Can I Use My Echo Dot As A Baby Monitor? – Complete Guide!

If you’re wondering how can I use my Echo dot as a baby monitor, then this guide is for you!

Since the baby monitors include a listener device and a speaker on the other side, you’ll need to include another device to achieve the goal. 

You can either use two Echo devices or a single one and add your smartphone to the equation.

Thanks to the calling feature of Alexa, you can use an Echo dot device as a listener in your baby’s room. On the other side, you would have another feedback Echo (dot, Spots, Shows, Taps) or your smartphone with the Amazon Alexa application installed.

Now when you know that you can use one or more Echo dot devices to establish a baby monitor setup, it’s time to learn the requirements.

Can I Use My Echo Dot As A Baby Monitor?

As we’ve previously mentioned, it’s possible to establish a baby monitor set up, using your Echo dot device but on its own, that wouldn’t be enough.

You will need a secondary device that will serve as a feedback speaker, instead of the listening device that should be located in the baby’s room.

What Do You need?

Let’s learn more about the requirements and what you need:

• One or two Echo dot devices.
• Your smartphone, connected to WiFi.
• Alexa application installed on your smartphone.
• Alexa calling feature enabled.
• Drop-in Alexa feature enabled (optional).

The Drop-in feature could be useful to prevent losing connection to the listener device located in your baby’s room.

When enabled it will allow you to connect, hands-free, with your Echo devices in case the connection drops and you’re unable to use the baby monitor setup.

Note: When having only one Echo dot device, you would need to use your smartphone as a feedback device.

How To Use Echo Dot As A Baby Monitor?

Now that the requirements are clear, we’ll start by enabling the required features first and then establishing the setup.

Regardless of whether you’re using two Echo dots or only one, the setup is quite the same for both.

Here is how to use Echo dot as a baby monitor:

1. Enable the Alexa calling feature from the settings in the application.
2. Lower the volume to the minimum on your listener Echo dot.
3. Connect the Echo dot in the baby’s room to your other Echo dot/smartphone.
4. Call your feedback Echo dot or smartphone.
5. Leave the connection open overnight.

That will allow you to hear anything in the baby’s room on your feedback device. It does not matter if your Alexa (feedback) device is your smartphone or another Echo dot.

Tip: Calling your device emits a loud noise, so keep the volume of your listener device to a minimum.

Can I Use Echo Show As A Baby Monitor?

Using the Echo Show device you can not only listen to the sounds of your baby but also have overnight surveillance thanks to the camera of the device.

It can happen completely automatically and you can see your baby whenever you want to.

Pros:

• Not only sound but also video calls.
• Unlimited number of drop-ins, whenever you want.
• No need to answer the call.
• The Echo Show is portable.
• You can communicate with your baby.

Cons:

• Echo Show emits a sound when receiving calls, if not muted.
• With Cho show 8 and 5, the camera angles are limited.
• No motion detection.

Note: After a drop-in call, real-time videos with sound can be viewed from the Alexa app on your smartphone.

How To Use Echo Show As A Baby Monitor?

Your baby sleeps in the bedroom and you’ve got your Echo Show device next to the baby on the nightstand.

The camera of your Echo Show should be pointing towards the baby. If you’ve got your Alexa calling and drop-in features enabled you would be able to do the following:

• “-Alexa, drop-in on baby room/bedroom”.
• “-Alexa, start a video call with bedroom Echo Show”.

Using any of these phrases will initiate a video call between your smartphone and Echo Show, located in your baby’s room, which will allow you to create a real-time video including sound.

You can drop in whenever you want and disconnect whenever necessary.

Tip: Keep the Echo Show volume to the minimum to prevent waking your baby up because of the drop-in notification sound.

Can I Use My Alexa As A Baby Monitor?

In short, yes, you can use Alexa as a baby monitor. The complete answer, however, is quite different.

The Echo devices, regardless of whether you’re using Echo dot (sound only) or Echo show (sound and video), will never reach the level of a true baby monitor.

The true baby monitors have a motion detection that will alert you even when your baby is quietly moving.

However, with the Echo devices, you will either need to drop in at the right time to catch your baby in action or you would maintain the call always on.

This doesn’t reflect well on your smartphone’s battery, especially if it’s not on the charger.

So, the best answer would be that Alexa can be used as a baby monitor as long as the features helping you to do so are enough to cover your safety requirements.

To sum things up here is an overall comparison:

Alexa As A Baby Monitor Benefits:

• Long-term investment – You can continue using your Echo devices after.
• Wireless video and audio calls activation – No limits in regard to sessions.
• Functionality – Many other functionalities besides the drop-in and calling features.

Alexa As A Baby Monitor Downsides:

• Expensive– Echo dot/Show device could be expensive.
• Not easy to travel with – True baby monitors are easier to carry.
• No motion detection – One of the essential baby monitor features.

Depending on this comparison to a true baby monitor, you can decide.

You can choose a long-term investment in regard to functionality, or you will take the security one step further and purchase a true baby monitor.

Tip: Alexa Echo device can be used for many other applications after your baby no longer needs a baby monitor.

Thus, you can use your Echo dot as a baby monitor by enabling the Alexa calling feature and dropping in whenever necessary. With Echo Show, you can even have a real-time video monitor over your baby and even communicate with them without the baby seeing your face.

Read Next: How To Add Contacts to Echo Show Easily?

Last Thoughts:

Now that we’ve answered the question “can I use my Echo dot as a baby monitor?” depending on your safety requirements you can decide how to proceed.

We hope that this post was helpful for you to fulfill your desired setup.

In case you’re looking for more handy tips for your Echo devices, make sure to check for an interesting guide in our technical blog.

Disclaimer:

The content in this post is accurate to the best author’s knowledge and it is not meant for high-end safekeeping. For a proven baby’s security, it’s best to acquire advice from a qualified professional.