Echo Show Live View Not Working? Here’s How to Fix It

Last Updated: March 16, 2023 / By

One of the most significant strengths of the Alexa ecosystem is its integration with a wide array of different devices, whether it’s Amazon’s Echo speakers and displays, or Alexa-supported third-party devices, such as doorbells and lightbulbs, which makes it possible to control all such devices through the Alexa application.

At the same time, there is also no denying that such complex systems comprising multiple devices, which usually run on different hardware and software, are naturally more prone to technical problems and, as a result, can make the process of getting everything working as intended slightly challenging at times.

In today’s article, our topic will be one particular problem that you can come across as the owner of an Echo Show, where the live view function, which allows you to view the feed of your Alexa-supported security cameras and also to use your Echo Show as a security camera that you can remotely access through the Alexa application, ends up not working as intended.

So, how can you fix the issue of your Echo Show’s live view function not working?

Below, you can find the solutions we recommend applying to fix the live view functionality of your Echo Show:

  • Power cycle all malfunctioning Echo Show devices and Alexa-connected cameras.
  • Update your Echo Show devices and cameras.
  • Re-link your cameras to Alexa.
  • Disable Amazon Kids on the affected Echo Show devices.
  • Disconnect your Echo Show devices and cameras from your wireless network and reconnect.
  • Turn the Do Not Disturb mode off on your Echo Show devices.
  • Make sure that the camera is active on your Echo Show devices.
  • Reinstall the Alexa application on your mobile device.
  • Hard reset the malfunctioning Echo Show devices and cameras.

In the next section, we will have a detailed troubleshooting guide on getting your Echo Show’s live view to work as intended once again, where you can find a comprehensive explanation of all the solutions we have glanced over above.

Echo Show Live View Not Working – Troubleshooting Guide

Since Alexa’s live view is essentially a security feature that assists you in keeping your home safe, it not working as intended on your Echo Show device can be a concerning situation that requires resolving as quickly as possible.

Below, you will find sub-sections for each solution we recommend utilizing to fix the issue of your Echo Show’s live view function not working as intended, where we will have thorough explanations of each process and in-depth guides to help you correctly apply them.

Power Cycle All Malfunctioning Echo Show Devices and Alexa-Connected Cameras

Power cycling malfunctioning electronic devices is a quick, simple, effective, but overlooked process that can automatically resolve technical problems in many cases and save you from diving deeper into troubleshooting, making it the very first solution we recommend applying.

To power cycle your malfunctioning Echo Show devices and Alexa-connected cameras, unplug them from power, wait for a minute or two while they are still unplugged, plug them back into power, and turn them back on, if necessary.

Following this procedure will cause all affected devices to shut down completely, have their volatile memory cleared, and have their firmware (and operating system) re-initialized, resolving many minor software bugs that can lead to problems.

Update Your Echo Show Devices and Cameras

Keeping the software of your smart devices up-to-date is essential to minimize the possibility of encountering software-related technical problems, as this ensures that the devices will always be compatible with each other and won’t be affected by any known software bugs.

To update the software version of your Echo Show devices, you can follow the step-by-step guide below:

  1. Swipe down from the top of your Echo Show’s screen.
  2. Press the Settings button.
  3. Navigate to the Device Options section.
  4. Press the Check for Software Updates button.

Even though your Echo Show devices should automatically update to the latest version of the software in normal circumstances, they can stay behind in some cases, such as connectivity issues being present while an update is attempted.

On the other hand, as the update procedure will vary based on the brand and the model of the Alexa-supported camera you’re using, our recommendation would be to consult the manufacturer’s website for more detail on this process, which will often have a guide that explains the approach you should take in detail.

Re-Link Your Cameras to Alexa

Unlinking your cameras from Alexa and re-linking them is the most straightforward way to resolve any integration-related problems that can prevent the devices from communicating with Alexa as intended.

To re-link the cameras on your Echo Show devices to Alexa, you will need to disable and re-enable the Home Monitoring feature by following the steps below:

  1. Swipe down from the top of your Echo Show’s screen.
  2. Press the Settings button.
  3. Choose the Camera option from the list.
  4. Choose the Home Monitoring option from the list.
  5. Disable and re-enable Home Monitoring by pressing the switch twice.

Additionally, we recommend disabling the Video Delay feature unless you need it, as some users have reported that it creates issues with the Live View function.

On the other hand, to re-link the third-party Alexa-supported cameras, you will need to follow these steps instead:

  1. Open the Alexa app on your mobile device.
  2. Navigate to the Devices section.
  3. Select the All Devices option.
  4. Select the camera that you would like to re-link from the list.
  5. Press the Settings icon.
  6. Press the Trash icon to unlink the camera from Alexa.
  7. If present, remove the corresponding Skill from Alexa.
  8. If present, remove the device from the manufacturer’s application as well.
  9. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for setting up the camera with Alexa, just as you did when you first purchased it.

Following the processes above will completely remove the live view integration between Alexa and the cameras responsible for providing the feed, clear any data related to these cameras from your Alexa account, which can potentially be corrupted, and allow new connections to be established between the devices and Alexa.

Disable Amazon Kids on the Affected Echo Show Devices

Some users have reported that the camera feed provided by an Echo Show device becomes inactive while Amazon Kids is enabled on the device, which makes it vital to ensure that Amazon Kids is disabled for the live view feature to work as intended.

To disable Amazon Kids on an Echo Show device, you can follow the steps we have outlined below:

  1. Open the Alexa application on your mobile device.
  2. Navigate to the Devices section.
  3. Select the Echo & Alexa option.
  4. Choose your Echo Show device from the list.
  5. Press the Settings icon.
  6. Navigate to the Amazon Kids section.
  7. Turn off Amazon Kids by pressing the slider.

On the other hand, if Amazon Kids is already disabled on the affected devices, you can skip this solution and move on to the next one.

Disconnect Your Echo Show Devices and Cameras From Your Wireless Network and Reconnect

Disconnecting the affected Echo Show devices and cameras from the wireless network and reconnecting them is a process that can be helpful in resolving minor connectivity issues, as it allows the devices to clear all prior data regarding the network and re-initialize the connection.

To disconnect your Echo Show devices from your wireless network and reconnect them afterward, you can follow the steps below:

  1. Navigate to Amazon’s Device Management page.
  2. Navigate to the Preferences section.
  3. Locate the “Saved Wi-Fi Passwords” section, and click delete.
  4. Swipe down from the top of the screen of your Echo Show.
  5. Press the Settings button.
  6. Navigate to the Network section.
  7. Disable and re-enable Wi-Fi by pressing the Wi-Fi switch twice.
  8. Choose your home network from the list of available networks to connect your Echo Show to the network again.

On the other hand, as the steps you will need to take to conduct this process for third-party Alexa-supported cameras will vary based on the models of the devices, we highly recommend directly referring to the manufacturer’s website to gather the information that will allow you to apply the same procedure correctly for your cameras.

Turn the Do Not Disturb Mode Off on Your Echo Show Devices

The “Do Not Disturb” mode is reported to prevent the live view functionality from working as intended by many users in the community, making it a good idea to ensure that this mode is not active on your affected Echo Show devices.

Here is a quick step-by-step guide that will take you through the process of turning the Do Not Disturb mode off on your Echo Show:

  1. Open the Alexa application on your mobile device.
  2. Navigate to the Devices section.
  3. Select Echo & Alexa.
  4. Choose the correct Echo Show device from the list.
  5. Press the Do Not Disturb entry.
  6. Turn the Do Not Disturb mode off by pressing the slider next to the Do Not Disturb label.

To turn the Do Not Disturb mode back on whenever it becomes necessary, you can follow the same steps we have outlined above once again.

Make Sure That the Camera Is Active on Your Echo Show Devices

As the camera of your Echo Show is an essential component for the live view functionality to work as intended, ensuring that it is not temporarily disabled is another crucial point that we recommend going through.

The first thing we recommend checking is whether the camera (and the microphone) of your Echo Show device is disabled with the Mic/Camera Off button (circle with a line through it) on the top of the device, which will shine red if the camera is indeed disabled.

Additionally, when the microphone and the camera is disabled with the Mic/Camera off button, you will notice a red strip at the bottom and the Mic/Camera off on one of the corners of the screen.

The second factor that can cause the camera of your Echo Show device to be disabled is the camera shutter, which is controlled by the physical switch you will once again find on the top of your Echo Show device, placed next to the other three buttons.

When the camera is disabled with the camera shutter, you will notice that the inside of the physical switch is red, and the camera lens is physically covered.

To summarize, if the Mic/Camera off button is not shining red, and the physical switch that allows you to control the camera shutter does not show a red color either, the camera of your Echo Show should be active and operational.

Reinstall the Alexa Application on Your Mobile Device

If you’re experiencing a scenario where you cannot utilize the live view function for any of the camera feeds through the Alexa application, there is a good chance that the problem stems from the application itself rather than the devices, at which case a reinstallation is often a good idea.

While the exact process of reinstalling the Alexa application varies based on whether you’re using an Android or an iOS device, you won’t have to do anything specific, meaning that you can uninstall Alexa as you would uninstall any other application and then install it again from either Play Store or App Store.

If your mobile device asks you whether you would like to remove the data associated with the application once you initiate the uninstalling process, make sure to confirm this prompt for the correct removal of Alexa.

Hard Reset the Malfunctioning Echo Show Devices and Cameras

When all else fails, hard resetting (factory resetting) the malfunctioning Echo Show devices and cameras is the solution we recommend applying, as this process will fully re-initialize the devices and solve the more major software bugs in the process.

To hard reset your Echo Show device, you can follow the steps we have outlined below:

  1. Press and hold the Volume Down and Mute buttons.
  2. Keep the buttons held until the Amazon logo appears on the screen, which should take roughly 15 seconds.
  3. Follow the setup guide that appears on the screen to re-initialize your Echo Show.

Alternatively, you can swipe down from the top of your Echo Show’s screen to access the Settings menu, navigate to the Device Options section, and press the Reset to Factory Defaults button, which will have the same effect.

On the other hand, to hard reset your Alexa-supported third-party cameras, our recommendation would be to refer to the manufacturer’s website, as we won’t be able to provide clear guidelines about the process due to it being different for different brands and models.

Please note that hard resetting your Echo Show devices or your Alexa-supported cameras will permanently erase all user data (including wireless network information), practically bringing the devices back to the same state as when you first purchased them.

Conclusion

While resolving the issue of live view not working on your Echo Show devices can be a long and arduous journey due to the many potential factors involved in its occurrence, it’s often possible to fix the problem at hand without having to send your devices in for repair or replacement.

Below, you can find a quick summary of the solutions that we recommend applying if the live view functionality of your Echo Show does not work:

  • Power cycle all the malfunctioning Echo Show devices and Alexa-supported cameras to potentially automatically resolve minor software problems.
  • Update your Echo Show devices and cameras to receive the latest bug fixes, and rule out any compatibility problems between the devices and Alexa.
  • Re-link your Echo Show devices and cameras to Alexa to clear existing data regarding the devices and refresh the connection between the devices and Alexa.
  • Disable Amazon Kids, as it’s reported to prevent the live view function from operating as intended.
  • Disconnect your Echo Show devices and cameras from your home network and reconnect them to resolve minor connectivity problems.
  • Turn the Do Not Disturb mode off on your Echo Show devices, as it’s known to prevent the live view function from working.
  • Ensure that the camera is active on your Echo Show devices, which is necessary for live view to function.
  • Reinstall the Alexa application on your mobile device to resolve software issues regarding the application.
  • Hard reset the affected Echo Show devices and cameras to resolve the more major software problems.

That being said, in the rare scenario where none of the solutions we have listed above has been helpful in resolving the problem that you’re facing regarding your Echo Show, our recommendation would be to get in touch with Amazon Support as soon as possible.