How to use your Echo with two Amazon accounts

If you have an Alexa device in your home, such as an Echo smart speaker, anyone in your home can use it. But there are certain disadvantages to having it associated with just one account. Mostly, it means that everyone is sharing the same account.

You can create what Amazon calls “family”. This means that there may be two adult accounts on the device. In an Echo, this means that it can display photos and allow notifications (for example, for a to-do list) from both accounts. Creating a family also allows a family member to make a purchase using the other’s account, which can be useful if a person has a Prime account. (You can add a code if you prefer not to allow the other family member to make purchases.) And outside of an Alexa device, having a family allows you to share digital content, such as e-books and games.

There are some limitations.

First, you can only add another adult (or teenager) to a home account. You can add up to four teenagers aged 13 to 17 (who can make purchases on their own with their parents approving the purchases). You can also add four children up to 12 years old through the Amazon Kids Plus plan, which costs $ 4.99 per month (or $ 2.99 per month for Prime members) for a single child and $ 9.99 per month ( or $ 6.99 per month for Prime members) for up to four children. Also, don’t confuse this with Amazon Household, the service linked to a general Amazon account, which allows two adults, up to four teenagers and up to four child profiles to share an account.

Here’s how to add someone to your family:

• Go to the Amazon Household page on the Amazon website. (You can no longer add a family member using the Amazon app.)
• Select “Add adult” (or “Add a teenager” or “Add a child”)

• Add the name and email of the adult you want to share the account with. They will be invited to join their Amazonian family. (A teenager will also receive an invitation; you will need to create a child’s profile yourself.)

That done, to go from one account to another, you just need to say: “Alexa, switch accounts”. (If you’ve lost control of the account you’re using, you can say, “Alexa, identify the account.”)

Remove a second account

What if you no longer want the other adult on your account? (Breakups happen.) You can easily remove them from your home:

• Go to the same “Manage your home” page on the Amazon website. On the left, you will see icons that represent you and the other member of your family.
• You can select “Leave” to leave the family alone or “Remove” to remove someone from your home. Be aware that any adult who leaves or is removed from one family will not be able to join another family for 180 days (in other words, six months).

This 180-day restriction can be a problem if, for example, you are simply trying to transfer a family member to a different account or if you have accidentally removed someone. In any case, it is a good idea to contact Amazon customer support by chat or phone. According to a customer service representative I spoke with, Amazon can remove a family member without imposing a 180-day ban, if requested. And if you’ve already removed one, it can reset your account so you can add another one before the six-month period ends.

Update March 18, 2021, 2:15 pm ET: This article was originally published on November 19, 2019 and has been updated to accommodate changes to Amazon’s domestic plan.