Having a new child brings with it many uncertainties. You want to keep track of your newborn’s movements without always getting up and going into their room. Baby monitors are a great way to do this, but you may not want to go out and buy one. You can use Amazon Echo as baby monitor if you have a smart home, and we discuss the steps necessary to do this.
Typically, a baby monitor lets you hear your little one. You can achieve this with Amazon Alexa by downloading the Alexa app to your phone. This allows you to use the Drop-in or Calling features to hear the audio from your Echo or Echo Show. Of course, you also video baby from your Echo devices.
We’re going to walk you through every step required for Project Nursery baby’s room monitoring. It’s a lengthy process, but you only have to do it once.
Equipment Required
You’re going to need:
- The Echo device for Project Nursery. This is the speaker and camera. It can be a video baby monitor, but it doesn’t have to be.
- Alexa-enabled device for the receiver. You can use your smartphone, but another Echo device could be utilized. Just make sure that you press ‘end’ each time you’re done, or the noises from that room can be heard in the baby’s room.
- Make sure that the ‘Drop-in’ or ‘Calling’ features are enabled (we explain this below).
The Walkthrough
The process of using your Amazon Echo Show as baby monitor is quite straightforward. First, you must make sure that the appropriate settings are enabled through the Amazon Alexa app. You must use Alexa with the Echo device, and it must be plugged into the baby’s room. Just remember to take things slow with this project. Nursery considerations, such as the placement of the device, are also important.
1. Install the Alexa App
First, you must ensure you have it downloaded to your smartphone or device. To do this:
- Open your app store from the device.
- Search for the app
- Choose ‘Install.’
- Tap ‘Open.’
2. Install Echo Device
Make use of your Echo devices by having an Echo Show or Echo Dot baby monitor. Position the Echo device near to the baby. You might need to move the camera to ensure that it shows your little one.
Now, plug the device in and make sure that it is joined to the same network. Alternatively, you can use two Echo devices, plugging one into the baby’s room and the other into the room where you are most often going to video the baby. Make sure the Echo devices are both registered under the same account. If you are using Echo as baby monitor with Amazon Alexa, the same step applies.
3. Name Your Device
It’s much easier for you to name your Echo devices to correspond to the room’s name in which they are going to be. For example, you can label one as ‘Baby’s Room’ and the other as ‘Fire TV’ or “Kitchen.’
To change the device name:
- Open Alexa from your smartphone.
- Click on those three short lines at the top to the left. Scroll down to find ‘Alexa Device.’
- Now, find the device you need to rename or name for the first time and tap it.
- Tap ‘Edit Name.’ In the box that pops up, please type in the name you want to use. Don’t exit out of this area on your phone. You need it for the next step.
4. Activate Drop In
It’s important to enable ‘Calling and Messaging’ on all the Echo devices you plan to use for your video baby monitor. Therefore, if you’re using one Echo device in the baby’s room and one in your kitchen, you should enable it for both of them. Some people might have multiple Echo devices throughout the smart home or utilize a Fire TV.
You can do this right from your device. Since it has already recognized the Echo Show, you should be able to find it easily. Of course, you already changed the names of the device options, which makes it easy to find them now. Do the steps listed below for each device you plan to use as a baby monitor.
- From the Alexa screen you used in step 3 on your phone, choose the renamed device and tap ‘Communications.’
- It is likely disabled, so tap the greyed out area on the phone to toggle it to the on position. This turns the space blue within the app.
- Choose ‘My Household’ at this point so that the other Alexa-enabled devices can communicate with that one.
If you’ve got small children or babies, make sure that you go to the baby’s room and check the Alexa device that is going to monitor the baby. Turn the volume as far down as possible on that particular Echo device. This ensures that you aren’t waking up the baby with the chime that follows when you activate Drop In.
Repeat the steps for any other Echo device options within your smart home. Ensure that you turn the volume down on each one as you go.
5. Try It Out (Approach 1)
Once you’ve set up each Amazon Alexa device and your Echo Show, it’s time to test out your baby monitors. It’s best to do this when your little one isn’t asleep to be sure that it’s all set up correctly.
Often, it’s best to call from the nursery end, which lets you initiate the Echo Show call from there. Then, you can answer it from your Alexa or from the Echo Show. It’s also possible to use other Alexa-enabled devices to answer the call. Choose the one that best fits your needs.
Turn the volume completely down on the Echo Show if you haven’t already. That way, there’s no background noise to bleed through on the Echo device in your baby’s room. Of course, you’re doing this when baby isn’t asleep to test it out, but that way, you don’t forget later.
Now, ask Alexa to call the receiver Echo. Your Alexa-enabled device should have been renamed, so use that. For example, if you renamed the Amazon Alexa device ‘Kitchen,’ you can use Alexa and tell it to call the Kitchen. The nursery Echo Show goes to calling mode and shows a green light.
You should now go to the receiver Echo device and use Alexa here, too. Say, “Alexa, answer this call,’ and the call begins. Ensure that you turn the volume up enough on the other devices so that you can hear your baby.
6. Try It Out (Approach 2)
Having a smart home is amazing, isn’t it? You can use the Drop In feature on your Alexa-enabled device to listen to the nursey’s Echo. Go to any receiver Echo and ask Alexa to drop in on the nursery Echo. Of course, you’ve renamed that, so use the name you set up Amazon Alexa with for the best results.
The green lights on both devices are there, and you can now use it as a baby monitor. This is an easier method than the other, but it’s important to know both.
7. Outside Try Out
A smart home allows you to do things and use your phone even when you’re away. You can utilize the baby monitor Amazon Echo tool even while you’re on a date or at the store to monitor your baby.
The Drop In feature is also the way to use this baby monitor when you’re not home. Be sure that the internet is available and go to your Amazon Alexa app on your phone and tap ‘Communication.’ Choose the device the acts as the baby monitor to start the call.
8. Adjust the Camera
The Alexa app can also be utilized to move the camera, turn on night vision, play lullabies. Your video baby monitor can now do so many things because it’s part of the smart home.
You can use almost any smart home camera, as long as it can be added to your Echo and the Amazon Alexa app on your phone.
Ask Alexa to move your baby monitor camera, and it can do so easily. Of course, this can take a little bit of work to get things done right. A smart home isn’t perfect every time. Baby monitors can also be moved manually, which might be a little easier.
9. Adjust the Baby Monitor for Night Vision
Most Echo devices offer night vision, but it might not already be enabled. You can ask Alexa to turn night vision on, allowing you to see your little one on the baby monitor.
Utilizing Amazon Alexa to Its Fullest
Baby monitors can help you do so much. In a smart home, Amazon Alexa can be used right from your phone.
Use it to easily monitor your baby at night and during naps. The beauty of using Alexa devices within the smart home setting is so that it can play lullabies or ambient sounds. From the Alexa app on your phone, ask Alexa to play lullabies on the phone or tablet you’re using as the baby monitor. This activates the Amazon Echo Show and can soothe baby.
Of course, baby monitors help you hear what’s going on in the other room. Even though you’ve shut down the volume, it is still going to play music if you request it. This is where a smart home is highly beneficial. Just use your phone to tell Alexa to turn on the music.
Alexa also has other sounds available through the app. There’s a Shush My Baby skill from Alexa that plays soothing shushing sounds. They’re polite and soft, but it’s a great way to ‘be there’ when you aren’t there. These can play directly through the baby monitor, as well. Just say, ‘Alexa, shush the baby,’ or ‘Alexa, play shush sounds on the baby monitor.’
Remember, this skill does target children, so you have to grant it permission through the Alexa app.
Benefits and Drawbacks of an Echo as a Baby Monitor
Of course, you found out that you can have a fully functional smart home and utilize your phone, Alexa, and the Echo as a baby monitor. In fact, these devices work much better as baby monitors than the ones you can buy at the store.
Pros
Still, you may be wondering if it’s a good idea to use Alexa as a baby monitor. Let’s find out:
- If you’ve already got the Echo and Alexa on your phone, it doesn’t make much sense to purchase a separate baby monitor for your smart home. It’s just another product that you have to figure out and tie in with the rest of your devices.
- Alexa devices are great in the nursery because they can also play sounds and music to soothe your baby. You may already be using an Alexa for that purpose. If it’s an Echo, go ahead and use it as the baby monitor, too!
- Alexa products are excellent because you can also listen to the baby when you’re gone. Of course, you can call the babysitter on the phone, but it’s nice to look in on them from the baby monitor for peace of mind.
- Do you often miss your baby when you’re away? This is the hardest part for parents, and Alexa devices as a baby monitor ensure that you can peek at your baby when they’re sleeping or playing in the crib.
Cons
Though there are countless advantages of using Alexa devices as a baby monitor, there are a few drawbacks.
- Drop Ins only last about 30 minutes at a time. However, this varies by country. If you plan to listen to the nursery through the Alexa baby monitor all night long, test this theory out first.
- Though you may only want to hear from the Alexa baby monitor when you wake up or thought you heard some crying, you must activate the Alexa baby monitor first. This takes some time, especially if you’re tired.
- It also takes more effort to set up Alexa devices to be used as a baby monitor. Often, it’s easier to just use a regular one, though they require set-up, too.
- If the power goes out or your internet goes down, you can’t use Alexa devices as a baby monitor. Therefore, you may want to have an alternative baby monitor available for an emergency. There is no battery backup with an Alexa-style baby monitor.
Conclusion
Your baby is so helpless, and you want to do everything possible for them. A baby monitor is the best solution, and Alexa devices can help you out. Plus, you get the voice activation that Alexa offers, as well. This means you can talk to your Alexa baby monitor without waking the baby or having to go into the room.
Since you’re always with your smartphone, enabling Alexa is the easiest thing. Plus, with the Echo, you can see your baby, whether you use the Alexa app or another Echo.
This guide has talked about setting up your Alexa devices, such as the Echo Show/Dot/Spot so that you can use it to watch or hear your sleeping baby. Smart home technology is aa great thing!
