If you have an Amazon Echo device and acomputer, you can make things a lot easier for you by connecting them. Connectingyour Alexa device to your computer makes it easy to add music, video, and audiobooksto your device. You can also create shopping lists and to-do lists, set upreminders and alarms, and add Alexa skills with ease. Here's how to connect yourAlexa device to a Mac or Windows 10 computer:
- The 8 Alexa settings you should update right now. These 8 easy-to-update settings will customize Alexa to make her work better for you. Each one should take only about 30 seconds to 1 minute to update — time that I promise will prove to have been well spent!
- How to Connect Alexa to a Windows 10 or Mac Computer To connect Alexa to your computer, go to alexa.amazon.com and sign in with your Amazon account or create a new one. Then go to the website and click Settings Set up a new device and follow the on-screen instructions.
Within the Alexa world, Amazon Households let you share eligible content on compatible Alexa devices, think photos on an Echo smart display, payment methods and so on. Why use Alexa Voice Profiles? Recognized Voices are most useful in homes where perhaps everyone isn't a family member – shared housing, university digs – and situations. Now, open the Alexa app and tap on the hamburger menu. Got to Settings-Calendar and you will find an option to link your Apple iCloud calendar. After you have tapped on the Apple iCloud option, the app will guide you through the process of generating the app-specific password.
How to Connect Alexa to a Windows 10 or Mac Computer
To connect Alexa to your computer, go to alexa.amazon.com and sign in with your Amazon account or create a new one. Then go to the website and click Settings > Set up a new device and follow the on-screen instructions.
Note: This guide is for how to connect an Alexa device, such as an Echo smart speaker, to your computer. If you don't have an Alexa device, check out our guide on how to download the Alexa app to your Windows 10 computer. This will allow you to give Alexa voice commands from your desk.
- Open a web browser on your computer and go to alexa.amazon.com.
- Sign in to your Amazon account or create a new one. If you're an existing Amazon user, you can sign in with your email address and password and click Sign-in. Otherwise, click on Create a new Amazon account. On the next page, type in your name and email address and create a password. Next, click on Create your Amazon account.
- Next, click Settings.You will find the Settings button in the left sidebar.
- Then click Set up a new device. From the Settings menu page, you will find this as the very first option under the Devices panel.
- Choose a device to set up. Click on your device name from the list of Amazon devices. You might have to scroll down if you don't see your device name up top.
- Then click Continue to sign in again. There will be a prompt telling you that you need to sign in again to continue setting up your device. Click Continue.
- Enter your username and password and click Log-in. You will be taken to another Amazon Alexa login page. Provide your password and click on the blue Login button.
- Then click Continue.
- Press the button with the dot on your Alexa device until you see an orange light. You will get on-screen instructions on the webpage, asking you to plug your Amazon device into an electrical socket. Once your device is plugged in, press the button with the dot for six to 10 seconds until you see an orange light. Alexa will then say, 'Now in setup mode. Follow the instructions in your Alexa app.'
- Then click Continue on your computer.
- Connect your Alexa device to your computer's WiFi network. If you're using a Windows 10 computer, you can access your WiFi network by clicking on the network icon in the bottom-right corner of your screen. Then select the WiFi network with the format Amazon-XXX, where the Xs are a combination of numbers and letters. If you don't see this network right away, wait a minute for it to pop up.
Note: if you are using a Mac computer, you will see your WiFi network button in the top-right corner of your screen.
- Then click Continue to finish the set up on your computer. Alexa will say, 'You've connected. Now, go back to the Alexa app.' On your browser, you will see a message telling you to continue the setup for your specific device. Click the blue Continue button.
- Select your WiFi network on the next webpage. Click on the network you would like to use for connecting to your device.
Note: It might take a few tries to connect to your WiFi network.
- Finally, wait for Alexa to come online. The website will display a screen that says it is preparing your Amazon device. You will see a progress bar as Alexa connects your device to the internet. This could take several minutes. Once the setup is complete, Alexa will say, 'This device is ready,' and the orange light will also disappear. An on-screen message on your browser will also tell you that your device is online.
Note: For best results, make sure that you have checked the Connect Automatically button on your WiFi network.
If you want to know all the cool things Alexa can do, check out our article here.
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These 8 easy-to-update settings will customize Alexa to make her work better for you. Each one should take only about 30 seconds to 1 minute to update — time that I promise will prove to have been well spent!
#1. Turn on Brief Mode
Set-Up Time: 30 seconds or less
If you're like me, you want Alexa to be as unobtrusive as possible. In Brief Mode, Alexa gives shorter replies and sometimes just plays a sound to signal she heard your request.
To enable Brief Mode:
- Open your Alexa app
- Tap 'More' on the bottom navigation bar
- Tap Settings
- Tap Voice Responses
- Toggle Brief Mode on
#2. Enable Alexa Whispered Responses
Set-Up Time: 30 seconds or less
Want Alexa to respond to your whispered commands with whispered responses? Enable Whisper Mode in the same place you enabled Brief Mode:
- Follow steps 1 – 4 in #1 above
- Toggle Whispered Responses on
#3. Link your preferred music service account
Set-Up Time: 1 minute or less
Your Echo is a smart speaker, so it's a must to link your preferred music service account to Alexa.
Here's how:
- Open your Alexa app
- Tap 'More' on the bottom navigation bar
- Tap Settings
- Tap Music & Podcasts
- If you see your preferred music service listed under Manage Services… Tap it > Tap Link Account > Follow simple linking instructions
- If you don't see your service… Tap Link New service > Tap the service name (Apple Music, SiriusXM, etc.) > Tap Enable To Use > Follow simple linking instructions
Pro Tip: Set your preferred music provider as the default music service
That way you can just say 'Alexa, listen to Cardi B' and leave out the 'on Spotify' at the end). Here's how:
- Back in the main Music settings tab, tap Default Services
- Under Music, select your preferred music service (e.g., Spotify or Amazon Music)
- If relevant, select a default for Artist and Genre Stations too (e.g., Pandora)
A side note: the default is Amazon Music. If you have an Amazon Prime membership, you'll get ad-free access to 2 million songs for free.
#4. Choose your news sources
Set-Up Time: 1 minute or less
A great way to get your daily news on Alexa is with 2 – 3 minute Alexa flash briefings. You'll want to customize your Alexa flash briefing with the news sources you actually want to hear from.
- Open your Alexa app
- Tap 'More' on the bottom navigation bar
- Tap Settings
- Scroll down to tap Flash Briefing
- Tap Add Content
- Select a flash briefing or search for one by tapping the magnifying glass in the upper right corner
- Tap Enable To Use
- Repeat steps 6 and 7 for as many flash briefings as you'd like
- Just say 'Alexa, play my flash briefing' to hear the flash briefings you added one after the other
#5. Tell Alexa your favorite sports teams
Set-Up Time: 30 seconds or less
Is google chrome available on mac. 'Alexa, what's my sports update' will tell you the latest news and scores for your favorite sports teams… but only if you tell Alexa who they are!
Here's how:
- Open your Alexa app
- Tap 'More' on the bottom navigation bar
- Tap Settings
- Scroll down to tap Sports
- Tap Add a Team
- Search for your team. Select it and tap Save in the upper right corner to add it
- Repeat step 6 for as many teams as you'd like
#6. Set your daily commute to get Alexa traffic updates
Set-Up Time: 1 minute or less
In order for Alexa to tell you about the traffic, she needs to know your daily commute.
Here's how to set it:
- Open your Alexa app
- Tap 'More' on the bottom navigation bar
- Tap Settings
- Scroll down to tap Traffic
- Set the From and To fields
- Just say 'Alexa, what's my traffic' for your traffic update
#7. Enable voice purchasing to shop with Alexa
Set-Up Time: 30 seconds or less
Shopping with Alexa is an unbelievable time saver. Plus, enabling voice purchasing will let you easily make in-skill purchases just by asking Alexa (for things like game hints or to unlock more songs or stories). Chrome free download for mac.
To set it up:
- Open your Alexa app
- Tap 'More' on the bottom navigation bar
- Tap Settings
- Tap Account Settings
- Tap Voice Purchasing
- Toggle Voice Purchasing on
Pro Tip: You can also require a 4-digit voice code to confirm Amazon purchases and payments (this might be helpful for those of you with little ones!). Just tap Enable next to Purchase Confirmation.
A side note: you'll need to have an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of this feature. See How To Buy Stuff with Alexa and Why You Should Try It for more details.
#8. Give Alexa access to your calendar
Set-Up Time: 1 minute or less
It's super helpful to be able to ask 'Alexa, what's on my calendar tomorrow?' Plus, if you have an Echo with a display, it will show your upcoming events.
Alexa App For Apple Imac
- Open a web browser on your computer and go to alexa.amazon.com.
- Sign in to your Amazon account or create a new one. If you're an existing Amazon user, you can sign in with your email address and password and click Sign-in. Otherwise, click on Create a new Amazon account. On the next page, type in your name and email address and create a password. Next, click on Create your Amazon account.
- Next, click Settings.You will find the Settings button in the left sidebar.
- Then click Set up a new device. From the Settings menu page, you will find this as the very first option under the Devices panel.
- Choose a device to set up. Click on your device name from the list of Amazon devices. You might have to scroll down if you don't see your device name up top.
- Then click Continue to sign in again. There will be a prompt telling you that you need to sign in again to continue setting up your device. Click Continue.
- Enter your username and password and click Log-in. You will be taken to another Amazon Alexa login page. Provide your password and click on the blue Login button.
- Then click Continue.
- Press the button with the dot on your Alexa device until you see an orange light. You will get on-screen instructions on the webpage, asking you to plug your Amazon device into an electrical socket. Once your device is plugged in, press the button with the dot for six to 10 seconds until you see an orange light. Alexa will then say, 'Now in setup mode. Follow the instructions in your Alexa app.'
- Then click Continue on your computer.
- Connect your Alexa device to your computer's WiFi network. If you're using a Windows 10 computer, you can access your WiFi network by clicking on the network icon in the bottom-right corner of your screen. Then select the WiFi network with the format Amazon-XXX, where the Xs are a combination of numbers and letters. If you don't see this network right away, wait a minute for it to pop up.
Note: if you are using a Mac computer, you will see your WiFi network button in the top-right corner of your screen.
- Then click Continue to finish the set up on your computer. Alexa will say, 'You've connected. Now, go back to the Alexa app.' On your browser, you will see a message telling you to continue the setup for your specific device. Click the blue Continue button.
- Select your WiFi network on the next webpage. Click on the network you would like to use for connecting to your device.
Note: It might take a few tries to connect to your WiFi network.
- Finally, wait for Alexa to come online. The website will display a screen that says it is preparing your Amazon device. You will see a progress bar as Alexa connects your device to the internet. This could take several minutes. Once the setup is complete, Alexa will say, 'This device is ready,' and the orange light will also disappear. An on-screen message on your browser will also tell you that your device is online.
Note: For best results, make sure that you have checked the Connect Automatically button on your WiFi network.
If you want to know all the cool things Alexa can do, check out our article here.
Was this article helpful?
Related Articles
These 8 easy-to-update settings will customize Alexa to make her work better for you. Each one should take only about 30 seconds to 1 minute to update — time that I promise will prove to have been well spent!
#1. Turn on Brief Mode
Set-Up Time: 30 seconds or less
If you're like me, you want Alexa to be as unobtrusive as possible. In Brief Mode, Alexa gives shorter replies and sometimes just plays a sound to signal she heard your request.
To enable Brief Mode:
- Open your Alexa app
- Tap 'More' on the bottom navigation bar
- Tap Settings
- Tap Voice Responses
- Toggle Brief Mode on
#2. Enable Alexa Whispered Responses
Set-Up Time: 30 seconds or less
Want Alexa to respond to your whispered commands with whispered responses? Enable Whisper Mode in the same place you enabled Brief Mode:
- Follow steps 1 – 4 in #1 above
- Toggle Whispered Responses on
#3. Link your preferred music service account
Set-Up Time: 1 minute or less
Your Echo is a smart speaker, so it's a must to link your preferred music service account to Alexa.
Here's how:
- Open your Alexa app
- Tap 'More' on the bottom navigation bar
- Tap Settings
- Tap Music & Podcasts
- If you see your preferred music service listed under Manage Services… Tap it > Tap Link Account > Follow simple linking instructions
- If you don't see your service… Tap Link New service > Tap the service name (Apple Music, SiriusXM, etc.) > Tap Enable To Use > Follow simple linking instructions
Pro Tip: Set your preferred music provider as the default music service
That way you can just say 'Alexa, listen to Cardi B' and leave out the 'on Spotify' at the end). Here's how:
- Back in the main Music settings tab, tap Default Services
- Under Music, select your preferred music service (e.g., Spotify or Amazon Music)
- If relevant, select a default for Artist and Genre Stations too (e.g., Pandora)
A side note: the default is Amazon Music. If you have an Amazon Prime membership, you'll get ad-free access to 2 million songs for free.
#4. Choose your news sources
Set-Up Time: 1 minute or less
A great way to get your daily news on Alexa is with 2 – 3 minute Alexa flash briefings. You'll want to customize your Alexa flash briefing with the news sources you actually want to hear from.
- Open your Alexa app
- Tap 'More' on the bottom navigation bar
- Tap Settings
- Scroll down to tap Flash Briefing
- Tap Add Content
- Select a flash briefing or search for one by tapping the magnifying glass in the upper right corner
- Tap Enable To Use
- Repeat steps 6 and 7 for as many flash briefings as you'd like
- Just say 'Alexa, play my flash briefing' to hear the flash briefings you added one after the other
#5. Tell Alexa your favorite sports teams
Set-Up Time: 30 seconds or less
Is google chrome available on mac. 'Alexa, what's my sports update' will tell you the latest news and scores for your favorite sports teams… but only if you tell Alexa who they are!
Here's how:
- Open your Alexa app
- Tap 'More' on the bottom navigation bar
- Tap Settings
- Scroll down to tap Sports
- Tap Add a Team
- Search for your team. Select it and tap Save in the upper right corner to add it
- Repeat step 6 for as many teams as you'd like
#6. Set your daily commute to get Alexa traffic updates
Set-Up Time: 1 minute or less
In order for Alexa to tell you about the traffic, she needs to know your daily commute.
Here's how to set it:
- Open your Alexa app
- Tap 'More' on the bottom navigation bar
- Tap Settings
- Scroll down to tap Traffic
- Set the From and To fields
- Just say 'Alexa, what's my traffic' for your traffic update
#7. Enable voice purchasing to shop with Alexa
Set-Up Time: 30 seconds or less
Shopping with Alexa is an unbelievable time saver. Plus, enabling voice purchasing will let you easily make in-skill purchases just by asking Alexa (for things like game hints or to unlock more songs or stories). Chrome free download for mac.
To set it up:
- Open your Alexa app
- Tap 'More' on the bottom navigation bar
- Tap Settings
- Tap Account Settings
- Tap Voice Purchasing
- Toggle Voice Purchasing on
Pro Tip: You can also require a 4-digit voice code to confirm Amazon purchases and payments (this might be helpful for those of you with little ones!). Just tap Enable next to Purchase Confirmation.
A side note: you'll need to have an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of this feature. See How To Buy Stuff with Alexa and Why You Should Try It for more details.
#8. Give Alexa access to your calendar
Set-Up Time: 1 minute or less
It's super helpful to be able to ask 'Alexa, what's on my calendar tomorrow?' Plus, if you have an Echo with a display, it will show your upcoming events.
Alexa App For Apple Imac
Here's how to set up your calendar with Alexa:
- Open your Alexa app
- Tap 'More' on the bottom navigation bar
- Tap Settings
- Scroll down to tap Calendar & Email
- Tap Add Account
- Tap the calendar service name (Google, Microsoft, Apple, etc.)
- Toggle Calendar on
- Tap Connect Account
- Follow simple linking instructions
See Also
The 6 Best Alexa Routines Right Now & Easy Set-Up Guide
Alexa Setup On Mac
10 Best Alexa Smart Home Devices Right Now
