Echo setup step 1: get everything you need
To get start you, of course, need an Echo and whatever power adapter came with it. These speakers don't run on batteries, so make sure you've got the right power cable ready and waiting (and not some generic replacement).
On the software side, you'll need a phone or tablet (Android or iOS) ready to install the Alexa app. Since this is an Amazon device, you can also use an Amazon Fire tablet to configure your Echo for its first use if you have one at home.
Echo setup step 2: the Alexa app
Amazon Echo setupAlexa app
When your Echo is up and running it feels almost like a standalone device, but to get started we need to use a phone or tablet to tell it what to do... before we literally start telling it what to do.
Head on over to the app store on your device of choice – on an iPhone this is the App Store, on Android it's the Google Play Store, and on Fire devices it's the Amazon Appstore.
Once in the store, find and download the official Amazon Alexa app, which shouldn't be too difficult to find.
Echo setup step 3: plug in the Echo
Now we've got the required software, it's time to get the Amazon Echo hardware itself set up. Take the speaker and turn it over to find the power jack, then take the Echo's power adapter and plug it into the power jack on the Echo speaker.
Finally, take the power adapter's other end and plug it into the wall. Great work! Your Amazon Echo now has power, and should start glowing as it configures itself. We're on our way to setting it up.
Amazon Echo setupSome models of the Echo also include a 3.5mm output, but this is optional
Echo setup step 4: wait for it to initialize
You're nearly there! Once your Echo is connected to the mains, you'll have to wait a couple of seconds for it to initialize. Its light ring will turn blue for a couple of moments, then switch to orange, and then play a short audio greeting. At this point the Amazon Echo is ready for the final setup step.
Echo setup step 5: open up the app
Next, open the Alexa app you downloaded earlier on your phone or tablet, then tap the cog-shaped icon in the bottom-right to get to Settings for the next set up stage.
Select 'Set up a new device' to start the Wi-Fi connection process. You now need to teach the Echo how to log into your home Wi-Fi, so it can get online on its own in future.
Echo setup step 6: select your device
Next, select which Amazon Echo speaker you want to set up. For the purposes of this guide we've been assuming that you're setting up a full-size Amazon Echo, but these instructions will also work just as well if you're setting up the mini Echo Dot, the Echo Plus, or even the battery-powered Amazon Tap (the four are all controlled through the same app). Select the right device, and then pick the correct language from the next page.
Amazon Echo setupYour Echo is going to have to be connected to the internet if you want it to work
Echo setup step 7: connecting to Wi-Fi
Select 'Connect to Wi-Fi' from the next page to continue the set up process and get connected: first, the instructions ask you to check that the device is currently displaying an orange ring.
If not, you'll have to hold the 'action button' for five seconds first to put the device into setup mode. With that done, you'll need to hop out of the Alexa app and into your phone's own settings menu.
Go to Wi-Fi settings. Turn on Wi-Fi (if it's not on already), then select the Amazon Echo device from the list of access points – the Echo's name should start with the word "Amazon". Once connected, go back into the Alexa app.
The Alexa app should now say it is connected to the Echo. Tap 'Continue', then select yours from the list, then enter your Wi-Fi password. (Don't remember it? Your access password is most likely printed on a sticker on your router.)
Tap 'Connect' in the app once the password is typed in. Depending on your home's Wi-Fi speed, it might take a few moments for the device to connect, but once it has done you should be taken back to the settings menu, with your Amazon Echo now listed as being online. On the device itself, the light ring should turn off.
Echo setup step 8: don't want to say "Alexa"? Change it
By default your Amazon Echo will be set to activate when it hears the word "Alexa", but there are a few reasons why you might want to change this.
Maybe one of your family members is called Alexa and you don’t want your smart speaker to activate whenever you're talking to them? Or maybe you just like having a smart home that's configured differently to everyone else's?
Thankfully, it's a fairly simple process to change your wake word to something that's more convenient for you.
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