How to Use Alexa as a Baby Monitor: 3 Ways, Plus Its Limits
If you already have an Echo in the house, you may not need to buy a baby monitor for naps in the next room. Alexa’s Drop In feature lets you listen in on (and, with an Echo Show, see) another Echo. Here’s how to set it up, and where it falls short of a real monitor.
Can you use Alexa as a baby monitor? The quick answer
Yes. Turn on Drop In for the Echo in your baby’s room, then “drop in” on it from another Echo or from the Alexa app on your phone. You’ll hear the room, and with an Echo Show you can see it too. It won’t alert you when your baby cries, so you have to start the Drop In yourself. (Amazon: Use Drop In)
| Alexa (Drop In) | A dedicated baby monitor | |
|---|---|---|
| Audio | Yes | Yes |
| Video | Echo Show only | Video models |
| Crying or sound alerts | No, you start it yourself | Most models |
| Works when the internet is down | No | Non-WiFi models do |
| Cost | Free if you own Echos | Extra purchase |
First: turn on Drop In
- Open the Alexa app on your phone.
- Go to Devices, then Echo & Alexa, and pick the Echo in your baby’s room.
- Open its settings, then Communications, then Drop In, and turn it on.
If you don’t see Drop In in that device’s settings, that Echo doesn’t support it. (Amazon: Turn Drop In on or off)
Way 1: Drop In from your phone
In the Alexa app, go to More, then Communicate, tap Drop In, and choose the nursery Echo. You’ll hear the room through your phone. Tap Hang Up to end it. (Amazon: Use Drop In)
This is the most flexible option, because your phone goes wherever you go in the house.
Way 2: Drop In from another Echo
Say “Alexa, drop in on [the nursery Echo’s name]” to the Echo in the room you’re in. (Amazon: Use Drop In) Rename the nursery Echo in the app first, to something like “Nursery”, so it’s easy to say.
This works well if you’re settled in one spot for a while, like the kitchen or the living room.
Way 3: Use an Echo Show for video
If the device in your baby’s room is an Echo Show, dropping in from another Echo Show or from the Alexa app gives you video as well as sound.
Kelleigh’s Quick Tip: Do a test run before naptime. Drop in from every room you’ll be in, and check you can clearly hear a quiet sound, like a soft toy squeaker.
Where to put the Echo in your baby’s room
- Keep it, and its cord, at least 3 feet from the crib, bassinet or play yard. Baby monitor cords have strangled babies, and the same risk applies to any corded device. (CPSC)
- Never put it in the crib or on the crib rail.
- Pick a spot with a clear view if you’re using an Echo Show’s camera, like a high shelf or a dresser across the room.
More on placement in where to put a baby monitor.
Privacy settings to check
- Drop In permissions: anyone you’ve allowed to Drop In can listen in. Check your contacts’ permissions in the Alexa app, and keep Drop In limited to your own household.
- Do Not Disturb blocks incoming Drop Ins, so make sure it’s off on the nursery Echo during naps. (Amazon: Turn Drop In on or off)
- Turn Drop In off when you don’t need it by saying “Alexa, disable drop in”.
The limits
- No crying alerts. Drop In is a live call. It won’t tell you your baby woke up unless you’re already listening.
- It needs WiFi. If the internet goes down, so does your “monitor”.
- Your phone has to stay on the call to keep listening, which drains the battery.
- It isn’t a health monitor. No monitor, smart or otherwise, lowers the risk of SIDS, and the AAP advises against using home monitors for that. A safe sleep space does that job. (AAP 2022 safe sleep recommendations)
FAQs
Can you use Alexa as a baby monitor?
Yes. Turn on Drop In for the Echo in your baby’s room, then drop in from another Echo or the Alexa app to listen, or to watch with an Echo Show.
Does Alexa alert you when a baby cries?
Not with Drop In. You have to start the Drop In yourself to hear the room.
Can Alexa Drop In be used for video?
Yes, if the Echo in your baby’s room is an Echo Show and you drop in from another Echo Show or the Alexa app.
Can I check on my baby with Alexa when I’m away from home?
Drop In works over the internet, but a baby always needs an adult at home with them. Use it to check in from another room, not in place of a caregiver.
Is it safe to keep an Echo in the nursery?
Yes, if the Echo and its cord are at least 3 feet from the crib and you’ve checked who has Drop In permission.
My take
If you already own Echos, Drop In is a handy free way to listen in on naps from another room. It won’t alert you, though, so if you want to hear every wake-up without thinking about it, a dedicated monitor is still the easier choice. Either way, keep the cord 3 feet from the crib.
Questions? Email me at kelleigh@imperfecthomemaking.com.
Happy parenting!
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