Configure Alexa From Afar for Mom

An under-reported feature of Amazon's Echo is its potential as a game-changing device for seniors and the disabled. My 90-year-old mother is among those that loves her "Alexa" and the freedom voice control brings for someone whose eyes aren't what they used to be. However, if a new feature requires configuration, that can be a problem for family "helpers", like myself, that are not nearby.

This is where Alexa's web app can be a godsend - enabling remote Echo configuration.

The problem: it was a challenge for Mom to keep track of her schedule of varying homecare assistants and doctor appointments. Wouldn't it be great if she could just ask Alexa what was on her calendar? Alas, this requires using the Alexa app to link a Google Calendar account to Echo. I wouldn't be able to set this up until my next visit in several weeks.

Thankfully, I discovered the web version of the Alexa configuration app. I was able to create a Google Calendar account for mom and, using the Echo web app, link it to her Alexa. My wife and I can now update her Google calendar with doctor appointments and homecare schedules, and mom can simply ask Alexa what's on her calendar for a given day! We were able to set it up that day, not wait until our next visit.

The big downside of this: it requires knowledge of your family member's Amazon logon credentials. The first step of the Web setup app requires logging onto their Echo, using their Amazon ID/password. That's an awful lot to ask - it means the family member has to trust you will not abuse the use of that information.

Dear Amazon - an idea: management permissions for Echo, authorized by the owner. It would be better if my mother could authorize my Amazon ID to make changes for her through the Echo app - without having to share her credentials. This feature would enable seniors and others to get an occasional helping hand while still maintaining necessary privacy.