The Echo Dot is one of many versions of the famous Echo, Amazon’s contender in the smart speaker market. By default, it is associated with Alexa, just as Google Home has Google Assistant and Apple HomePod uses Siri.
If you also happen to have a Fire TV Stick around, you can pair the two devices and throw away the remote control. In this article, we will examine the basic requirements, the installation process, and important controls.
Compatibility and requirements
When it was first launched in mid-2017, the ability to connect Echo smart speakers with Fire TV hardware was limited to the latest and most expensive Fire TV models. After the initial period, Amazon also extended compatibility to all Fire TV Stick models. All generations of standard TV and Stick devices have been covered.
Also, the list of Alexa devices that could be used to control Fire TV devices includes the normal Dot, Echo Dot, Amazon Tap and Echo Show. The list also includes a number of third-party devices compatible with Alexa.
For the best results, you need to update the Fire TV Stick firmware to the latest version available. To do this, open the main menu. Move the mouse over the Settings option until the submenu opens. Click on the My Fire TV option. Then click on the Install system update option. Wait for the installation to complete and the device to restart.
Also, you should update the Alexa app on Echo Dot to be on the safe side. If you only have one Fire TV Stick device in your home, your Alexa enabled device (in this case Echo Dot) should complete the pairing of devices by itself. This is, of course, if the two devices belong to the same account.
Amazon also claims that multiple Alexa devices can be connected to a single Fire TV Stick, but you can only control one at a time. Similar to the situation in the previous paragraph, all devices must be on a single Amazon account.
The setup
This part of the article is for those who have multiple Alexa devices at home and want to connect their Fire TV Stick to one of them. Follow these simple steps:
- Order your Eco to open the main menu.
- Go to the Settings section.
- Next, go to the TV and video section.
- Choose your Fire TV Stick.
- Then follow the installation guide.
- Finally, choose the option Connect devices to confirm the connection.
Alexa also lets you view and manage all your connected Fire TV Stick and Fire TV devices. To access and manage devices, follow these steps:
- Start Alexa on your device.
- Start the main menu.
- Access the settings.
- Go to the TV and video section.
- Choose Fire TV Stick that you connected previously.
- Then select the Manage devices option.
Needless to say, you can always connect your phone or tablet on which the Alexa app is installed.
Controls
In this section, we will provide a brief overview of the basic commands you can use to control Fire TV Sticks via Echo Dot and Alexa.
Basic checks
To start watching your favorite movie, TV program or music video, you can say “Alexa, watch (movie title/TV program/video)”. You can also say “Play” instead of “Watch”. If the content you want to play is not on the platform set as a favorite, the command should sound like this- “Alexa, play (movie/show title) su (platform name)”. It also works with genres.
If you’re not sure what exactly you want to watch, you can order Alexa to search for Prime Video or another supported app. For example, you can say- “Alexa, search (movie title / TV show)”. If you don’t add the name of the app or platform, Alexa will search in the default platform. You can also search for genres, actors, etc.
You can also control playback with Alexa. The “Play”, “Stop”, “Pause” and “Resume” commands are used for basic controls. However, Alexa also lets you rewind, fast forward, jump to the next episode and get back to the beginning.
The “Rewind / Reverse (timeframe)” controls are for rewinding. Saying “Fast forward / Skip forward (time interval)” will quickly advance the video. “Next” and “Next Episode” will begin the next episode, while “Look From the Beginning” rewinds the episode or the movie in the beginning.
With “Watch / go to (network or channel)”, you can change network and channel. To start games and apps, you need to use “Start / open (app name or game)”. Finally, to return to the main screen, use the “Go Home” command.
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Additional checks
You can use Alexa to give additional commands to Fire TV Stick. Here’s a quick overview. To turn on the TV, you should say “Activate Fire TV Stick”. To turn it off, replace “on” with “off”.
You can also manipulate the volume on your device. To raise or lower it, you can use one of the following commands- “Set the volume up (your preferred level) to Fire TV Stick”. You can also ask to raise or lower the volume. To mute the sound, say “Turn off Fire TV Stick”.
To change the input channels, you should say something like this- “Change/switch to (the input or device you want to switch to)”.
Alexa lets you control many other aspects and features of Fire TV Stick. It takes a little practice, but you should take it quickly.
Conclusion
Associating Echo Dot with Fire TV Stick is very simple and only takes a minute or two. However, this article is too short to cover all the possibilities that this opens. One thing is certain, though- with these two paired devices, you can finally get rid of the remote.
Have you tried to associate Echo Dot and Fire TV Stick? How about other Echo and Fire TV devices? Did they work well together or did you encounter problems? Share your experiences in the comments section below.
