How to View My Echo Show Camera Remotely from Phone

In a way, Amazon allows you to take your Echo Show camera wherever you go. As long as you have access to a decent internet connection, you’ll be able to preview the live feed from your device.

Admittedly, doing so isn’t exactly intuitive, and there are some settings to be tweaked, but we’ll take you through the setup process every step of the way so you can quickly connect to your Echo, wherever you may be.

Let’s get started.

Can I View My Echo Show Camera From My Phone?

Drop In is a feature that allows others to just appear on your Echo Show screen unannounced. There’s no ringing — the caller just pops up on your screen and can see and hear everything that’s happening.

This all sounds like a privacy disaster waiting to happen, but there is a silver lining. First of all, Drop In is off by default, and even when you enable it, only the contacts you allow can take advantage of the feature. In other words, you control who can use Drop In on your Echo.

Privacy concerns aside, this feature gives you the option to connect to your Echo remotely and see what’s going on in a specified room.

Using Drop In

To get started, you’ll need to download and install the Alexa app on your smartphone. If you’re already using the app, go to the PlayStore or App Store and make sure the app is up to date.

With that out of the way, you can proceed to set up Drop In:

1. Launch the Alexa app and tap the hamburger icon to reveal the menu.
2. Select Settings and choose the Echo Show for which you’d like to enable Drop In. The Echos are located under the Devices tab.
   
3. In the Settings menu, select the Drop In feature and select On to permit contacts to Drop In.
   
4. Go back and hit the Conversations icon at the bottom of the screen and choose the person icon to access Contacts.
   
5. Select a contact and tap the button next to Contacts can Drop In on my Echo Devices to toggle it on.

Your contact information is located at the top of your Contacts list, and you might need to manually allow Drop In for it as well. When enabled, Drop In permissions are given to all household members on a given account.

This feature is available on all Echos, not only the Show series. If an Echo doesn’t feature a camera, the system Drops In on the microphone and the speakers.

How to Use Drop In

Once you have everything set up, Dropping In on your Echo Show is pretty easy. Open the Alexa app and tap the speech bubble icon to access the Conversations menu, then select Drop In and you’ll see the list of all available devices. Tap on your Echo Show, and you’ll be able to live-view and hear everything within the device’s range.

Aside from Dropping In from your smartphone, you can also do it between two Echo Shows. Simply say, “Alexa, Drop In on home/office/children’s room” and the connection is established in a few seconds. If a user gives you permission, use the “Alexa, Drop In on [contact’s name]” instead.

Drop In Features

Drop In offers a few features that can be very convenient for Echo Show owners.

First, don’t be surprised if the Drop In screen turns frosty for a few seconds upon establishing a connection. This is a safety feature that allows the other party to get ready before they start chatting with you.

Additionally, Echo devices also have the “Recently Active” notification that utilizes built-in motion sensors to figure out if someone is near the device. This may seem like another way to infringe upon your privacy, but it can be helpful for home security purposes.

There’s also an option to turn off the camera. When using the Alexa app, just tap the camera button to disable it. If you’re trying to access your Echo Show from another Echo, just say, “Video off.”

Note: Echo Show 5 has a physical screen that covers the device’s camera. Make sure the screen is off when you want to access the device remotely.

Final Thoughts

At the time of writing, the only way to view the Echo Show camera is via the Drop In feature. It would be great to have administrative privileges and access the camera in one tap, but for now, this is your best option.

Where do you keep your Echo Show? Did you consider adding smart security cameras to your home? Give us your two cents in the comments section below.