How to Set Up and Use Amazon Echo Outside US

There is no doubt that the Amazon Echo is a really not bad device. It integrates with a lot of cracking third party applications, is capable of managing your Amazon business relationship (including ordering items from Amazon), can set alarms and timers, read your agenda details, play music, and read the news flash if you ask it to. Plus, information technology comes with a lot of skills that users tin can choose to activate to farther augment its usability. The just outcome with Amazon Echo is that it's just available in the U.s.a.. So, if you are non from United states of america but find the Alexa device interesting, we take some practiced news for yous.

In this article nosotros'll talk over a couple of methods that can exist used to make Amazon Repeat usable outside of the Usa. The process should exist pretty much the same for other Alexa devices like Amazon Tap or Echo Dot. So if y'all're in a country like UK, Australia or in India, you tin employ the methods nosotros're going to discuss below to become Amazon Echo working for your location.

Note:If Amazon changes anything, or if yous don't follow this method correctly, you might end up stopping your Echo from working at all. And then be cautious, and don't blame me if yous mess something up. Although, as of this writing, this method works perfectly fine, so you should exist ok.

Installing the Alexa App

The starting time hurdle that users will face up while trying to become Repeat set outside the US is the fact that the Amazon Alexa app (Android, iOS) is simply not bachelor anywhere other than the US. Fortunately, there are uncomplicated workarounds to this trouble.

On iOS

If yous are on an iOS device, and y'all're not jailbroken, don't worry. You can follow our commodity on installing geo-restricted apps on the iPhone, or picket the embedded video.

On Android

If you're on an Android device, the process is fifty-fifty simpler, and you can follow our article on installing geo-restricted apps on an Android device, or just install the APK file.

Changing the Timezone

Since the Echo is officially only supported in the US, naturally, it only accepts timezones and locations that are inside the US. If yous want to utilize the speaker cum smart home device exterior the Usa, you tin apply it without changing the timezone, but with the caveat that it volition tell wrong time, and your alarms and reminders will non go off on time, because, timezones. So how do we set up that? This is not as simple as installing the Alexa app, and will require you to fiddle a little flake with the API requests. If it sounds daunting, don't worry, nosotros'll take you lot through it one step at a time. Then, permit'due south get started.

Getting the HTTP Request

• First, launch Chrome, and go to alexa.amazon.com. And so, open up Chrome Programmer Tools (Command + Option + I on Mac), and navigate to the "Network" tab.

• Type "device-preferences" in the Filter for the Network tab. We're doing this so we simply come across the HTTP requests that have "device-preferences" in their proper name, which are the ones we want to await out for.

• In the Alexa website, get to "Settings", and click on your Echo. It volition be named something like XYZ's Echo. For me, it'southward chosen "Akshay's Echo".

• Curlicue down, and click on "Edit" next to "Device Location"

• Start typing whatsoever US based address here, we used "2201 Westlake Avenue, Suite 200, Seattle, WA 98121", and then click on "Relieve". In the Developer Tools, you will see a couple of entries, select the one on the bottom. Right click on it, and select "Re-create as curl".

Playing around with the Request

Now that we have copied the request every bit curl, nosotros tin can get alee and start changing the fields to values that suit us. Follow the steps below to become your local timezone working on the Amazon Repeat:

• Kickoff off, paste the copied roll command into an editor such as Sublime Text, or Notepad++. Now, we can starting time editing it. The first thing you will need to change, is the "timeZoneId". Search for "timeZoneId" in the text editor where y'all pasted the curl command, and change that to any fourth dimension zone yous are in. For us, it was "Asia/Kolkata".

Notation : You volition need to know the Timezone that yous are in, you tin can check out the unabridged listing hither.

• Now, send the curl control. If you lot don't know how to exercise that, nosotros have covered it in the next section.

• Once that is washed, change the following fields to reverberate your local values:
  city ("Delhi", in our example)
  countryCode ("IN", in our example)
  county (goose egg for united states of america, if you lot have a county, you can put that value here.)
  district (null, for united states of america)
  houseNumber (nada, for us)

• At present, send the ringlet request once again.

Notation:You can apply "zip" values for fields that you don't have any valid information for.

• Once yous have done that, change the following fields:
  Set the first postalCode (there are two of these, merely set the showtime ane. 110020 for us).
  state ("DL" for us)
  street (null for united states)

• Now, send the curl request again.

• Finally, update the 2nd postalCode, and send that ringlet command.

One time we have washed all that, information technology's fourth dimension to check if the changes worked! On to more exciting things, so.

Sending scroll Commands

curl on Mac

Sending roll commands is actually rather like shooting fish in a barrel; at to the lowest degree on a Mac. Macs come up with whorl pre-installed. So, if y'all are using a Mac, simply follow the steps below to send curl commands:

• Copy the curl request you want to send.

• Open Concluding. Paste the asking, and hit Enter.

That'due south all you demand to do to send a roll request from a Mac.

curlicue on Windows

Sending a curl command from Windows is really the same as it is on the Mac, except you lot will have to download and install the cURL utility before yous can use it. Once you take washed that, you can just get to the Command Prompt, paste the curl request, and hitting Enter.

Checking if the Changes Worked

Checking if your Amazon Echo accepted the changes is very uncomplicated, and can exist done past but asking Alexa.

Try saying "Alexa, what'due south the time?".

If Alexa responds with the right time, so it has accepted your time zone equally default.

Next, try proverb "Alexa, what's my location?"

Alexa will reply with your location in terms of your distance from the center of the city you're in. It's non very authentic, simply information technology works.

At present that we have ready up the basic functionality of the Amazon Repeat to work for our location, we tin can ask Alexa to set alarms and reminders, and they will work flawlessly. So, let'due south extend the Echo'south functionality a flake, shall we?

Using Spotify with Amazon Echo

Spotify is a great music streaming service that provides both gratis and premium tiers for listening to music. Unfortunately, simply the premium membership works with the Repeat. So, let's get started with getting the Amazon Echo to stream music from our Spotify account.

Countries With Spotify Support

If you're in a country where Spotify services are bachelor, the prepare is pretty simple. You only take to sign upwards for a premium account on Spotify (it's free for the first xxx days, and $nine.99 per calendar month after that). Then, just go to "alexa.amazon.com", and click on the "Music and Books" tab in the left menu.Choose Spotify from the list, andlog in with your Spotify account to beginning streaming music from your Amazon Repeat.

Countries Without Spotify Support

If you're in a country where Spotify isn't available, yet. Y'all tin use a simple workaround to become your Amazon Echo to stream music from Spotify.

• Install a VPN extension on Chrome (cull from various VPN extensions available), and modify your state to "United States".

• Then, go to Spotify, and click on "Get Spotify Premium". On the folio that follows click on "Start Gratis Trial", and make full up your sign upward details.

You will and so need to provide Spotify with your Credit/Debit menu details. This presents some other problem, because unless you accept a card from a land that is supported past Spotify, they won't accept it. And then, how do we get around this? Turns out, there is an easy fix for this problem.

Entropay: Virtual Debit Cards

So, we're having troubles with getting a carte du jour that Spotify will accept? Enter "Entropay". Entropay is a website that provide virtual VISA cards to users, that can be loaded with greenbacks from as low equally $v, which is perfect for united states.

• Simply sign up on Entropay (it's free!), load some cash into your virtual debit card, and viola! You will take a debit card that works in the United states of america.

Now we can use those details to sign up on Spotify. Spotify offers a 30 day free trial of their premium service, and your card will but exist chargedafterthe 30 days of free trial are over. Then make certain you take atleast $x in your Entropay debit bill of fare, so that y'all can continue using Spotify every bit long equally you want.

Getting Spotify Working

Now that yous have entered a valid card details into the Spotify website, your business relationship volition be activated. On the Alexa app or website, log in with your Spotify credentials, and you're golden! You can now ask Alexa to play songs from Spotify.

Try "Alexa, play Hymn for the Weekend by Coldplay from Spotify"

Alexa will tell you that it is playing the song Hymn for the Weekend past Coldplay from Spotify, and will begin streaming the song. Absurd, right?

You can exercise this for any vocal that is bachelor on Spotify. Even improve, you tin simply ask Alexa to play a playlist for you, and it will happily oblige!

Bonus: Playing iTunes Tracks

If yous have a lot of music on iTunes, and you desire to play that using the Amazon Repeat, there is a very simple way to practise this too.

Simply say "Alexa, pair", to put the Echo into pairing mode. On your iPhone, go to the Bluetooth settings and pair with the Amazon Echo. Now, you tin can get-go listening to your iTunes songs from the Amazon Echo. The Echo responds to commands such as play/pause/stop etc, so you can command the music playback with ease.

Encounter Besides: Amazon Echo vs Tap vs Echo Dot: Which One Is For You?

Use Amazon Echo Outside Usa With These Groovy Tricks

While it is not a good sign that Amazon has not still localized Echo to more countries, the tricks mentioned in this article volition definitely help you with getting your Amazon Repeat working outside the United states, in countries like Australia, United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, Bharat and a lot more. The only drawback with this method is that Alexa still won't tell the conditions for places outside of the United States (unless you mention the name of the metropolis in the command itself); however, all your timers, alarms and music streaming volition piece of work flawlessly. At that place'south a lot more to the Amazon Echo, and if you know of any nifty tricks or features of the smart banana, practise let usa know about those in the comments section below. Also, if yous have merely bought an Amazon Echo, check out our list of bully accessories yous can buy to go forth with information technology.

Source: https://beebom.com/how-to-set-up-and-use-amazon-echo-outside-us/

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