needs access to your contacts before conducting any of these. To communicate with Amazon Alexa, open the App, sign in to your Amazon account, and then touch on Communicate at the bottom. You probably did this when you originally installed it. Either your contact list will be displayed, or you will be prompted to grant access to your contacts.
Voice calls
Call Lewis Painter by saying “Alexa, call Lewis Painter” on your phone. If your friend’s name isn’t Lewis Painter, you should not say that. Use the names in your phone’s contact book. Set nicknames like “Mum” or “Dad” instead of using their full names if you don’t want to. Your name, not mine, will appear in the recipient’s Echo, and the light ring will pulse green. By saying “Answer” or “Ignore,” they can either accept or reject the call. Drop-In is an option for those who want to keep it close to home. However, this doesn’t wait for the recipient of the call to accept or decline it; it just initiates the call immediately. It will begin with a hazy image that gradually gets sharper on an Echo Show. There are certain drawbacks to the Echo’s hands-free design, including the fact that anyone around can hear what you’re saying. Calls can be made through the Alexa app, as previously noted. It’s now possible to make phone calls or send messages to folks using an Android phone, Fire tablet, or iPhone/iPad. Announcements can also be used as a means of conveying information. All your Echo devices (and Alexa-compatible Fire tablets and smartphones) will receive the message “Alexa, announce that dinner is ready,” which you can say by saying it out loud. In the Alexa app, tap Devices, then the device from the list, then Communication to activate or disable Calling & Messaging, Announcements, and Drop In.
Messages
Ask Alexa, “Alexa, send Lewis a message,” to get the message to him. She will ask you what message to convey, and you will tell her what to say. When they’re ready, your voice will be played back to them, and it will also be translated into text so they can read it in the App. When a new message is waiting for them, their Echo will show a yellow ring, and the recipient can say “Alexa, play my messages” to hear it read out. The recipient of the message can listen to the original recording by tapping on it on the App, just like they would when receiving a voicemail. Because speech-to-text transcriptions aren’t always accurate, this is sometimes the only way to determine what someone said. Aside from that, it’s remarkably on the money. You can also type messages to your friends and family using an app like WhatsApp. To make a voice or video call to a specific individual, tap on the discussion and select the symbol at the top.
Video calls / Group video calls
Using Alexa to make a video call is quite similar to using it to make a voice call, except that you can see the person you’re calling, and they can see you.
1. Open the Alexa app and ask Alexa to make a group video call.
2. Then go to the bottom and select Communicate.
3. Select a person from the list by clicking their name in the list (top right)
4. Add a new item by tapping the + sign next to the Add New button.
5. Select the Add Group option.
6. When prompted to enable advanced features, select Enable.
7. Select each individual who will be a part of the team.
8. The group’s name
9. To create a new group, select Create Group.
10. “Alexa, call [name of group]” is all you need to do after that.
You can use video calling in the Alexa app if you have an Echo Show, Spot, compatible Fire tablet, or 2nd-generation Fire TV Cube with a webcam.
Alexa, Do not disturb.
There is a Do Not Disturb feature in case you don’t want anyone to call you anytime. You can tell Alexa to block calls and texts by saying “Alexa, do not disturb” or “Alexa, turn off do not disturb.” To do this:
- Go to the bottom menu and select Devices.
- Do Not can be found under the General section of the device you want to control.
- Please enter a start and an end time by selecting Scheduled and then entering them into the appropriate fields. You can only set up one daily period at this time.
To be clear, you’ll need to do this for every Echo device.
Conclusion
I hope you clearly know that we can’t use WhatsApp on the Amazon Alexa devices should be evident. But that doesn’t mean we can’t use Alexa devices to converse. To better grasp the alternative channels of Communication, read the article thoroughly.