Technically, the ability to make landline and mobile calls on Alexabegan rolling out in 2017. However, it was limited to just 10 phone numbers and only within North America. Moreover, Alexa only allowed incoming calls from other Alexa users — it couldn’t receive phone calls from regular numbers.
But the aforementioned AT&T and Verizon partnerships with Alexa made way for an expansion of these capabilities, finally enabling users to make or receive regular phone calls using their Echo speakers or Echo Shows. With T-Mobile now joining the fray, millions of more users will now have access to this feature.
The Mobile Report(formerly known as The T-Mo Report) first received a tip containing an image sourced from T-Mobile which details what calling via Alexa does. This image now also appears on theT-Mobile with Alexa skills page.
The company appears to have published asupport pagefor the feature sometime around March 15. Additionally, theAlexa Skills page for the featurecontains user reviews from March 14 and 15th, which is further proof of when it may have gone up.
There are some prerequisites to access this feature, though: you’ll need to have Alexa-compatible speakers, set up online accounts for T-Mobile and Alexa, and a valid postpaid plan on T-Mobile. Sprint customers who haven’t migrated to T-Mobile are ineligible.
If you meet these requirements, the feature can be enabled by navigating to the Settings page on the Alexa app, followed byCommunicationunder Alexa Preferences. You should then be able to find T-Mobile withinAccounts. Make sure you follow the on-screen instructions to make sure the account linking process is complete.
The convenience of using a nearby Alexa smart speaker to make phone calls cannot be disputed. Customers can ask Alexa to call their logged contacts as well as any ten-digit number. While this feature may not appeal to everyone, it’s a nifty addition to the assistant which is now an integral part of most smart home devices, includingthermostats, displays, soundbars, and many more.
