Sight loss resources Daily living tips Digital skills

Using Alexa to make calls

Published on 9 Nov 2022

Alexa makes calling loved ones easier for people with a vision impairment because you don't have to fiddle with your phone screen.

You will need to set up a few things on the Alexa app before you can phone family and friends. Find out everything you need below.

New to Alexa? Find out more about getting started.

How to set up calls on Alexa

Step 1

Open the Alexa app on your smartphone and tap the communicate icon.

Step 2

Confirm your name and select yes to allow Alexa to access your contacts when asked.

Step 3

Go to my communications settings. Verify your phone number by following the on-screen instructions.

Calling other Alexa devices

You can quickly and easily call anyone with an Alexa-enabled device.

First, you need to enable Alexa-to-Alexa calls on the communicate tab in the app. Then you can call anyone in your contacts, as long as they're set up to receive calls through their Alexa device. Simply say, 'Alexa, call [name of contact]', and she'll place the call.

Calling phones with Alexa

Once you've followed the set-up steps above, you can call most mobile and landline numbers using Alexa. All you have to do is to say, 'Alexa, call [name of person]' and she'll make the call.

If you have more than one number for someone, you can say, 'Alexa, call [name of person] mobile', or 'Alexa, call [name of person] work', for example.

An elderly woman using an Amazon Alexa to call an elderly man on a landline phone

Always ask if you’re unsure of something

There’s no such thing as a silly question. If you are a Blind Veterans UK beneficiary and need more information, call our helpline on 0300 111 22 33.

If you are not yet a Blind Veterans UK beneficiary, you can find more information in our urgent help section.

You can also get advice about sight loss from the RNIB. Contact the RNIB helpline on 0303 123 9999, email them or say ‘Alexa, call RNIB helpline’ to an Alexa-enabled device.