Method One: Alexa on a Fire Tablet There are two ways to make calls and send texts on a Fire tablet. Note that Alexa is not available on 3rd-generation or older Fire tablets, nor will it work on any tablet that has parental controls enabled. If your tablet is compatible, make sure both the tablet and the Alexa app are up to date.

  1. Open the Settings menu and select Device Options.
  2. Enable Alexa. This lets you press and hold the Home button on the Fire tablet to activate Alexa.
  3. Press and hold the Home button. You should see a blue ribbon along the bottom.
  4. Say, “Call [person’s name],” followed by the type of phone on which you’re trying to reach them, such as “cell,” “mobile” or “office.” If you want to send a message, say, “Send message to [person’s name].” Alexa will then confirm your command.  Method Two: Using the Alexa app This method is identical on the Fire tablet, as well as on Android tablets and iPads. You’ll know the Alexa app is up to date if you see the small messaging icon along the bottom. Through your tablet, you can call other Alexa users on their mobile phones, as well as other Alexa-enabled devices, such as the Echo, Echo Show, Echo Spot and Echo Dot. However, if you want to call an Echo device, you’ll have to say, Drop in on [device name]."