Alexa has 4 new calling features on its Amazon Echo. How to use them

Just in time for the holidays, Amazon added four new calling features For your Amazon Echo bring your family to your living room, even when they are miles away.

The new ways to connect with Alexa can be used to enjoy a remote family vacation or even a virtual happy hour with friends to celebrate the new year.

Here are the four ways to make calls using Alexa on Amazon Echo.

You can finally make group calls on your Echo device

Calling one person at a time on Amazon Echo can take time. You can now call up to seven people at the same time using the new group call feature. Works with audio calls to your Echo Dot and Eco speakers, as well as video calls, if you use a Echo Show.

To get started, you’ll need to create and name a group in the Alexa app. Do this by touching To communicate > touch your profile icon in the top right corner> select Add new > and touch Add group. From here, you need to touch Enable to start using the group calling feature. Select all the people you want to add to the group and tap Continueand give the group a name (for example, My family).

Now you can say “Alexa, call my family” to start the group call.

Use Zoom or Amazon Chime in your Echo Show 8

If you prefer a larger group video call, you can use the zoom or Amazon Chime on your Echo Show 8 to chat with more people. To set up Zoom, you’ll need to log in to the Zoom for Home app on your Echo Show 8. When you’re ready to join the Zoom call, say “Alexa, join my Zoom meeting” and join the EU IRIA meeting.

To set up Amazon Chime, link your calendar to Echo Show 8 using the Alexa app. Then say, “Alexa, join the Amazon Chime meeting.” If you don’t want to link your calendar, you can also enter the meeting ID to join the chat.

Your Echo Show can caption what people are saying

If you have trouble deciphering what someone is saying during a call, you can now use Echo Show to display subtitles in real time on the screen. You can use call captions during audio, video and drop-in calls. Note that this will only work for individual calls.

The subtitling tool was developed for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or in noisy environments. To activate it, swipe from top to bottom on the Echo Show screen and select settings at the top right corner. Then scroll down to Accessibility and activate Call caption.

Children can make calls on their Amazon Fire tablets

Your kids can now call friends and family using their Fire tablets. Using the Amazon Kids app, they can make Alexa audio and video calls to Alexa to approved contacts who have an Echo device or the Alexa app.

You can manage who they can call on the Alexa app and will always have to give parental consent for any contact to be approved. You also need to give parental consent before the call can be activated on your child’s Fire tablet.

At the moment, they cannot receive calls, but Amazon said they could in the coming months.

For more Amazon Echo tips, see how to turn your TV into a bigger Echo Show and how to fix those four annoying things Alexa does. Besides that, if you have more than one Amazon Echo, you should try this.