Using Echo Show as Security Camera
The Echo Show is a compact and neat smart device many homeowners love. It’s meant for displaying recipes and making video calls, but it can also be used as a security camera.
To use the Echo Show as a home security camera, you have to activate the ‘Home Monitoring’ option. Then you can access the Echo Show from the Alexa app and monitor your home.
The Echo Show also comes with a security suite known as Amazon Guard. You can set it to ‘Away Mode’ when you leave the house.
This allows the Echo Show to trigger features such as ‘Smart Alert,’ which can detect the smoke alarms and the sound of glass breaking.
Setting up your Echo Show as a security camera is simple, and there are several ways you can use it in combination with other smart home features offered by Amazon.
The Setup Process
The camera at the front of the Echo Show is primarily designed for video calls, but you can use it for video calls. Here is how you activate this feature:
- Start by swiping down on your Echo Show’s screen
- Next, click on ‘Settings.’
- Then click on ‘Camera.’
- Next, toggle the button next to ‘Home Monitoring.’
- Click ‘Continue.’
- Then click ‘Continue’ again.
- Enter your Amazon account passcode and click ‘Done.’
- If your account has 2FA (2-factor authentication), enter the code and click ‘Continue.’
Keep in mind that you can prevent this feature from accessing the camera at the front of your Echo Show anytime by closing the shutter or disabling the camera.
View On Your Phone
To view the live feed from the camera on your phone, you use the Alexa’ Home Monitoring’ feature. When this feature is activated, you can use the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet to view the live feed from your Echo Show.
Its functionality is a lot like the ‘Drop-In’ feature, except Home Monitoring is meant to be a one-way security feature as opposed to two-way communication.
While it’s handy in checking on your home and pets when you’re not around, there are several caveats to remember about using this feature:
- There is no motion detection
- The device doesn’t record anything
- Connecting to a live feed will display text on the Echo Show that reads ‘household member is viewing your camera.’ This means that if there is an intruder in your home, they can see you’re recording them, and they can click ‘Stop’ to end the live feed.
To View an Echo Show’s live video feed:
- Start by launching the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet
- Next, click on ‘Devices.’
- Then click and slide the list of device types.
- Next, click on ‘Cameras.’
- Click on the specific Echo Show.
- Next, you’ll see a live video feed from your Echo Show.
- You can click on the mic to listen to or speak to anyone in the device’s surroundings.
- You can also end the live feed by closing the app or clicking on the back button.
View On Desktop or Laptop
You can also use your desktop or laptop to watch live feeds from your Echo Show.
- Start by downloading the Alexa app from the Microsoft Store.
- Next, launch the app, and complete the setup steps using your Amazon credentials.
- Click on ‘Smart Home’
- Then click on “Devices.’
- If you have several devices linked to Alexa, click on the Echo Show icon with a small camera in the bottom corner. Alternatively, you can click ‘Cameras’ at the upper middle part of your screen to reveal the camera feed options only.
- Another handy feature in the desktop app is clicking on the three dots at the bottom right corner of the ‘Devices’ tab and selecting ‘Open picture-in-picture.’ This will create a small window that displays the live feed on top of all other tabs on your PC.
How Else Can You Use the Echo Show with Regard to Security?
Apart from using the Echo Show as a home security camera, you can also pair it with other security camera devices and view them through the app or the Echo Show itself.
You can connect Blink security cameras, Ring video doorbells, and others that work with Alexa. When you connect a security camera to the Alexa app, you can view it using the ‘Home Monitoring’ method illustrated above.
Final Thought
At the end of the day, the Echo Show can’t replace a fully-fledged home security camera, so if you want features such as motion detection, live feed recording, and virtually all other features apart from live feed viewing, you should get a dedicated security camera.
See Also
How to Connect Blink Camera to Alexa
How to Connect Ring Doorbell to Alexa
How to Connect Alexa to Arlo Cameras
