How to set up an Amazon Echo for multiple users

You don’t need to buy a new Echo for every member of your house. Alexa supports multiple user profiles, so it’s possible to share an awesome Amazon Echo speaker among family members. Unlike Google Home, though, setting up your Echo for multiple users is not straightforward—the process is more convoluted than it should be. Follow the guide below to set up your Amazon Echo or Echo Show for multiple users.

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Alexa Profiles and Household Profiles

Amazon offers two ways to share your Echo with multiple users. You can set up Alexa Profiles that allow the voice assistant to give them a more personalized experience. For example, if you set up Alexa Profiles for your wife, she can ask Alexa to call her mother. The voice assistant will recognize her voice and call your mother-in-law instead of your mother. Additionally, your wife’s name will appear on the caller ID, not yours.

For flash briefings, Alexa reports the stories based on your settings and skips the news stories you have heard.

The second option is to set up Household Profiles, allowing another person to log in with their Amazon account on your Echo or Echo Show. Users can then access each other’s content like music and audiobooks, manage Shared To-Do lists, and share content purchases.

In both cases, you will set up an Alexa Voice ID to help the voice assistant recognize your voice.

How to set up Alexa Profiles

If you only want family members or friends to use your Echo to listen to music, check on their messages, and listen to their flash briefing, set up Alexa Profiles for them.

For this, every person you’d like to share the smart speaker with must have an Amazon account.

1. Open the Alexa app on your phone.
2. Tap the More tab at the bottom.
3. Select Settings.
4. Tap Your Profile & Family. You should see your Amazon profile here.
5. Tap Add someone else. Profiles you have added to other Amazon services, like Prime Video, are shown here.
6. Select the existing profile or tap the Enter their name option depending on your preference.
7. Enter the new profile name and tap Next.

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The new Alexa Profile will be available on your Amazon Echo or other Alexa-powered devices. You can tap a profile to give it a nickname and your relationship with that person. This helps Alexa deliver a better calling and messaging experience.

The other person you added to Alexa Profiles must now use the Alexa app on their phone to set up their Voice ID. However, they will have to sign in to the app using the same Amazon ID that was used for setting up the Echo speaker or smart display.

Alternatively, you can sign out of the Alexa app on your phone, sign back again and then follow the steps below.

1. Open the Alexa app.
2. Sign in with the Amazon account linked to the Echo speaker or smart display. A list of all the available Alexa Profiles should show up.
3. Select your name from the list. You will be prompted to set up your Voice ID.
4. Tap Agree and Continue.
5. Grant the app access to the relevant permissions.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to teach Alexa your voice.

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If you don’t get the prompt to set up Voice ID, navigate to the More tab in the Alexa app, select Settings > Your Profile & Family, and tap your name.

How to set up Household Profiles

Household Profiles allow you to share your Echo with another person who can link their Amazon account with the smart speaker or display. Both users can then share their content using Family Library, including media files stored on Amazon Photos, Prime benefits, audiobooks, eBooks, and more. Additionally, the other person you add can also use the credit card linked to your Amazon account for purchases.

If you share an Echo Show, both adults can see their photos, notifications, and reminders on the smart display. There are a few reasons you should buy an Echo Show. However, if you don’t have the budget, you can always share it with your friend or family member and split the cost. Or wait until Prime Day, as Amazon products are heavily discounted then.

Household Profiles are only available in selected regions. If it is unavailable in your area, your only option is to use Alexa Profiles to share your Echo or Echo Show.

You can add one other adult and four children or teenagers to Household Profiles.

1. Open the Alexa app on your phone.
2. Tap the More tab at the bottom.
3. Select Settings and choose Household Profile. An overview of Amazon Household displays.
4. Tap Start.
5. Invite a family member to share your Echo. They will need to accept the invitation to join your household.

Alternatively, you can go to the Amazon Household website on your PC and add an adult, teen, or child to share your Prime account and Echo. You can add teens to your household using the same steps. For children aged 12 or lower, you must create their profiles manually.

After you set up Household Profiles, you can switch between accounts by saying, “Alexa, switch accounts.” To find out which account Alexa is currently using, say, “Alexa, which account is this?”

Since other members in the household can use the credit card linked to your Amazon account for purchases, consider disabling voice purchasing on Amazon Alexa. Alternatively, set up a confirmation code for authenticating purchases.

What to do when you don’t want to share

If you don’t want the hassle of sharing your Echo with your friend or family, consider buying a new one. Get yourself one of the best Echo smart displays, which you can use in the kitchen or living room for video calls, catching up on the news and weather, and more.