How to Use Alexa as an Intercom (and Stop Yelling at People You Live With)

The estimated reading time for this post is 5 minutes

If you live with kids, a spouse, partner, and/or roommates, and your home is larger than a New York City studio apartment, you probably know the frustration of trying to speak to them through closed doors. Maybe you’re calling them to dinner, asking them a question, or requesting help with cleanup.

They either don’t hear you or do a fantastic job of pretending they don’t. Alexa, Amazon’s digital assistant, can help solve that problem. With Alexa, you no longer have to yell at people you live with.

By using Alexa as an intercom, you can have her make announcements, call people, and open up lines of communication. And all of this can happen within your household if you have more than one Alexa device.

But first, you need to take a few moments to set up Alexa to use it as an intercom.

Don’t miss => 10 Top Tips to Make Alexa Work Best for You!

First Step: Name Your Alexa Devices (It’s Different from Naming a Pet)

The first step in using Alexa as an intercom is to name your Alexa devices. But don’t give them cute pet names such as Fluffy or Mr. Cuddles. That could get confusing…

Instead, name them according to their location, such as the room they are in. (If you live in a large estate with multitudes of rooms, you may need to name your rooms first.)

For example, you may want to give your Alexa devices names such as:

• Kitchen Alexa
• Basement Alexa
• Upstairs Hall Alexa

How to Name Alexa Devices

To name your Alexa devices, open the Alexa app on your phone and tap the three stacked lines in the upper left corner of the screen to reveal the menu. Tap Settings => Device Settings.

There you’ll see a list of your Alexa devices. Tap on one to open a page with information about that device.

Note => If you’ve never named any of your Alexa devices and you aren’t sure which is which, unplug one. That device will then show as Offline in your Alexa app.

The name of the Alexa device is at the top of the Device Settings page. Tap Edit Name below it to give the device a new name.

Type the new name for the device, then tap Done. On this page you can also perform tasks such as turning on Do Not Disturb automatically at night, adjusting audio settings, changing the Wake Word, etc.

Second Step: Set Up Alexa To Be Used as an Intercom

Now that you’ve named your devices, you have three ways to use Alexa as an intercom:

1. Making an announcement to all of your Alexa devices
2. Calling other Alexa devices
3. Using Drop In

This video from Amazon demonstrates how to use Alexa as an intercom:

1. Alexa Announcement

You can ask Alexa to make an announcement. Say, “Alexa, announce ‘Dinner is ready'” and Alexa will play the recording of your voice with the announcement on all Alexa devices on your account.

Having Alexa make an announcement works best when you want everyone in your household to hear the same message and you don’t need to hear a response. An Alexa announcement is a one-way communication.

Note that if you have an Alexa device that’s registered to your account in a place other than your home, such as an Echo in your daughter’s dorm room, that device will also play the announcement even though it’s not in your home.

2. Calling Other Alexa Devices

You can use Alexa to call the other Alexa devices in your home, as you would use Alexa to make a phone call to any of your friends with Alexa devices. Now that you’ve named your Alexa devices, just say, “Alexa, call Upstairs Hall Alexa.”

Learn more at => How to Make Phone Calls and Video Calls Using Amazon’s Alexa

An issue with using Alexa’s calling feature is that someone has to answer the call, by saying, “Alexa, answer.”

That may not happen because either the receiver of the call may not know how to answer or because they’re unwilling or unable to answer the call.

So using Alexa calling might not be your most efficient way of using Alexa as an intercom.

3. Drop In

When you want to reach a specific Alexa device and you don’t want to pester the person with having to answer a call, you can use Drop In. This intercom method allows two-way conversation between two Alexa devices without anyone having to answer a call.

First, you must allow Drop In on your Alexa devices.

Allowing Drop In

You can enable Drop In two ways, either from your Alexa device or from the Alexa app on your phone.

When you ask Alexa to drop in on an Alexa device in your home for the first time, if Drop In isn’t enabled, Alexa will ask you if you want to turn it on. This is the easiest way to enable Drop In with Alexa.

Or, if you like to do things the complicated way, you can open the Alexa app on your phone, tap the Communicate icon at the bottom of the page, then tap the profile icon in the right top corner of the Communication page.

On the Contacts page, you’ll see your name at the top of the list of your contacts (if you’ve allowed Alexa to access the contacts on your phone). Tap your name and slide Allow Drop In to On. 

An information panel will appear.

Tap OK.

To turn Drop In on or off for any individual Alexa device, go to Device Settings (as described above), then tap the name of the device. Scroll down to Communications and tap it. On the next page, tap Drop In to enable to disable Drop in for that device.

You can enable Drop In for no one, for devices on your account, or for your permitted contacts.

Using Drop In

To use Drop In, ask Alexa, “Drop In on Alexa Upstairs Hallway.” That device will chime to let the person know that Drop In has started. You can then begin a two-way conversation with the person near the Alexa device you’ve called without them having to answer the call.

While Drop In is in use, you can hear them and they can hear you.

If you both are using an Alexa device with a camera, such as an Echo Show or Spot, the cameras will be turned on and you’ll be able to see and hear the person you’re Dropping In on and they’ll be able to see and hear you.

When you’re done, say, “Alexa, hang up.”

Your Thoughts

Would you like to avoid yelling at other people in your home? Have you ever used Alexa as an intercom? Which method of using Alexa as an intercom works best for you?

Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!