3 ways your Amazon Echo can find your phone in the house – CNET

Somehow, it’s super easy to lose your phone in your own home. You circle the house and still can’t find the thing. Sure, you could ask someone to call your phone, but if you’re on your own, you’re stuck. But if you have an Amazon Echo ( $100 at Amazon), that’s where your favorite robot friend, the Alexa assistant, comes in.

There are actually three ways you can use the Echo to find your misplaced device in your home. Alexa can help you track down your misplaced phone with just one command. Just make sure you set it up before you lose it again.

Oh, and if you think you lost your phone outside your home, we’ve got you covered there, too. Here’s how you find your lost Android phone and your lost iPhone.

Enable the Find My Phone Alexa skill

There’s finally an Alexa skill that helps you find your lost phone — you can even add more than one phone number.

1. In the Alexa app, go to Skills & Games.

2. Search for Find My Phone.

3. Tap Enable to use.

4. Link your Amazon account and tap Allow to give the skill access to your account.

5. Say, “Alexa, find my phone.” The first time you use the skill, Alexa will ask for your phone number.

6. You’ll be sent a four digit SMS code that you’ll need to read by saying, “Alexa, [four digit code].” Then your phone will start ringing.

7. You can add another number by saying, “Alexa, ask Find My Phone to add another number.”

Have Alexa find, call and play music on your phone

In order to have Alexa do this, you’ll need an IFTTT account. Here’s how to set it up.

1. Log in or sign up, then click on the search bar at the top and type Alexa.

2. There’s a list of Alexa choices and you’ll want to click on all that apply. Some examples are Tell Alexa to find your phone, Hey Alexa, call my device and Alexa, play music on my phone.

3. For each one you select, click Turn on.

4. Next, you’ll be prompted to log in to your Amazon Alexa account and enter your phone number. Follow the on-screen instructions.

5. After you complete the on-screen instructions, you’ll have to add another applet to trigger find phone. 

Now you’ll be able to say, “Alexa, trigger find phone” when your phone gets lost in the house. However, if your phone is on vibrate, you’ll have to listen closely for the vibrations because the sound isn’t enabled.

Play a song on your Android phone

Alexa can play a song on your Android phone, but you’ll need to make sure your volume is turned up. You can use IFTTT to do that and you’ll just need to follow the instructions above. 

Search for Android Device and scroll through the applets until you find Text your lost Android phone to turn the ringer volume up 100%. Click Turn on and then click Save. 

Unfortunately, if your phone is connected to any Bluetooth speakers or headphones, it will play audio through those instead of its own speakers.

See more essential Amazon Echo tips that you’ll use daily and control your smart home devices with your Amazon Echo.