Alexa Communications Setup

[MaryLou]

I am trying to set up Communication feature on the Alexa app. It wants to verify my phone number.  I type in my phone number and press Continue.  Alexa sends an SMS message with a code to verify num phone number.  The app wants me to enter the code that was sent. 

How can I access the mail message to get the code and type it into the app?  I have to exit the app to read the message and get the code.  When I go back to the app, and try to use that code, it says it's an invalid code and wants to send me another one.

[scottrods]

I sometimes use pen and paper to write down a number that has to be turned off to get to the app it is being applied in...

[MaryLou]

That doesn't work.  The app gives you a different code each time you try the setup.  If I exit the app to get the code ( I do write it down), then go back to the app, it won't accept that code, it will send another new one.

[renegade600]

why close the setup, just close the window by hitting the home button.  the setup is still running and you can reopen it by pressing the button that shows all the apps thats running after getting the code.   that is what I do.   if you say what phone you have, then someone here can be more specific. 

[scottrods]

Exactly... Don't close an app to move to another, leave it open and open an additional app and switch back and forth between the two. if you don't close the one with the code, a new code will not be generated and you can switch back and forth between the two to achieve the results desired.

I spent about 3 hours this last week trying to figure out why my Uncle couldn't make phone calls using his Echo dots, with voice command. Turned out he had already done all of the setup properly, but the way he was issuing commands to Alexa were sketchy and sometimes a bit hard to understand, and his phone contacts were all named oddly in his contact list on his iPhone. when he asked to call someone by name, he didn't;t include all of the words on their listing.
Example: Calling his youngest son (contact list showed as Son Barrett [LASTNAME], to help with emergency identification of his relatives he named all of his contacts similarly). When he was trying to call, He would ask Alexa to Call Barrett, where Alexa immediately knows no one with that name, due to his listing. He had to go in and change all of his contacts with similar listings to simple listings for Alexa to understand who to call.

There are some really cool easy ways to use iPhone to set up proper contacts with the relationships as well. I did mine using "Hey Siri" to tell which of my contacts were my Wife, My Daughter, My Mother-in-law, My Uncle, etc... This is the easiest way I found at least. I don't know how it works with Android devices but I would think it wouldn't be much different... May have to go inland manually add relationships...

Setting up all these things can be a mess. What I find odd is I don't remember having to set up communications at all on my echo devices... I probably instinctively did something that made it possible during a set up of a device or skill or something, without even knowing what all I had enabled.

I keep telling myself how cool this stuff is... and just looking back to the 1970's for reference of how crazy fast our technologies have grown in both private and commercial ways.

To close out this whole rambling post, I will go back to the original post and say : The problems most encounter doing any of this set-up and usage, is easily looked up buy typing the problem or concept or question into the address bar at the top of all of the browsers... and hit the enter/return button on your keyboard. (this applies even to browsers on your phone)

[MaryLou]

I FINALLY got the Communications set up.  What was happening is this.   
Opened Alexa app, opened Communications setup.
Entered phone number, an sms message was sent to phone
pressed the Home button, opened the message and wrote down code.
back to app which was waiting for me to input number.  Only problem is, it was only showing half of the screen and I could not enter the number.

So, I started over. I changed a setting so the message would be read to me. So, when the code was sent, I stayed right on the Alexa setup screen and the message read the code out loud.  I was then able to type it in since I never left that window and all worked!!    Thanks for all the help!!

To  renegade600:  I followed your instructions but the only problem was the app wasn't all the way full screen so I couldn't type in the code.  I'm not a big cell phone user so sometimes have trouble getting from point A to point B.  Thanks again for the suggestions...  another one down!

[renegade600]

I FINALLY got the Communications set up.  What was happening is this.   
Opened Alexa app, opened Communications setup.
Entered phone number, an sms message was sent to phone
pressed the Home button, opened the message and wrote down code.
back to app which was waiting for me to input number.  Only problem is, it was only showing half of the screen and I could not enter the number.

So, I started over. I changed a setting so the message would be read to me. So, when the code was sent, I stayed right on the Alexa setup screen and the message read the code out loud.  I was then able to type it in since I never left that window and all worked!!    Thanks for all the help!!

To  renegade600:  I followed your instructions but the only problem was the app wasn't all the way full screen so I couldn't type in the code.  I'm not a big cell phone user so sometimes have trouble getting from point A to point B.  Thanks again for the suggestions...  another one down!

you have to click on it to open full screen again.  but then without knowing what phone you had, it is hard to give specific instructions.    anyway glad you got it working with a bit of ingenuity.  sometimes that is what it takes to get things rolling. 

[MaryLou]

I did click on it but when I did, it went back to the start and issued me a new code.  I never use the phone to talk on so I don't use it a lot.  Mostly use it to control things like the thermostat, lights, GPS, and games.  Good to have in an emergency!   Thanks again!

[JamesSwive]

I am new at this forum. What are you talking about?

[scottrods]

I am new at this forum. What are you talking about?

Communications on the Echo devices, requires proper set up. This enables a user to Make calls using the Echo device, by asking the Echo to "Call My Wife" or "Call 222-345-9876" or a real phone number... The contacts list, on the phone used for set up, is the reference material for calling by name, so having a good clean set of names and numbers on your contacts list is very important... It is a really cool feature when you're just sitting and reading and you reallize you need to call someone real quick, you won't have to go hunt your phone or even pick it up to make a call.