Amazon's Echo Show is an Alexa smart speaker with a touchscreen that, as the name implies, shows you visual info at a glance. This smart display provides a new layer of assistance, whether that's by pulling up the weekly weather forecast or the countdown of a timer. But these tablet-like devices can do much more than they let on. A built-in camera helps you do things like take video calls from services like Zoom and scan item barcodes. Plus the screen can be used to watch everything from the latest TV shows and movies to a live video feed from the cameras around your home. And when you aren't actively using an Echo Show, its crisp display serves as an excellent digital photo frame.
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After testing each model of the Echo Show for our smart home hub roundup, I find the Echo Show 8 to be the best smart display for most people. It provides a large display, crisp 13-megapixel camera, and booming sound for under $100. While the motorized Echo Show 10 can pan and rotate its display around a room, this feature and an added two inches of screen aren't worth the massive price jump to $250. For that price, the Echo Show 15 is a worthy alternative that offers exclusive screen widgets on a significantly bigger display.
Some people are naturally going to be turned off by the idea of putting an internet-connected camera and microphone into their home and the subsequent fears that it's always eavesdropping. We'll note that Amazon built camera covers and microphone mute buttons directly onto the device. Alexa's always-on audio doesn't start a recording until you use its wake word to kick off a request. This audio data is sent over the internet to be processed on secure servers. You can access all recordings and erase them from the Alexa Privacy settings in the app. And if you really want to prevent Amazon from tracking activity, you can prevent future recordings from being logged by going to the "Choose How Long to Save Recordings" submenu and selecting the "Never" option.
No matter which Show you choose, here's how to make the most of an Echo Show smart display.
If you're running low on an item from your pantry, try saying "Alexa, scan" to activate the Echo Show's built-in camera. Simply line up the product's barcode with the rectangular overlay and your Show will add it to your shopping list for easy tracking or reordering. This has saved me from starting a dish just to find out mid-way through that I'm out of milk or cheese needed in the final steps. But this scanning feature isn't limited to shopping. Saying "Alexa, what am I holding" can identify an item in your hand. For example, I rotated a Dawn dishwasher soap bottle and the Show gave me a detailed readout of the product while providing more info about it.
Place your Echo Show in the kitchen and say "Alexa, show me recipes" to pull up a variety of popular dishes. This is great for inspiration, but if you already have a dinner idea in mind you can just say "show me [dinner name] recipes" and you'll be given a variety of options. Alexa will read out instructions while providing text and images to follow along on the screen. I find this better than the audio-only experience because you can refer back to what was said and the voice controls like "repeat a step" or "move forward" are easy to use while you're up to your elbows in ground beef. If you find a recipe you like but aren't planning to cook right away, you can save it for later and even add all of the ingredients to your cart with a tap.
You can use the onboard camera to video chat across platforms with services like Skype and Zoom or directly with another Echo Show owner using the Alexa calling app. For non-Amazon calls just say "Alexa, open [service name]" and your Show takes you to a sign-in page. All video chatting services are cross-platform so if you call someone who is away from their Alexa devices they can still take calls from their phone, laptop, or tablet using the corresponding app. Each of the current generation Echo Shows (excluding the Show 5) can digitally pan and zoom to track you as you move throughout a space, keeping you centered in the frame and generally improving video call quality. It's especially helpful in areas where you move around a lot, like in a workshop or the kitchen.
While the Echo smart speaker is limited to audio-only services like Spotify, the screen on the Echo Show can make use of your video streaming subscriptions like Netflix, Hulu, and live TV. Saying "Alexa, video home" or swiping left on the touchscreen and selecting the video shortcut will take you to an app selection menu. If you're already binging through a series, you can specify exactly what you want to watch and jump to it. I can't tell you how many times I've heard the phrase "Alexa, play Love Island U.K." uttered from my partner while in her home office. Your content picks up exactly where you left off on the big screen, giving the Show a second life as a portable TV that works anywhere with a power outlet.
With the Alexa app you can use the Show as an interior camera to remotely drop in on the room it's placed in. The Show 10 in our living room serves as a puppy monitor while we're away to see what our dog is doing in its pen. To view the Show's camera, open the Alexa app and hit the "Communicate" tab indicated by the icon that looks like a message. From this section, the "Drop-In" button is located at the top of the page where you can select the Show you want to view. Alexa Guard is a built-in security feature that listens for broken glass or alarms. To enable it you just need to use the Alexa app, hit the "More" button in the bottom right corner, and select "Guard" from the settings page. Once this is enabled, say "Alexa, I'm leaving" to activate the system. If triggered, the Echo records a clip and sends a notification to your phone with quick access to a real-time view from your Show. In addition to monitoring your home, it can cycle your smart lights to make it look like someone's in the house while you're away.
All of your additional connected smart devices, like lights, smart locks, and cameras, show up when you say "Alexa, show smart home dashboard." Or, swipe down and select the smart home icon to pull up a list of every gadget. From here, you can manage their settings or make adjustments such as light brightness or room temperature at a tap. When you swipe down on the touchscreen you'll notice a "Routine" icon next to the home dashboard. Routines set custom if/then actions. That means you just need to plug in what you want Alexa to do when you say a phrase or arrive at a certain location, or at a certain time. These can be as simple as lowering the temperature and turning off lights throughout your home when you say "Alexa, goodnight." But with some exploration, you can craft complex automations like those found in my smart home. Every morning at 8 a.m. my house wakes me up by opening my blinds, turning on my TV to the morning news, and brewing a cup of coffee on its own.
Alexa Calling converts your Echo Show into a phone that uses your existing mobile number and contacts to dial out. You just need to open the Alexa app on your phone, click the "Communicate" tab on the bottom of the screen, then add your phone number. Once added, you will receive a verification text message with a code. Use this to enroll and you're ready to start making calls from Alexa. This feature can also help find your phone: Say "Alexa, find my phone" and it will ring your cell. At a minimum, that feature can help your dash out the door in our ever-rushed lives.