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Many Echo owners might not even know it, but it’s possible to change the voice your Amazon Echo devices use. Not only is there now a second, male voice that Alexa can switch to for the full breadth of Echo functionality, but there are also a handful of celebrity voices you can select for the most common Echo features. This option is available on a variety of Echo devices and dates back to ancient times 2nd Gen Echo Dot.
The process is simple and takes just a few seconds, whether you complete it on the Echo device itself or through the Amazon Alexa smartphone app. We’ll walk you through both methods below, with our demo video and step-by-step instructions for each. We’ll also cover the process of setting up any of the currently available paid celebrity voices, which cost $5 each.
How to change Alexa’s voice on your smartphone
- Materials needed: The Amazon Alexa app installed on any iOS or Android device and an Echo device
Step 1: Open the Alexa app on your smartphone
Open the Alexa app on your iOS or Android device and locate the Devices tab (circled in red below). The app must already be set up and signed in to the same account as the Echo device you’re changing. If you haven’t already, install the app and make sure it and the device you want to change are registered to your Amazon account.
This is the Alexa app home screen where you can navigate to the Devices tab Michael Garifo
Step 2: Go to the “Devices” tab and search for “Echo & Alexa”.
On the Devices tab, you should see an option called Echo & Alexa in the top left. This is the section where you can control your Echo branded devices, including Echo smart speakers, Echo Show smart displays, and more. This is also where you can control the settings for your individual devices, including the voice assigned to them.
The layout of this page will vary depending on what devices you have, but the location of the Echo and Alexa buttons remains constant Michael Garifo
Step 3: Find the device you want to change
In the Echo & Alexa section, you’ll see a list of all registered Echo-branded devices with the names assigned to them. You should find the specific device you want to change and tap on it. In this case, I’m using a second-generation Echo Dot that I’ve named “Study” as an example.
Here’s the list of Echo devices I’ve registered, including the 2nd Gen Echo Dot called “Study” that we’re going to mod Michael Garifo
Step 4: Open your Echo’s settings page
Once you’ve opened the page for the specific device you’re changing, depending on the device type, you’ll see its Bluetooth connections, alarms and timers, current status, and more. We just have to focus on the gear icon in the top right of the screen (circled in red below). Tap the gear icon to bring up the settings page for that specific device.
On the device’s page you’ll see a number of options, but all we need is the gear icon at the top right of the page Michael Garifo
Step 5: Scroll down and tap Alexa’s Voice
In the Device Settings menu, you’ll need to scroll down a bit to find the “Alexa’s Voice” option. It should be right under “Wakeword,” which you can tap while you’re in this menu if you also want to change the wakeword your Echo responds to.
You can find the option we need right below the Activate Word option. Michael Garifo
Step 6: Choose your voice
Now that we’ve made it to the Alexa’s Voice page for the device in question, you can select either Original or New. “New” is the recently introduced male option for Alexa. Tapping it will play a short sample of how Alexa will sound with that active voice. If you don’t like the new option, you can revert to the original with a second tap. Once you’ve made your choice, the device you changed will continue to use the voice you selected until you change it again.
“Original” is the default female Alexa voice. “New” is the male option Michael Garifo
There’s an even easier way that only requires the Echo device itself. Amazon
How to change Alexa’s voice on your Echo
Step 1: Go to the Echo you want to change and give the required voice command
This even simpler way to switch between the “Original” female voice and the “New” male voice requires only the Echo device itself. Just walk up to the device and say, “Alexa, change your voice.” If you had it set to Original, it will switch to the new male voice and respond with an example of how it will sound. If you set it to New, it will revert to the original and demonstrate the classic female voice. You can always upshift and downshift by issuing the same command again.
Maybe make sure you use the correct version of this guy’s echo voice when the kids are around… Amazon
How to use a celebrity voice for select echo commands
Amazon has introduced a handful of celebrity voices that users can purchase for use on just about any Echo-branded device. At the time of writing this article, the following voices are available:
Step 1: Ask for an introduction…
Go to one of your Echo devices or open the Alexa app and say “Alexa, introduce me.” [insert name of chose celebrity from the list above here].” Alexa switches to the “Celebrity Personality” you selected and uses her voice to explain what she’s capable of.
Step 2: Confirm your purchase
If you wish to continue using the voice for your Echo, you will be prompted to confirm the purchase of the Celebrity Personality of your choice. If you confirm, the default payment method set up with your Amazon account for use on Echo devices will be charged $4.99.
It is worth noting that all celebrity voices are suitable for the most common tasks. But Amazon warns them can not Help with “Purchases, Lists, Reminders or Skills”. Instead, the echo defaults to the “Original” or “New” voice.
Step 3: Access your celebrity voice
Once you’ve set up your celebrity persona, you can target them by using their wake word, “Hey, Samuel” or “Hey, Shaq,” for example. You can also activate the same celebrity voice on any other Echo device connected to the same Amazon account at no additional cost by going to that device and saying “Alexa, activate”. [Samuel/Shaq/Melissa],” depending on which voice you purchased.
frequently asked Questions
What devices are compatible with changing Alexa’s voice?
The vast majority of Echo devices can use both the “new” male voice and any of the available celebrity voices. The only exceptions are the first-generation Echo and Echo Dot, Alexa-enabled wearables (such as Echo Buds), and Fire TV and tablet devices. All other Echo branded devices are compatible with the option to change their Alexa voice.
What are the available wake words?
As mentioned earlier, in step 5 of the smartphone app section, you can change the wake word for your Alexa device to something else. At the time of writing, these options include:
- Amazon
- Computer (probably a Star Trek reference)
- echo
- Ziggy (a quantum leap reference)
Note: Some older devices, like the original Echo, may have fewer options.
Are other voices available for my Echo?
For now, you’re limited to either the “Original” Alexa female voice or the “New” male voice for full functionality, and the aforementioned trio of celebrities for everything but Shopping, Lists, Reminders, and Skills.
Amazon may release additional celebrity language packs or additional default voices in the future.
In the meantime, you can access various skills that allow your Echo to interact with you at different levels with other famous voices, such as: R2D2 and Darth Vader from Star Wars, Gordon Ramsayor Baby Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy.