How to Add Pictures to an Alexa Show: A Comprehensive Guide

The Alexa Show is more than just a smart speaker; it’s a digital picture frame, a video calling device, and a central hub for your smart home. One of its most appealing features is the ability to display your favorite photos, turning a functional device into a personalized piece of decor.

The simplest method to add pictures to an Alexa Show is through the Amazon Photos app on your smartphone or computer. Upload your photos to Amazon Photos, then configure your Alexa Show to display them. You can also link your Facebook account to the Alexa Show to display your Facebook photos. Let’s delve into the specifics.

Method 1: Using Amazon Photos

Amazon Photos is the primary way to manage and display your images on your Alexa Show. It’s deeply integrated with the Alexa ecosystem, making the process seamless.

Step 1: Upload Photos to Amazon Photos

First, you’ll need to upload your desired photos to Amazon Photos. You have several options:

• Amazon Photos App (Mobile): Download the Amazon Photos app from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android). Sign in with your Amazon account, and tap the “+” icon to upload photos from your phone’s gallery.
• Amazon Photos Website (Desktop): Visit the Amazon Photos website (https://www.amazon.com/photos) and sign in. Click the “Add” button and select “Upload” to choose photos from your computer.
• Amazon Drive (Desktop): If you use Amazon Drive, you can transfer photos from there to Amazon Photos within the Amazon Drive interface.

Pro Tip: Organize your photos into albums within Amazon Photos. This will make it easier to select specific sets of pictures to display on your Alexa Show. You can create albums directly within the Amazon Photos app or website.

Step 2: Configure Your Alexa Show

Now, you need to tell your Alexa Show where to find your photos.

1. Open the Alexa App: Launch the Alexa app on your smartphone.
2. Select “Devices”: Tap the “Devices” icon in the bottom navigation bar.
3. Choose Your Alexa Show: Find your Alexa Show in the list of devices. It will likely be under “Echo & Alexa.”
4. Tap the Settings Icon: Tap the gear icon next to your Alexa Show’s name to access its settings.
5. Select “Clock & Photo Display”: Scroll down and tap on “Clock & Photo Display.” The exact wording might be slightly different depending on your device model, but look for options related to the display and photos.
6. Choose “Amazon Photos”: Under “Photo Display,” select “Amazon Photos.”
7. Select Your Albums or Photos: You’ll be presented with options to display either all of your Amazon Photos or specific albums. Choose the albums you want to display. You can select multiple albums.
8. Customize Display Options: You can also adjust how the photos are displayed, such as setting the photo shuffle frequency (e.g., every 5 minutes, 1 hour) and whether to show personal photos.

Step 3: Enjoy Your Photos

That’s it! Your Alexa Show will now cycle through the photos you’ve selected from Amazon Photos. The changes should take effect almost immediately.

Method 2: Linking Your Facebook Account

If you primarily want to display photos from Facebook, you can link your Facebook account to your Alexa Show.

Step 1: Link Your Facebook Account

1. Open the Alexa App: Launch the Alexa app on your smartphone.
2. Select “Devices”: Tap the “Devices” icon in the bottom navigation bar.
3. Choose Your Alexa Show: Find your Alexa Show in the list of devices.
4. Tap the Settings Icon: Tap the gear icon next to your Alexa Show’s name to access its settings.
5. Select “Clock & Photo Display”: Scroll down and tap on “Clock & Photo Display.”
6. Choose “Facebook”: Under “Photo Display,” select “Facebook.”
7. Authorize Access: Follow the on-screen prompts to sign in to your Facebook account and grant Alexa permission to access your photos.

Step 2: Configure Display Options

1. Select Albums: Choose which Facebook albums you want to display on your Alexa Show.
2. Adjust Display Settings: You can also adjust the display settings, such as the shuffle frequency.

Step 3: Enjoy Your Facebook Photos

Your Alexa Show will now display photos from the Facebook albums you selected.

Method 3: Using the Send to Echo Feature

This method is less common but can be useful for quickly displaying a single photo.

1. Open the Amazon Photos App: Launch the Amazon Photos app on your smartphone.
2. Select the Photo: Choose the photo you want to display.
3. Tap the “Share” Icon: Tap the share icon (usually a square with an arrow pointing upwards).
4. Select “Send to Echo Show”: Choose the “Send to Echo Show” option.
5. Select Your Alexa Show: Choose the specific Alexa Show you want to send the photo to.

The photo will be displayed on your Alexa Show. Note that this doesn’t permanently add the photo to a slideshow; it’s a temporary display.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions about adding pictures to an Alexa Show:

1. What photo formats are supported by Amazon Photos?

Amazon Photos supports a variety of common image formats, including JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, and TIFF. For best results, use high-resolution JPEG or PNG images.

2. How much storage do I get with Amazon Photos?

All Amazon customers receive 5 GB of free storage for photos and videos. Amazon Prime members receive unlimited photo storage and 5 GB of video storage. You can also purchase additional storage if needed.

3. Can I use photos from Google Photos or other cloud storage services?

No, you cannot directly link Google Photos or other cloud storage services to your Alexa Show for photo display. You need to download the photos from Google Photos and then upload them to Amazon Photos.

4. How do I control which photos are displayed on my Alexa Show?

The best way to control which photos are displayed is to organize your photos into albums within Amazon Photos. You can then select specific albums to be displayed on your Alexa Show.

5. Can I use my Alexa Show as a digital photo frame without an Amazon Prime membership?

Yes, you can use your Alexa Show as a digital photo frame without an Amazon Prime membership. However, you will be limited to the 5 GB of free storage provided by Amazon Photos.

6. How do I remove photos from my Alexa Show?

To remove photos from your Alexa Show, you need to remove them from the selected albums in Amazon Photos. Alternatively, you can deselect the album from being displayed in the Alexa Show settings.

7. Can I display videos on my Alexa Show?

Yes, you can display videos on your Alexa Show using Amazon Photos. However, Prime members only get 5GB of video storage, so if you plan on displaying a lot of videos, you should buy additional storage.

8. My photos are blurry on my Alexa Show. What can I do?

This can happen if your photos are low resolution or have been significantly compressed. Try uploading higher-resolution versions of your photos to Amazon Photos. Also, make sure the Alexa Show’s software is up to date.

9. How do I change the order in which photos are displayed?

The Alexa Show typically displays photos in a randomized shuffle order. You cannot directly control the exact order in which they are displayed.

10. Can I display photos from multiple Amazon accounts on one Alexa Show?

No, you can only display photos from one Amazon account at a time on a single Alexa Show.

11. How do I stop the photo slideshow on my Alexa Show?

You can stop the photo slideshow by saying, “Alexa, stop slideshow.” Alternatively, you can press the volume down button to return to the clock face.

12. Can I use a USB drive or SD card to display photos on my Alexa Show?

Unfortunately, most Alexa Show devices do not support direct photo display from a USB drive or SD card. Amazon Photos is the primary method.