Quick answer:Yes, you’re able to use Amazon Echo Show devices with Ring Video Doorbells to view and talk to visitors before answering the door.
Amazon’s popular Ring Video Doorbell lineup, which includes the terrificRing Video Doorbell 4, makes it easy to see who rang the doorbell and even talk with them from your phone without ever having to open the door. But don’t fret if you sat your smartphone in another room and only have an Amazon Echo Show nearby. You can still view your Ring doorbell’s live feed and chat with any visitors directly from that device. Easy peasy.
Why set up this feature?
From security and peace of mind to a variety of everyday conveniences, these two devices are practically made for each other. While you aren’trequiredto connect your Amazon Echo Show to your Ring Video Doorbell, there are a ton of great reasons to connect them if you own either.
Whether it’s another pesky door-to-door salesperson or your annoying neighbor, being able to view exactly who’s at your door before you open it is inarguably a nice convenience. You can also opt to talk with your visitor through your Echo device. This feature makes it easy to tell your guest you’ll need another minute before you can get to the door, tell someone to leave the package on the porch, or even scare off a potential intruder.
Connecting the two gadgets also makes it incredibly easy to scrub through your footage history. For example, on an Echo Show, you can quickly rewind, pause, or fast-forward through clips to find the specific moment you’re looking for. You can also set up your Echo device to announce through Alexa when someone’s at your door (in addition to hearing your normal doorbell tone) and arm or disarm your companion Ring Alarm system if you have one.
Moreover, you can control other compatiblesmart home devicesand accessories through your Amazon Echo Show — you can view your Ring Video Doorbell’s live feed, turn on any externalsmart lights, ensure thesmart lockon your front door is locked, and much more. The Echo Show can become the central hub for your entire smart home. What’s not to love?
How to connect your Ring Video Doorbell to your Amazon Echo Show
If you already own both devices, getting them paired is a cinch. All you’ll need to get started (besides your Ring Video Doorbell and Echo device) is the Alexa app, which you can download on your smartphone or tablet.
From there, tapMore, then selectSkills & Games. Next, in the search field, type and selectRing; tap the firstRingresult, and tapEnable to Use. At this point, you must enter your Ring account information to link your Amazon and Ring device accounts. After signing in, select theEnable Skill and Link Accountsoption. All you need to do then is tapDiscover Devices. If that doesn’t work, go to the bottom of the app and tap theDevicesicon or say, “Alexa, discover my devices.”
Viewing live Ring Video Doorbell feed on Amazon Echo Show
It’s no trouble to view the current live feed of your Ring Video Doorbell through your compatible Echo device. You just need the right voice command, and you have a few to choose from for starting and stopping your live feed.
To display the live view, say, “Alexa, show my front door,” or “Alexa, show Ring Video Doorbell.” Note that you must specify which Ring device for the second command if you have more than one set up. To end viewing, say, “Alexa, hide the front door [or your device],” “Alexa, stop,” or “Alexa, go home.”
You also have the option to open the live view manually on your Amazon Echo Show device any time you want to take a peek outside. In this instance, just swipe right on your Echo Show’s home screen, tap theSmart Homeoption, and select your Ring Video Doorbell. It will then pull up your feed just as it would if someone rang your doorbell. you’re able to also have your Echo device display the feed for any other compatible security cameras you have, whether they’re capturing your front yard, garage, or backyard. This is an easy way to monitor all of your external home security cameras from one central place.
Can you “answer” a Ring Video Doorbell through an Echo Show?
As noted earlier, your Echo Show device makes it easy to view your Ring Video Doorbell’s live feed anytime with a voice command like, “Alexa, show me the front door.” Likewise, when someone rings your doorbell, your Echo device can automatically show the feed for the next 15 seconds, allowing you to see who’s there and decide whether you want to bother opening your door. You can also tell Alexa to automatically announce that someone’s at your door when they ring the doorbell.
If you decide to engage your visitor, start by using a voice command such as, “Alexa, answer the front door.” This lets you see a real-time view of what your doorbell sees and sets up the two-way microphone in case you want to talk to whoever’s there. And yes, you can also dig into the settings and disable the microphone if youdon’twant it turned on every time someone rings the doorbell. Note that the microphone will stay on with that command until you end the live feed, which you can do with the voice command “Alexa, stop.”
Can an Echo Show share just package alerts detected by a Ring Video Doorbell?
Maybe you don’t want notifications every time your Ring Video Doorbell detects a person, but only when a package is dropped off on your porch. That’s totally fine. In fact, you’re able to tweak the settings to set up a more tailored smartphone notification for this scenario.
To set up this special notification, open your Ring app, open the list of your home’s Ring devices, and select your video doorbell. From there, tapmotion settings, thensmart alerts, and tap on the small video icon next topackagesto turn on that feature. If you’re so inclined, you can also set up custom package detection zones to ensure even more accurate detection to make sure you don’t get mistaken push notifications.
Is a Ring Protect subscription required to connect Echo and Ring devices?
It’s worth noting that Amazon’s optional monthly smart home security subscription service is fantastic and robust. It gives you the ability to store recorded and live event video history for longer; download and share important clips; and receive motion-detection and package notifications, announcements, extended warranties, and even some heavy-duty professional home monitoring features. So if you can spare a few extra bucks (plans start at just $4/monthly), the Ring Protect subscription is terrific for anyone looking to bolster their home security setup.
Should you connect your Ring Video Doorbell to your Amazon Echo Show?
If you own a Ring Video Doorbell and an Echo Show, we definitely recommend linking them, so you may more easily view your doorbell’s live camera. It’s pretty easy to set up, taking only a few moments; plus, it enhances your home security and might even help deter annoying neighbors and solicitors.
Again, while you aren’t required to connect the two devices, there really isn’t a downside to doing so, as it’ll only make your life easier. The benefits and convenient functionality far outweigh any downsides you might find — although we can’t see any — and it’s an easy way to increase your home security, see who’s at your door while you’re busy cooking dinner, and know exactly when your Amazon packages get delivered. Again, what’s not to like?
Ring Video Doorbell 4
See who is at your door or in your yard and chat with them via the two-way speaker with the Ring Video Doorbell. It’s easy to set up, sends instant notifications, detects movement and packages, and works with dual-band Wi-Fi for a steady connection.
Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen)
With the Amazon Echo Show 10, you can easily view your live Ring Video Doorbell feed, watch movies, listen to music, see your upcoming calendar events, and enjoy video calls via the 13MP camera. It also doubles as a home security camera while you’re gone and displays your favorite photos as a screensaver.
