Adding family members to your Alexa Household is a great way to create a personalized and efficient smart home experience.
But there are some confusing things about the way this works, which is why I’ve seen people not able to set it up properly.
So I’ve compiled this quick guide that walks you through setting up an Amazon Household profile and creating Alexa profiles that’ll allow all your family members to easily access your digital content library, control all the linked Echo devices, and more.
Key Points
- Start by visiting the Amazon Household website to add family members; the Alexa app can’t do this.
- You can include up to 6 members in total: 2 adults, 4 teens, and 4 children.
- Share selected Amazon library parts; control access via the main account.
- Set up separate Alexa profiles and Voice/Visual IDs for personalized experiences.
- You can also use a single Amazon account on all devices for shared Alexa access while separating the usage via profiles.
How To Add Family Members To Household Profile
To add family members, you need to visit the Amazon Household website. Invite your family members, such as an adult, teens, or children, by adding their names and email addresses. Once they accept the invite, they will be part of your Amazon family and can access shared Alexa devices as well.
If you’re still a little unclear on how all this works, keep reading as I go over everything there is to know about household profiles and Alexa.
Detailed Breakdown of Adding Family Members To Amazon Household
1. Visit the Amazon Household page
An Amazon Household can only be created through the official Households page, so visit this page first. The Alexa app can’t be used to create an Amazon Household, but you can use it later to create Alexa profiles, Voice IDs, and more.
Curious if Amazon Alexa’s performance is declining? Explore this article for insights.
2. Login to Your Amazon Account
When you visit the link above, you’ll be asked to log in to your Amazon account. So you should log in to your primary Amazon account, which will share all of its Prime benefits and digital content library with the other family members you add later on.
3. Create an Amazon Household With An Adult, Teen, Or Child
Next, you can create an Amazon Household by following the on-screen guide.
You can add 1 more adult to your account, as well as up to 4 teens and 4 children, but only a maximum of six members.
Just click on the appropriate button like ‘Add Adult,’ ‘Add a Teen,’ or ‘Add a Child’. In the next step, you’ll have to enter their name and email address associated with their Amazon account.
4. Choose What to Share
You’ll be able to choose which parts of your Amazon library to share with family members, so select your preferences now, and you can send the invite.
5. Ask Family Members to Accept the Invite
Next, your family members will have to accept the invite you just sent from their mailbox. This will finalize the process, and they will be part of your Amazon Household now.
If they don’t have an Amazon account yet, they can sign up for one using the email ID you just entered.
6. Manage Everything on the Parent Account
You can manage all the Amazon Household settings, change access to different content libraries, and review the activity and history on your primary parent account, which created the Household.
Parental controls allow you to control what type of content is accessible and how it is used across all connected devices. This way, you can ensure that kids are only viewing age-appropriate content while other members of the household have access to their own content.
7. Create Alexa Profiles for Each Family Member
By being part of the same Amazon Household, you can easily share Alexa devices between family members. You can also create separate Alexa profiles for each family member in the Household, and they can get personalized experiences with their own voice profile.
Alternate Ways to Share Alexa Devices With Family Members
An Amazon Household profile isn’t the only way to share Alexa devices with your family members. And it’s not always reliable either; I’ve heard users face sync issues where devices don’t stay in sync when someone else uses them, and they’re less responsive.
Some international regions also don’t support Amazon Household, and some have limited support for sharing Alexa.
In that case, a simple way is to use the same Amazon account with your spouse or other family member.
Experiencing sluggishness with your Amazon Alexa and seeking a solution? Go through this article to resolve your issue!
1. Log Into the Same Amazon Account On All Alexa Apps
Use your primary Amazon account, which is connected to all your Alexa devices, and then log that account into each family member’s device.
That is, your spouse, kids, and anyone else’s phone will have the Alexa app with your Amazon account logged in, regardless of Android or iOS.
2. Create Separate Alexa Profiles for Each Person
In the Alexa app, you can create separate profiles for each person. Add their name and basic info, and then they can use that profile on their phone.
You can use simple voice commands like “What’s the current profile” and “Change to [Name] profile” to easily switch between the required profiles.
3. Create Voice ID and Visual ID for Easy Distinction
Next, you can create a unique Voice ID (voice recognition) and Visual ID (face recognition) for each profile, so that each family member will easily be recognized by Alexa.
To do this, open the Alexa app > Settings > Your Profile & Family > Voice ID/Visual ID. Voice ID is supported by almost all Alexa and Echo devices, so you can just train Alexa on each family member’s voice by following the on-screen instructions.
Visual ID is supported by some Echo Show models, so it can recognize whoever’s using the device at that time, using its camera.
The advantage of setting up these Alexa profiles properly is that it won’t confuse your favorite songs or accidentally call your mother-in-law when you want to call your mom. It will make Alexa more useful and easier to use so everyone in the family can enjoy its benefits!
FAQs
How does adding a teenager to an Amazon Household differ from adding an adult?
What happens if a family member leaves the Alexa Household?
What do I do if I encounter sync issues with shared Alexa devices in my Household?
Conclusion
I hope this quick guide helps you set up an Amazon Household and allows all your family members to use Alexa for a smarter home. Remember, if you face any issues, such as sync problems, or if you’re in a region with limited Amazon Household support, there are alternatives, like using a single Amazon account across all devices.
If you have any other tips for using Alexa and Amazon Household together, share them below in the comments.
