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Amazon's Fire TV Cube gets closer to being a fully functioning Alexa speaker

The Fire TV Cube now supports calling, voice messaging and the Drop In feature.

Megan Wollerton Former Senior Writer/Editor
2 min read
Amazon Fire TV Cube

Amazon's Fire TV Cube gains some new Alexa smarts.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Amazon today added Alexa features to the Fire TV Cube. You should now be able to call, send voice messages and Drop In on other Alexa devices straight from your Fire TV Cube. These features are already available on Amazon smart speakers and displays. 

The Fire TV Cube is a $120 media player with a built-in Alexa speaker. Use voice commands just like you would with a regular Amazon Echo speaker or smart display using the wake word "Alexa." Ask Alexa via the Fire TV Cube to turn on your TV, play your favorite Netflix show and more -- there's no need to enlist a remote like you would with a Fire TV Stick (although you can also use the Fire TV Cube remote, if you want). 

To manage these new voice control features, select your Fire TV Cube from your list of devices in the Alexa app. From there, you can enable and disable the Alexa Communications and Drop In functions. 

Drop In, which lets you create a network of intercoms in your home with various Amazon smart speakers, is disabled in the Alexa app by default. 

Watch this: Amazon's Fire TV Cube gives you and Alexa hands-free TV control

The ability to make and receive calls, send voice messages and use Drop In to speak via other Alexa devices follows support for the new Apple Music skill, which was added to the Fire TV Cube in March. Features like Alexa Announcementsmultiroom audio and Follow-Up Mode were also added to the Fire TV Cube recently. 

While Fire TV Cube support for calling, voice messaging and Drop In launched today, Amazon says it will take "several weeks" for it to reach every compatible device.

All of Amazon's Alexa smart speakers

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