One of the great features of Amazon’s Fire TV operating system is the ability to display your front doorbell’s camera on your Fire TV.
Keep an eye on your porch alongside the content you’re watching in full-screen or picture-in-picture mode. It’s perfect when you’re waiting for food delivery or want to be sure no one’s around while you’re watching a scary movie.
The Fire TV can show what’s happening on your doorstep, so you don’t have to look at a phone or other screen. Here’s everything you need to know.
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Which Fire TV models and video doorbells are compatible?
This feature works with any Alexa-enabled doorbell camera, including the popular Ring Doorbell. Other cameras from manufacturers such as Blink and Arlo are also compatible.
Fire TV must be running Fire TV OS7 or later. Models include: Fire TV Cubes, Fire TV Stick 4K, Fire TV Stick 4K Max, Fire TV Sticks (second generation and later), Fire TV Omni Series, Fire TV 4 Series, Nebula Soundbar – Fire TV Edition and Toshiba M550 series TVs.
How to prepare your doorbell camera to connect to Fire TV
Regardless of the doorbell camera brand, the process for getting started with Alexa is the same. Before you start, set up the doorbell camera according to the instructions in its guide and app.
After creating an account and completing the Video Doorbell setup, connect the camera to the Alexa phone app:
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- Open the Alexa app for iOS or Android on your phone and tap More.
- Beat Add device.
- Beat Camera.
- Choose doorbell camera brand.
- Add the camera to your app.
- Go back to the Alexa app and click Next.
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- Beat Skills & Games.
- Next to the Seek icon, enter the camera brand.
- Tap on the brand.
- Activate the skill by tapping Activate to use. (Note that in the screenshot this was previously set up if it had been the first time this button had replaced the Settings button).
- Sign in to the account you used to set up your doorbell camera.
- Beat Activate skill and link accounts.
- After enabling the skill, tap Discover devices.
Alexa activates all devices of this camera brand. So if you have indoor cameras from the same manufacturer, they will be added as well. If you don’t want the other cameras to connect to Alexa, tap Forget next to its name to remove it.
If your doorbell device does not appear after tapping it discover devices, Say “Alexa find devices” or tap the device icon at the bottom of the screen and try again.
View a doorbell camera on your Fire TV
There is no dedicated app to view your doorbell cam on your Fire TV. You need a Fire TV that can connect to Alexa. Press the blue Alexa button (or microphone) on an Alexa Voice Remote to ask, “Show (name of your doorbell camera.)”. Alternatively, you can ask an Echo speaker that can control Fire TV, “Alexa, show (your doorbell camera name) see (Fire TV name).”
Initially, the live view of the camera appears in full screen mode. Click on that Minimize to PIP Icon to reduce the size of the camera view. Press your remote’s microphone (or the blue Alexa button) to talk to someone on your doorbell. If you use an Echo speaker to start the view, the microphone will be disabled.
Long press the home button to control picture-in-picture. You can close it or view it in full screen. The sound is muted on picture-in-picture as it assumes you are watching something else.
Alexa commands to manage doorbell camera feed include:
- “Show (Video Doorbell device name).”
- “Show my (doorbell nickname).”
To stop live video feed you can say:
- “Hide (video doorbell device name).”
- “Hide (nickname of the doorbell).”
- “Stop.”
- “Go home”
To manage your doorbell camera’s picture-in-picture view, use these commands:
- “Switch to full screen.”
- “Switch to picture-in-picture.”
- “Minimize to picture-in-picture.”
- “Exit picture-in-picture.”
- “Close picture-in-picture.”
One benefit of purchasing a Ring doorbell is that the picture-in-picture will automatically appear on your Fire TV when there’s a Ring notification. That’s as long as you’ve set it up to alert you when there’s motion or when someone rings the doorbell.
Here’s how to get doorbell notifications on your Fire TV
Ring integrates with Fire Tv and other Alexa devices because it’s part of Amazon, so the doorbell view automatically pops up when someone rings. But other brands can notify your devices when the doorbell rings.
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To turn on doorbell notifications:
- In the Alexa app, tap Devices Symbol.
- Beat All devices at the top of the screen.
- Select your video doorbell
- Slide the switch to turn on Doorbell Press Releases. You can also turn on motion alerts, but be sure you don’t get a signal every time a car drives by. This is how you avoid accidental motion triggers on your video doorbell.
Open the door on your Fire TV
When the doorbell notification comes in, you can answer it from your Fire TV. Make sure the microphone is on – there will be a microphone off icon on the screen to turn it off. Press the blue Alexa button or the microphone button on the Fire TV remote to speak to your visitor.
Play recently recorded motion clips on your Fire TV
Many doorbell cameras offer premium subscriptions that record video when they detect motion.
These commands allow Fire TV to display recent recordings from your video doorbell. Press the blue Alexa button and say:
- Show me the last activity of (doorbell name) or show me the last recording of (doorbell name.)
- Fast forward or fast forward 10 seconds (or 1 minute).
- Rewind or rewind 10 seconds (or 1 minute).
- Break
- To play
If you have a Ring Doorbell, learn how to save videos from a Ring Video Doorbell for free.
Common Problems and Troubleshooting Tips Video Doorbells
If it takes more than 30 seconds for your video doorbell to show a live feed after giving a command, check the camera’s battery.
If you can’t connect to the video doorbell from your Fire TV or other Echo speakers (or there’s a long delay before it connects), you may need a Wi-Fi booster or mesh network system to fix it improve wireless signal at your front door.
Also, make sure the software on your Fire TV and Video Doorbell are the latest versions.
Convenience of a doorbell cam on your Fire TV
With video doorbells and Fire TV, seeing who’s at the front door is no longer a luxury. And you don’t even have to get up from your movie, grab your phone, or find your Echo Show.
If you need to keep an eye out for someone, whether it’s a delivery or a friend, you can continue watching your show without being disturbed. Viewing your doorbell camera gives you peace of mind.
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