Phone for Seniors to connect to Show

[RickInHouston]

Looks like you need an android 5.0 or greater phone to connect and use the calling features of an echo Show.

I bought one for my Mom who isn't savy, at all. I thought just saying, "Alexa, call my son." Would be great. Come to find out you need to receive a text on the phone number you will use to set up the device for her.

What is the simplest android phone she can use? She has a really old flip phone, now. Could I get her a Google Voice number (maybe that's not what it is called, I can't remember the term) to use for her current mobile phone number?

Help.

 

[Rukbat]

Call her carrier and ask if they can port from Google Voice. (I know GV can't [or won't] port from landlines, I don't know if they allow port-outs, I've never tried.) But I don't see how that would help, except that she could use Hangouts on a computer to call you from a GV number. If you port it to a cellphone, it's just a phone number being used by a cellphone.

As for a cheap phone, you can probably find an older gently used one on Letgo, or even go with a cheaper Straight Talk or Walmart phone from Walmart.

But you can tell Google Assistant to make calls, you don't need a phone and an Echo Show. (This is coming from a 76 year old "senior", if you insist - I still feel like a 16 year old with a little arthritis. We "old people" can still learn things.)

 

[Norg]

Call her carrier and ask if they can port from Google Voice. (I know GV can't [or won't] port from landlines, I don't know if they allow port-outs, I've never tried.) But I don't see how that would help, except that she could use Hangouts on a computer to call you from a GV number. If you port it to a cellphone, it's just a phone number being used by a cellphone.

As for a cheap phone, you can probably find an older gently used one on Letgo, or even go with a cheaper Straight Talk or Walmart phone from Walmart.

But you can tell Google Assistant to make calls, you don't need a phone and an Echo Show. (This is coming from a 76 year old "senior", if you insist - I still feel like a 16 year old with a little arthritis. We "old people" can still learn things.)

Completely agree Rukbat, there's always another solution! BTW good advice given

 

[4Daluvofnikki]

You can use a Google Voice number to set up the Echo.

 

[4Daluvofnikki]

You can use the Google Voice Number to set it up. I’ve has d a GV number for years now. It has a voicemail section so I assume it can receive the text code you’ll need to set it up. Besides I read on the Amazon Product page a person said he used his GV number to setup his Echo.