Setting up for kids/multi family members?

[autopilot]

My kids (11 and 6) got a Dot each for Xmas (UK).

They have them in their rooms, but they are effectively ‘my’ Dots as they are linked to my account. I was hoping for a better way of managing them as a family, so they could be set up as their own with individual profiles etc. So far I can only see how to name their rooms.

It’s especially noticeable when using the communications functions, but separate skills would be good to (for example one is using Story Time, then the other goes to use it and it assumes it’s the same person and resumes the same story). Obviously they are too young for their own accounts, and I don’t want them too anyway as that would probably make the situation far worse. I have added the kids to my ‘Amazon Family’ on the website, but can’t see how that makes any difference to how Alexa functions. I installed Kid Skills, but Amazon seem to be deliberately trying to confuse us as to what it actually does. I think it’s basically blocking adult content, but the help pages are so obtuse you can’t get a straight answer. The app is pretty bad to.

The voice recognition is very good, so much better than Siri (I can’t quite believe Apple haven’t got a grip of that yet). But in terms of a multi user system, it’s disappointing really.

Am I missing something? Is there a better way to set these up for the kids/family that I’m missing?

[jesbreslaw@hotmail.com]

I've been wondering this for ages, and on seeing your post looked into it again. The kids got iPhones for xMas and this seems to be the missing piece of the jigsaw. Download the Alexa app on their phones but log in using your Amazon account details. When you do it asks who you are, and if you want to add another profile. Add them as a separate profile and hey presto! They can also now say 'learn my voice' to their own Alexa so it recognizes them. They now can make Alexa calls using their contact list and calls to them will appear as messages on their unique Alexa.

One other thing you can do if like me you have Amazon Music Unlimited. You can invite them using their email address to share the household account. So their Amazon Music app is logged into their personal Amazon account (which I set-up). I'm not sure yet if their Alexa syncs with my amazon music profile or theirs, but this where I have got to so far!

[autopilot]

Thanks, I’ll give that a go. One of them is too young for their own email address etc, is that going to be an issue?

[jwlv]

Thanks, I’ll give that a go. One of them is too young for their own email address etc, is that going to be an issue?

If one of your kids is too young, you don't have to hand the account over to him/her. You create the account and you keep control of it. The child does not need to know anything about that account.