Make hands-free calls and Drop In on Echo devices with Alexa

Open the Alexa app and turn on Contacts

Tap the Alexa app icon on your phone. The home screen opens with a row of icons along the bottom — Home, Communicate, Play, Devices, and More. Tap Communicate, then tap the small person icon (or your profile picture) in the top-right corner. A menu slides up with options like Contacts, Call History, and Settings. Tap Contacts — if Alexa asks permission to read your phone's address book, tap Allow. Your phone contacts appear as a list inside the Alexa app.

If your app looks different — Amazon updates the layout often — look for a Contacts section inside the Settings gear, or under the hamburger menu (three lines, top-left). Older versions of the app put it under More → Settings → Alexa Account → Contacts.

You'll know it worked when you see familiar names with little phone icons next to them inside Communicate → Contacts.

Make a hands-free voice call

Stand within about 10 feet of your Echo and say the wake word — by default it's "Alexa" — followed by your call command. The light ring on top of the Echo turns blue with a spinning cyan section; that swirling blue means Alexa is listening and connecting. You hear ringing through the speaker; when the other person picks up, just talk as you normally would. The mic on the Echo picks up your voice from across the room.

If the ring glows solid blue and nothing happens, the contact may not have an Echo or the Alexa app set up. Alexa can only call people whose devices are linked to the Alexa service — it cannot call regular phone numbers on every device, and capabilities vary by region and device generation. Try a contact who has the Alexa app on their phone, or another Echo in your home.

You'll know it worked when you hear ringing through the Echo and the light ring pulses blue (a slow, rhythmic pulse while connected).

Drop In on a family Echo instantly

Drop In turns your Echoes into a home intercom — it connects in seconds without anyone having to answer. Say the wake word, then name the device you want to reach. The Echo announces "Dropping in on [device name]", plays a brief chime, and you're connected. You can speak right away, and the people in that room hear you through their Echo.

This is fast by design — that's also why it can surprise people. The first time you Drop In on someone, give them a heads-up so they're ready for it. Drop In only works between Echoes (or the Alexa app) that are signed in to the same Amazon account, OR between accounts that have explicitly granted each other permission.

You'll know it worked when you hear the chime and the device name announced, then silence on your end — that silence means the other Echo is open and listening.

Turn Drop In on (and choose who can reach you)

Drop In is off by default for every Echo — which is the safe starting point. When you're ready to use it, open the Alexa app, tap Devices at the bottom, then select the specific Echo you want to configure (for example, Echo Dot — Living Room). Scroll down to Settings (look for a gear icon) and tap Drop In. You'll see options like On, Only during certain hours, and Off, plus a dropdown for which contacts can Drop In on this device.

Pick My Household for a typical family setup — that means only Echoes signed in to your own Amazon account can drop in. Choose All My Contacts only if you want friends and extended family with their own Alexa devices to be able to connect to that Echo without anyone answering — which can feel intrusive, especially in bedrooms or home offices. Stick to My Household until you're comfortable with how it works.

If your app doesn't show a "Drop In" toggle, look under Device Settings → General → Communications or check for an Alexa app update — older versions don't include this control.

You'll know it worked when the toggle reflects your choice and you can test it from another Echo in your home.

End the call or Drop In

When you're done, say the wake word followed by "hang up" or "end the call." The blue light ring switches off and the Echo goes back to its normal state — ready for the next question or command. The other side disconnects at the same time.

If voice commands aren't working (for example, the music is too loud to hear you), press the microphone off button on top of the Echo — it's the circle with a slash through it. Tapping it once ends the active call on most Echo models; tapping it again un-mutes the mic for future requests. You can also just say "Alexa, stop" to end most things quickly.

You'll know it worked when the blue ring disappears, the speaker goes quiet, and you can ask Alexa something new — like the time or a recipe — without any error beep.