Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

How to send a note using Visual ID on Echo Show 15

Amazon’s Echo Show 15 is touted as the biggest and best of the Alexa devices. With a bigger screen for more information, plus the ability to handle lots of daily tasks, Echo Show 15 is meant to become a family home center. One of the things Echo Show 15 lets you do is set up Visual ID, which is Amazon’s facial recognition service. By seeing and recognizing your face using the built-in camera, the Show 15 can personalize results and responses just for you — or for members of the family. If you need a quick primer on that, read how to set up Visual ID here.

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

  • Amazon Echo Show 15

One of the personalization options in the Echo Show 15 is the ability to send a note to a family member. It's worth pointing out there are two options here: Sending a Note and sending a Sticky. Here’s what to know about each and send them.

Notes and Stickys: What's the difference?

Notes are wrapped in little digital envelopes and are a cute communication tool. They’re not terribly proactive, in that you need to see them on the screen or ask if you have any. There’s no verbal alert from Alexa informing you that you’ve got mail. The Note notification appears and disappears from the screen seemingly at will.

Sticky notes are just like they sound; they stay stuck to the screen in the widget gallery and look like a digital Post-it note on the screen.

amazon fall 2021 event everything announced echo show 15
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to get Alexa to send a Note

To write a Note, just say, “Alexa, send a Note to Erin.” Alexa will take the dictation via your voice and deliver it to that person the next time they pass by the screen and the camera recognizes them.

To send a Note to a specific person, the sender and recipient both need to have Visual ID and Voice ID enabled. If your recipient doesn’t have these features set up, you can still leave something for them — you’ll just do it as a Sticky instead.

how to send note using visual id amazon echo ssticky
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to get Alexa to send a Sticky

Step 1: If your person is not part of Visual ID, you can simply say, “Alexa, write a Sticky.”

Step 2: You’ll dictate the contents of the note by voice, or you can type it in.

Step 3: The note will stay stuck to the screen as part of the widget grid until you tap and hold to remove it or ask Alexa to delete it.

Notes and Stickies make it easy to pass messages between family or household members on the go, whether they use Visual ID or not.

Editors' Recommendations

Erin Lawrence
Erin has over 20 years of experience as a journalist in the media and news industries, with time both on camera and behind…
Nest Hub Max vs. Echo Show 10: which is the better smart display?
The Nest Hub Max on a table.

The world of smart displays is dominated by two companies -- Amazon and Google. Amazon is responsible for the Echo Show 10, while Google is behind the Nest Hub Max. Both offer large screens, access to a massive roster of apps, and the ability to connect (and control) the rest of your smart home. There are a lot of similarities between the two popular displays, but there are a few key differences you should be aware of before adding one to your home.

Here's a closer look at the Echo Show 10 and Nest Hub Max to help you decide which is best.
Pricing and design

Read more
How to use Alexa Together
Alexa together.

Alexa Together is a unique, premium program that’s available to anyone with an Echo device. Developed as a way to support loved ones who live in different households, the service is an affordable way to provide remote care for older family members. Alexa Together is a surprisingly versatile platform -- and since it’s built on the standard Echo operating system, it’s remarkably easy to use.

Available through the Alexa app and put into action using just a single Echo device, Alexa Together provides real-time activity monitoring and alerts to caregivers, along with a number of Remote Assist functions, like the ability to create reminders and set up streaming services for loved ones.

Read more
Amazon brings Matter support to 17 Echo devices
Echo Show 15 with base.

Amazon has officially rolled out Matter support to a wide variety of devices, including 17 Echo products, as well as smart plugs, light bulbs, and switches. The company says that this is only “phase one” of the rollout, with Matter heading to even more smart home gadgets in 2023.

According to Amazon, this phased rollout will allow the team to bring Matter support to the most popular devices on the market while ensuring the platform remains stable. The list of products included in phase one is quite extensive and encapsulates some of the most popular products on the market. Echo devices were the primary target of the rollout. Here’s a look at every Echo device that now supports Matter:

Read more