Alexa Call. Today??

[coyote]

Apparently, Call is being released now. You can only call other Alexa devices, but this is big.
It will drive a new wave of millions of Echo purchases. At the very least, multiple Alexa devices in a home can then become an intercom - messaging system.

[Jamd19]

Apparently, Call is being released now. You can only call other Alexa devices, but this is big.
It will drive a new wave of millions of Echo purchases. At the very least, multiple Alexa devices in a home can then become an intercom - messaging system.

So will this be an update? When you say intercom, you mean I will be able to tell the kitchen dot to tell my wife something on the bedroom dot?

[scottrods]

Apparently, Call is being released now. You can only call other Alexa devices, but this is big.
It will drive a new wave of millions of Echo purchases. At the very least, multiple Alexa devices in a home can then become an intercom - messaging system.

So will this be an update? When you say intercom, you mean I will be able to tell the kitchen dot to tell my wife something on the bedroom dot?

That's how it reads to me... Basically VOIP type capabilities, but not to phone numbers (yet)... the Echo Show looks like it will have phone capabilities as well... but maybe only in messaging... gonna be a busy year trying to learn about all the new devices that are coming... The Show also is sporting an extra microphone in it's array of mics too... 8 instead of 7.

[mike27oct]

New app allows for messaging and calling phone numbers.  See the new post about the Alexa app update.

[jwlv]

Apparently, Call is being released now. You can only call other Alexa devices, but this is big.
It will drive a new wave of millions of Echo purchases. At the very least, multiple Alexa devices in a home can then become an intercom - messaging system.

Yes, this will be huge! Especially when one person in a family has one and gets other family members to get one so that they can communicate. With Echo Show, video phone calls would be as easy as it gets. I messed around with video phones many years ago and they were always unreliable and complex to set up. This is going to be bigger than huge!

[jwlv]

I just got the updated Alexa app and tested voice messaging. Seems to be working as expected. One thing that I'm not clear on is how to set this up within one household. I have 7 Echo devices in the house. Short of setting up each Echo under a different user and account, is there a way to send a message from one Echo to another Echo in a different room? I'm guessing this isn't possible, yet...

[mike27oct]

Don't think so.  Our using the devices today shows that a green light message left shows on all Alexa devices,  When asking to hear message, it asks whose messages do you want to hear.As I said in my post about the new app, not as handy as Amazon wants us to believe.  I'll stick with iMessages and texts or even phone calls they are more convenient and even better than this alexa feature.  Phones are in pockets, and Dots, etc are not. 

As for alexa video, how can they be better than Facetime?  Anyone who uses Facetime will realize this.

[zroger73]

I seem to be unable to enable/use the Echo calling/messaging feature without sharing my phone's contact list with Amazon.

Why is this necessary?

[renegade600]

I seem to be unable to enable/use the Echo calling/messaging feature without sharing my phone's contact list with Amazon.

Why is this necessary?

because it is stored on the cloud and they gotta have the numbers of those you might call.  how else are they going to know who sue  is. 

[zroger73]

because it is stored on the cloud and they gotta have the numbers of those you might call.  how else are they going to know who sue  is.

I'd be calling/messaging another Echo, not a phone number. There is no information about other peoples' Echoes in my phone's contact list. Assuming Amazon needs the email address registered to the other person's Echo, well, my phone's contact list contains primarily phone numbers, not email addresses.

Only one person out of hundreds of people in my phone's contact list even owns an Echo.

I don't understand why the Echo app/website doesn't allow me to enter information about whose Echo I want to call.

[mtroxell]

One thing that I'm not clear on is how to set this up within one household. I have 7 Echo devices in the house. Short of setting up each Echo under a different user and account, is there a way to send a message from one Echo to another Echo in a different room?...

I was wandering the same thing. I have 5 Echos in my house and would like to make calls between them to use them as an intercom system. The only way I've figured out so far is, since I have my own domain account set up,is to set up 4 alias email names and register each Echo under one of them and then join all 4 alias emails under a Household account.

(Well, I tried that and it didn't work out.)

[kilofox]

because it is stored on the cloud and they gotta have the numbers of those you might call.  how else are they going to know who sue  is.

I'd be calling/messaging another Echo, not a phone number. There is no information about other peoples' Echoes in my phone's contact list. Assuming Amazon needs the email address registered to the other person's Echo, well, my phone's contact list contains primarily phone numbers, not email addresses.

Only one person out of hundreds of people in my phone's contact list even owns an Echo.

I don't understand why the Echo app/website doesn't allow me to enter information about whose Echo I want to call.

If you call or message yourself (Home) from an Echo, all the other Echos in your house will ring for the call or message. With a call, whoever answers the call on a specific Echo, can have a conversation with whoever initiated the call on the other Echo.

[mike27oct]

OK, I tested this and. . .
 I called myself; told a Dot to call Mike (me)  All dots and echos rang w/green lights a-blazing, all devices were saying "Home", but I could not answer with any device, other than with my iPhone and had a delayed conversation with myself between a Dot and my phone.  So, it works this way.

Huh, how is this better than using a phone to call me instead of calling with an Alexa device?  What's the point?

[k9kids]

Sometimes companies just can't leave well enough alone, huh Mike.

[mike27oct]

Exactly, I have seen it happen TOO MANY times with these computer issues ever since the 80's. Yes, I have seen a few things over the years.

Yesterday was a double-whammy for my apps, this Alexa app and my eMusic download service was also changed for a "new improved" version that is now unusable.  I blasted them with an email today, and already got a reply that they can put my account on hold for 90 days until the dust settles.  Sheesh, some solution, eh? Not ready for prime time is an understatement in this case.