4 best things you can do with two Amazon Echos, or more

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More speakers are better than one.


Ry Crist/CNET

You already use your Amazon Echo to listen to music and make calls, so why not amplify it with multiple Echo speakers? We’ll walk you through the four best things you can do with two or more Amazon Echo speakers. 

And if you’re undecided on a second Echo device you might want to buy, Amazon released several new products this year, including a new Echo Show 10, an Echo and Echo Dot with a new spherical design — plus some new Alexa features.


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Play music simultaneously across all devices

With the Multi-Room Music feature in the Alexa app, you can play music across all your Echo speakers so that you can listen from any room with an Echo.

To get started, open the Alexa app on your phone and select Devices at the bottom of the screen. Next, tap the Plus icon in the top right corner and choose Set Up Multi-Room Music. Select all the Echo speakers you’d like to play music on and follow the on-screen instructions.

Drop in on all your Echo speakers at the same time

Whether you’re in a different room, or out of the house entirely, Amazon’s Drop-In feature can help you quickly get in touch with someone at home. And if you have multiple speakers, you can drop in on your devices at the same time. 

For example, if you have an Echo Show in your kitchen and an Echo Dot in your basement, you can start talking on both of them. Just say, “Alexa, drop in on all devices” to get started.

Turn your living room into a home theater

Similar to listening to music across your devices, you can do the same with your TV. Using your Echo speakers, you can turn your living room into a home theater. To do so, you’ll need to connect your Echo devices to a smart TV or Fire Stick.

Note that this works best with one of the speakers designed for high-quality sound, like an Echo Studio or an Alexa compatible soundbar.

Make announcements and set reminders across all your Echo devices

If you need to set a reminder for yourself or make an announcement that everyone in your house can hear, it’s easier to hear when you have multiple speakers set up around your house. After all, if you only have one Echo speaker, you may not hear an announcement or reminder if you step into a different room. 

To make an announcement across all your Echo devices, open the Alexa app and select the Communicate icon at the bottom of the screen. Tap Announce and type in what you’d like Alexa to play over all your speakers. You can also say, “Alexa, make an announcement.”

For reminders, select Reminders & Alarms from the Alexa app menu. Tap Reminders and select Add Reminder. Type the reminder, date and time you’d like the announcement to be made. Tap Announces From and select All Devices. Now when you set a reminder, Alexa will broadcast it across all your Echo speakers.

For more Alexa tips, here are four Amazon Echo features that still work when the mic is turned off, how to use Amazon Echo’s new privacy settings and four places to avoid putting your Amazon Echo in your home.


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source: cnet.com