How to Make Echo Intercom Announcement from Your Phone

Amazon’s Echo devices are a great way to control your smart home ecosystem. From switching the lights on or off, to setting the room temperature to a desired level, you’ve got it all covered.

If you have a couple of the Echo devices placed throughout your house, you can use them as an intercom system. This can work even if you only have one Echo. But, in that case, you’ll have to initiate the conversation from your smartphone or tablet, using the Alexa app.

The “Drop In” feature enables the intercom functionality. With Drop In, you can instantly connect to an Echo device and communicate with people on the other end, without them having to answer your call.

In regards to the Echo system’s Drop In capabilities of, there’s another feature that works similarly, but only in one direction.

It’s the Announcement skill for the Alexa assistant. It allows you to record an announcement on one device, and have it instantly play on all Echo devices you previously selected. Whilst pretty basic, it can be incredibly useful, especially around your house or at the office.

Regardless of whether you’re sending the announcement from your phone, tablet, or Echo device, you’ll have to enable the Drop In feature first.

Enabling Drop In

In order to preserve the privacy of their users, Amazon requires you to set each device manually, so it can use the Drop In feature.

Open the Alexa app on your mobile device.
Tap “Settings”.
In the device list, tap the first Echo device you’d like to use for the announcements.
In the “General” section, tap “Drop In”.
Tap the “Household only” option. If you select “On”, you’ll allow your selected contacts to drop in on this device, without you needing to answer their call.

With the first device set, you can proceed to enable Drop In on your other Echo devices.

Using Announcements

To send announcements from your phone or tablet, you’ll have to use the Alexa app. If you don’t have it already, you can install it from an app store: Google Play, Apple, Microsoft, or Amazon Appstore.

Open the Alexa app
Tap “Communication” – the speech bubble at the bottom of the screen.
Tap the “Announce” icon.
Type in your message. If you’d like to record the message using your voice instead, just tap the microphone icon and make your announcement.
Tap the arrow icon to send it.

Please note that while you can send announcements from your smartphone via the Alexa app, it’s not possible to receive the announcement to the app. This means that only the Echo devices will be able to receive them.

Compared to a smartphone or a tablet, making announcements on an Echo device is even simpler. Just say “Announce” and convey your message.

For example, if you’re going to a grocery store, you can let your family know by saying “Announce I’m going to get the groceries”. In turn, all Echo devices in your household will automatically play your message. Before doing so, however, each device will bleep first to make others pay attention to the incoming announcement.

Also, please note that some devices may have the “Do Not Disturb” mode on. That means they won’t be able to play the announcements, but will be able to send them.

No More Yelling

Thanks to the announcements feature, you won’t have to scream anymore to tell the kids upstairs that popcorn is ready and the film is about to begin. With an instant intercom system like this, Alexa brings a useful feature to your home, without having to dig through walls and lay miles of cables.

Do you find the Announcements skill useful? Do you plan to implement it in your office perhaps? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.