Even if you decide to ditch your landline number and receive all your calls on your cell phone, you can now use your Amazon Alexa speaker as a phone on Verizon with a new monthly add-on plan

Called Number Share - Home, this feature allows Verizon customers to make and receive calls hands-free using their best Alexa speaker This includes the Amazon Echo Dot, Amazon Echo, and Amazon Echo Show When you purchase these Alexa devices from Verizon, you can try Number - Share Home for free for three months

If you know how to use Alexa, you may know that one of the best Alexa skills is the option to connect your AT&T number to the voice assistant Now Verizon customers can benefit from the same call flexibility

For a long time I kept my Verizon landline number, even though I didn't know the number tied to my past apartment (oops) But when I moved into my current residence, I finally bypassed the option to add a landline on one of the best Verizon plans for mobile-only users Since it's my job to test the best smartwatches, I usually wear something on my wrist to let me know when the phone rings anyway

Still, sometimes I miss a call because my smartwatch is charging and my smartphone is in silent mode; with Number Share - Home, I can use one of the many Alexa speakers in my home (Amazon Echo Show 8 and Amazon Echo Dot with Clock), one of which notifies me of incoming calls with an incoming call ID When I make a call through the Alexa speaker, my Verizon cell phone number also appears on the other end

Previously, I knew how to make voice and video calls using Amazon Alexa's native communication services But this is separate from the cellular calling service; with Number Share, the Alexa Smart Home routine can stop calls to the speaker if you are away at certain times of the day

But perhaps the biggest benefit of this feature is not to make convenient calls to friends, but to increase safety in the home; you cannot use Alexa alone to call emergency services unless you pay for Alexa Guard Plus ($499/month) Verizon's Number Share - Home allows users to call 911 using their phone for the same monthly fee per phone line paired with Alexa

Number Share - Home is available now It can be enabled by going to the Alexa app and going to Extras > Settings > Communications and selecting Verizon from the list of account options; you must be signed in to your Verizon account to authorize Number Share

Again, if you purchase an Alexa-enabled device from Verizon, you will get 3 months of free service If you already have an Alexa speaker, you start with one month free so you can try it out to see if it is useful After that, it's $5 per month per phone line

Looking for more Alexa communication tips? See how to change Alexa's voice, speed up or slow down Alexa's speaking speed, or rename Alexa and give the assistant a new wakeword