21+ Creative Ways To Improve Life With Echo Show

The Amazon Echo Show is a handy gadget that can make everyday life easier and more fun. It helps simplify daily tasks and keeps us entertained.

Having it in my home has enhanced and improved my daily routine.

With many features accessible through voice and touch, it has many creative uses that save time and add enjoyment.

The Amazon Echo Show has so many cool tools and tricks that it would take forever to list them all. So, instead, I’ll share all the features I have used in the past to keep my daily routine and everything in check.

1. Make Video Calls

Alexa is quite proficient at video calling. Say, “Alexa, call [contact name],” where [contact name] is the name of the person you want to call as it appears in your contacts. Your Echo Show must have access to your contacts, which you can set up through the Alexa app on your smartphone.

Remember, the person you’re calling must also have an Echo device with a screen or the Alexa app installed on their smartphone or tablet. If they have an Echo device, you can still make a voice call without a screen.

2. Utilize as an Intercom System

The Echo Show has a handy feature called Drop-in that turns it into a house-wide walkie-talkie. This is super useful if you want to quickly talk to someone in a different part of your home without shouting. All you have to do is tell your Echo Show, “Alexa, drop in on [room name],” and it will instantly connect you to the Echo Show in that room.

The Drop-In feature lets you connect instantly with other Echo devices within your home and with friends and family who have granted you Drop-In permissions.

3. Connect with Loved Ones via Care Hub

Amazon’s Care Hub is a feature within the Amazon Alexa app that allows you to provide remote support and monitor the well-being of a family member with an Echo device. It’s designed to give peace of mind to caregivers who might not live with the person they’re looking after.

You can set up reminders through simple voice commands, check in on their Echo Show devices, or even receive alerts in case of unusual activity.

4. Manage Your Calendars

I often rely on Alexa to help manage my busy schedule and ensure I never miss anything important. With a prompt like, “Alexa, what’s on my schedule for today?” I can get a rundown of my daily activities or even add new events and meetings as they come up.

You can link third-party calendars for Microsoft, Apple, or Google calendars in the Alexa app. Personally, I use Google Calendar, and my schedule on Alexa is populated from it.

5. Enhance Home Security

Echo Show, it’s also like a security guard for a house. You can connect it to smart cameras that work with Alexa, like the Ring doorbell or cameras. So, if you want to see who’s at the front door, you say, “Alexa, show me the front door,” and the video from the camera pops up on the screen.

You can also provide announcements on your Echo devices when your Ring cameras detect activity and customize which Echo devices will announce the alerts. You might want your Echo Show in the kitchen to announce when someone is at the front door, but not the Echo Dot in the bedroom.

6. Control and Integrate Smart Home Devices

The beauty of smart home devices is their integration. I can control lighting, thermostats, sensors, and other devices with a voice command on my Echo Show. I can also create automation to connect several devices and trigger more advanced actions based on their functionality. It acts as a centralized command center, making home automation seamless.

7. Stream Your Favorite Services

With Echo Show, you are not limited to just one or two streaming services; Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, and Tubi are all available. To stream a service, you need to log in with your account. Then you can say, “Alexa, play [Show Name] on Hulu,” and the show immediately appears on the screen.

8. Transform Into a Digital Picture Frame

When I’m not using my Echo Show for other things, it can turn into a digital picture frame. Upload your favorite pictures into Amazon Photos, and the Echo Show will flip through them like a slideshow. Seeing all these happy memories while chilling in a room is nice.

Download Amazon Photos on your mobile and upload the images to display photos on your device.

9. Maximize Your Music Experience

The Echo Show can serve as an impressive speaker. Its audio system is engineered to deliver a robust and high-fidelity sound experience. When you play music from services like Amazon Music or Spotify, the Echo Show can produce unexpectedly immersive audio for its size. The device’s speakers are designed to emit loud sound quality and maintain clarity and detail.

You can also use speakers groups and stream music onto several Alexa speakers for the ultimate music experience.

10. Use as a Gaming Station

Echo Show can also be a mini-game console. You can play all sorts of fun games and quizzes on it. There are Alexa skills that turn it into a game show like ‘Jeopardy!’ or ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ and many more. It’s a blast when you have friends or family members over because we can all join and play together.

11. Manage Tasks with Timers and Reminders

You can also use Echo devices to keep track of your daily schedule. By saying, “Alexa, set a timer for 30 minutes,” I can manage a task efficiently without losing focus. Setting alarms, multiple timers, or reminders is just as simple. For instance, I’ll tell Alexa, “Remind me to water the plants every Thursday at 9 AM,” and I will be reminded every week.

12. Stay On Top of Your Amazon Deliveries

Monitoring Amazon orders is simple. You can ask, “Alexa, where’s my stuff?” and get immediate shipment updates. Whenever a delivery is made, Alexa gives me an instant notification, so you are always aware of the status of the orders.

13. Monitor Your Home with an Indoor Camera

You can also use Alexa to display feeds from indoor cameras. To check on a specific room, you can ask Alexa to show the feed on an Echo Show by specifying the camera’s name. It helps to monitor any room in the home anytime, whether in the kitchen or working in the home office.

14. Cook Like a Pro with Recipes

The Echo Show can help with cooking in the kitchen. Ask Alexa to pull up recipes from Allrecipes, and a step-by-step guide will be displayed on the screen. Use timers and reminders to prepare several components at the same time.

15. Daily Weather Updates

Ask your Alexa about the weather before choosing what to wear every morning. The Echo Show will present a detailed forecast, helping you dress appropriately and plan your day without unpleasant surprises.

16. Manage Your Shopping Lists and Orders

Say goodbye to forgotten items at the grocery store. Tell Alexa to add items to a shopping list whenever you think of something. Then, you can take the list to the shop or transition it into an Amazon order.

Similarly, you can manage your tasks by creating a to-do list. You can tell Alexa to add tasks to your to-do list with a simple voice command, like “Alexa, add ‘go grocery shopping’ to my to-do list.” Alexa will confirm that the item has been added.

When you want to see what’s on your list, ask Alexa, “Alexa, what’s on my to-do list?” Alexa will read out the items you’ve added. After you complete a task, you can tell Alexa to check it off. Just say, “Alexa, mark ‘go grocery shopping’ as complete,” Alexa will update your list accordingly.

17. Arrange Your Next Ride with Ease

If you are getting ready to go somewhere and need a ride, you can ask Echo Show to get you an Uber—there is no need to use the phone app. Just say, “Alexa, book me an Uber,” and it takes care of it. Alexa will tell you what kind of car is coming, when, and how much it will cost. It’s super easy and one less thing to worry about when heading out the door.

18. Enhance Security with Alexa Guard

To add a layer of security, you can activate Alexa Guard in the Echo Show settings. This feature listens for alarming sounds, like glass breaking, and sends mobile alerts. For more comprehensive protection, you might consider Alexa Guard Plus, a subscription service offering extended safety features.

19. Explore the Vast World of Alexa Skills

There’s a massive collection of these tricks, called Alexa skills, that you can try out.

Think of them like apps for your Echo Show. You can find skills that help you exercise, like a personal trainer who talks you through a workout. Or, if you’re in the mood for some brain games, there are trivia skills that can test your knowledge on all sorts of topics. With all these skills, your Echo Show can do many different things—it’s like having many helpful tools in one place.

20. Browse the Web at Your Leisure

With the built-in Silk Browser, you can effortlessly surf the web to catch up on the latest news or watch YouTube videos. Whether it’s looking up information or checking the weather, the Echo Show grants me access to the internet’s vast resources just by asking Alexa.

21. Engage with Books and Audible Content

Turn the Echo Show into a storyteller. Listen to a wide range of audiobooks from Audible, enjoying a story as you prepare dinner or relax in the evening. Plus, the display shows book covers and details, which adds a visual element to your listening experience.

22. Belt Out Tunes with Karaoke Features

Party time with Echo Show means karaoke. You can bring up song lyrics on the screen and sing to your favorite music. The device pairs with various streaming services, ensuring you have a vast library of tracks for solo concerts at home or with friends.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the top tips and tricks for optimizing an Echo Show 10?

To leverage my Echo Show 10, you pull down the menu to adjust settings like the equalizer directly on the device. Remember to use the privacy shutter for the camera to ensure your personal space remains private when the device is not in use.

How can Alexa and Echo Show be integrated to enhance home automation?

I’ve used Alexa and my Echo Show for home automation by setting up routines. This allows me to control several smart devices with a single command or at scheduled times. Connecting my Echo Show to my smart home’s security cameras is also convenient for real-time views.