One benefit of an Amazon smart speaker is that anyone can ask Alexa to play music, or set a timer, or perform any number of basic functions—regardless of whose Amazon account was used to set up the device.
But what if multiple members of your household have separate accounts, and all of you want to get notifications or make Prime purchases using the same Echo? Amazon’s Household function extends to Alexa-enabled devices, which means you can link two adult accounts (and a handful of accounts for teens and kids) to a single speaker.
Connecting multiple adult accounts (with separate logins) authorizes both users to make purchases with their own linked payment methods. Your Echo will also broadcast notifications, make and receive calls, and display Amazon photos (for devices with screens) from both accounts.
How to add an account to your Amazon Echo
First, to create a Household, go to the Amazon Household page and click the “Add Adult” button. You can also add teens and children here. You’ll be prompted to enter the user’s name and email address to send them an invite to join your household.
Once they accept, you’ll see their profile on your Manage Your Household page. If you want to switch from one account to another directly on your Alexa-enabled device (to use a different payment method, for example), say “Alexa, switch accounts.” To get a reminder of which account is active, say “Alexa, identify account.”
Note that teens ages 13–17 with linked Household accounts can make purchases using their own logins with approval from adult account managers. Kids ages 12 and under cannot. A Household can include up to four teens and four children.
How to remove an account from your Amazon Echo
If you want to delete an account from your Household, go to the Manage Your Household page and click “Remove” underneath the person’s profile icon. You can also leave a Household. Doing this, even accidentally, will block both people from joining another Household for 180 days, though Amazon’s customer support team may be able to override this limitation.
Note that Households must be managed on the website—this function is not available in the Amazon or Alexa apps.