The Alexa app is a program that you download to your smartphone or tablet. With the Alexa app, you can connect your Alexa devices to your Wi-Fi network, provide Alexa with your location, connect to smart-home devices, provide the details of your Amazon account, and much more. You use Alexa by conversing with an Alexa-friendly device, but you configure Alexa using the app.
Okay, so what do you need to get the Alexa app? Either of the following:
- A smartphone or tablet that meets one of these qualifications:
- An iPhone or iPad running iOS 11 or later
- An Android phone or tablet running Android 5.1 or later
- An Amazon Fire tablet or phone running Fire OS 5.5.3 or later
If you have one of these devices, go to your device’s app store, search for the Alexa app, and install it.
If you have one of Amazon’s Fire devices and that tablet is capable of running Alexa, the Alexa app will be installed automatically on the device.
- A Windows or Mac web browser: In this case, point your browser to the Amazon Alexa portal page.
For best results, make sure you sign in to the Alexa app using the same Amazon account as you use with the Fire TV mobile app and your Fire TV device.
Take a tour of the Alexa app
Here’s a summary of the landmarks of the Alexa app screen:- Menu: Tap this icon to access the main app menu, shown. You use the requests on this menu to configure various Alexa features (such as music and reminders), add and manage Alexa skills, and change the Alexa app’s settings.
Tap the Menu icon to see this menu of app requests.- Home: Tap this icon to display the Home screen, which offers the Things to Try section (suggestions for getting started with Alexa) and (eventually) a series of sections — known as cards — that present in reverse chronological order (that is, the newest at the top) your most recent interactions with Alexa: your questions and Alexa’s answers, responses to your requests, recently played music and other media, and more.
- Communicate: Tap this icon to open the Communication screen. Here, you can set up and work with Alexa’s communications features, including starting a new call, sending a text message, and dropping in on someone.
- Alexa: Tap this icon to send questions and requests to Alexa via your smartphone or tablet microphone.
- Play: Tap this icon to see what media — such as a song, podcast, or audiobook — you’ve played recently on your Alexa device. You can also browse your Audible and Kindle libraries.
- Devices: Tap this icon to work with both your Alexa devices and Alexa’s smart-home features. You can add, configure, and operate devices, manage smart-home skills, create smart-home groups, and more.
Give Alexa access to your device microphone
One of the nice features of the Alexa app is that you can use it to send voice requests to Alexa via your smartphone or tablet microphone. That’s the purpose of the Alexa button in the middle of the Alexa app toolbar at the bottom of the screen. However, before you can send voice requests to Alexa, you need to give the Alexa app permission to use your device’s microphone. Here’s how it works:- In the Alexa app, tap the Alexa icon. You see some text telling you that you need to give the app permission to use the microphone.
- Tap Allow. Your device asks you to confirm.
- Tap OK (iOS) or Allow (Android). Your device gives the Alexa app permission to access the microphone and then displays some examples of things you can say to Alexa. If you also see a prompt asking you to give the Alexa app permission to use your location, go ahead and tap Allow.
- Tap Done. You now hear a tone and see the regular Alexa screen, which is waiting for you to say something to Alexa. You’ll want to skip that for now, so either tap the X to close the screen or wait a few seconds for the screen to close by itself.
How to connect your Alexa device to Fire TV
To set up your Alexa device to control your Fire TV device, you have to introduce them to each other. Here’s how it’s done:- In the Alexa app, tap Menu-->Settings.
- Tap TV & Video.
- Tap Fire TV.
- Tap Link Your Alexa Device. The Alexa app displays a list of your Fire TV devices.
- Select the Fire TV device you want to control, and then tap Continue.
Tap the Fire TV device you want to control with Alexa.The Alexa app displays a list of your Alexa devices.
- Select the Alexa device you want to use to control the Fire TV device you chose in step 5. If you have multiple Alexa devices, tap each device that you want to allow to control your Fire TV device.
- Tap Link Devices. The Alexa app connects your Alexa device and your Fire TV device.