How to Easily Control Your Firestick, Fire TV, or Roku with an Amazon Echo

Have you ever wished you could control your Firestick, Fire TV, or Roku device completely hands-free? Imagine browsing through titles, launching apps, and managing playback without ever touching a remote. With an Amazon Echo, you can make this a reality!

In this step-by-step guide, I‘ll show you how to link your Echo or Echo Dot to a Fire TV or Roku streaming player. With this setup, you‘ll be able to use Alexa voice commands to control your device just like magic. No more digging around for remotes or buttons to push.

I‘ll also compare Firestick vs Roku, walk through troubleshooting tips, and provide a ton of hands-free voice prompt examples. Let‘s get started!

Why Use an Echo for Hands-Free Control?

But first – why even use an Echo to control your Firestick or Roku in the first place? Here are some of the biggest benefits:

• Go completely remote-free – Just use your voice instead of buttons.

• Easy video playback control – "Alexa, pause the movie."

• Quickly launch apps & shows – "Alexa, open YouTube and play funny cat videos."

• Search and browse titles hands-free – "Alexa, show me action comedies."

• Unified smart home control – Manage TV and other devices through one interface.

• Helpful for mobility issues – No need to handle a remote if you have limited movement.

According to Edison Research, 65% of smart speaker owners say devices like the Echo are now their primary way of listening to audio at home. And Accenture reports 37% of consumers use voice assistants weekly to control things like TVs.

With Amazon‘s huge market share in smart speakers, the Echo makes for a natural fit to handle Firestick and Roku control completely hands-free. Let‘s look at how to set it up.

Linking Your Echo to a Fire TV Device

The Firestick and Fire TV are arguably two of the most popular streaming gadgets available today. Part of what makes them so great is native integration with Alexa and Echo speakers for voice control.

Here‘s a quick step-by-step guide to connect your Echo to a Firestick, Fire TV Cube, or any Fire TV product:

Step 1: Position Your Echo Near the Fire TV

Ideally, you‘ll want to place your Echo Dot or other speaker in the same room as your Fire TV device. This allows Alexa to easily pick up your voice commands. Having it nearby also strengthens the wifi connection between the two devices.

Step 2: Download the Alexa App

The free Alexa app allows you to manage connections and enable skills. Get it from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. You can install it on your smartphone, tablet, or Fire tablet.

Step 3: Open the Alexa App and Navigate to Settings

Once downloaded, open up the Alexa app and tap the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) in the upper left corner. Then scroll down and select the Settings option.

Step 4: Select TV & Video from the Menu

Under Settings, choose the TV & Video menu. This is where you‘ll manage connections to your Fire TV and other entertainment devices.

Step 5: Select Fire TV and Choose Your Device

Next, tap Fire TV from the list of options. You‘ll then be able to pick the specific Fire TV product you want to link the Echo to.

Step 6: Choose Your Echo Device

Finally, you simply select which Echo speaker you want paired with the chosen Fire TV. Tap Link Devices and wait for Alexa to confirm the connection.

That‘s really all there is to it! The process only takes about a minute to complete. Now Alexa will be enabled to control your Fire TV product completely hands-free. Just start using your voice to launch apps, play shows, and more!

Connecting Your Echo to a Roku Player

In addition to Amazon‘s Fire TV lineup, Echo also works great for voice controlling Roku streaming devices.

With over 56 million active accounts, Roku makes some of today‘s most popular media players. And linking your Echo Dot or Echo speaker to a Roku only takes a few quick steps.

Here‘s how to enable Alexa voice control of your Roku streaming player:

Step 1: Download the Alexa and Roku Apps

As with Fire TV, you‘ll need the free Alexa app from the Apple or Google app stores. Also grab the Roku app for your smartphone or tablet.

Step 2: Enable Device Discovery on Your Roku

From the Roku app menu, tap Settings > Privacy > Unknown sources. Toggle this to On to allow pairing.

Step 3: Open the Alexa App and Select Add Device

Go back to the Alexa app and choose Devices > Add Device from the menu. Follow the prompts to get started.

Step 4: Choose Your Roku Player

You‘ll be able to select your specific Roku streaming player to link during the setup prompts.

Step 5: Link Your Roku Account

The next screen will allow you to sign into your Roku account to link it with Amazon and Alexa.

Step 6: Select Your Echo Device

Finally, pick which Echo speaker you want paired with the chosen Roku and tap Link Devices.

Once completed, Alexa will have full voice control over your connected Roku device. Just start using your Echo to launch channels, play movies, and more completely hands-free!

Firestick vs. Roku – How Do They Compare?

Now that you know how to link an Echo to both Fire TV and Roku players, you may be wondering which streaming gadget is better. Let‘s quickly compare the Firestick 4K and Roku Streaming Stick+ head-to-head.

Feature	Firestick 4K	Roku Streaming Stick+
Price	$49.99	$49.99
4K Streaming	Yes	Yes
HDR Support	Yes	Yes
Remote	Alexa Voice Remote	Simple IR Remote
Interface	Fire TV	Roku OS
Apps & Games	Amazon Appstore	Roku Channel Store
Free Content	IMDb TV	The Roku Channel
Private Listening	No	Yes via mobile app

Both the Firestick 4K and Roku Streaming Stick+ offer affordable 4K HDR streaming in a compact package. However, the Firestick‘s tight integration with Amazon and Alexa make it the better choice if you plan to use Echo control.

The ability to easily pair with Echo combined with the built-in Alexa Voice Remote make Fire TV products a bit more voice command friendly overall. But either gadget will work great. It just comes down to personal preference!

Using Alexa Voice Commands to Control Fire TV & Roku

Once you‘ve completed linking your Echo speaker to a Fire TV or Roku player, you can start using Alexa voice commands to control your device hands-free!

Here are some of the most useful examples for both Firestick/Fire TV and Roku:

• "Alexa, open Netflix on Firestick" – Launches the Netflix app

• "Alexa, watch The Office on Roku" – Starts playing a specific show

• "Alexa, pause Fire TV" – Pauses whatever is currently playing

• "Alexa, resume playing on Roku" – Resumes video after pausing

• "Alexa, rewind 2 minutes on Firestick" – Jumps back 2 minutes in a video

• "Alexa, fast forward 30 seconds on Roku" – Skips ahead 30 seconds

• "Alexa, search for comedy movies on Fire TV" – Searches across apps

• "Alexa, go home on Roku" – Returns to Roku home screen

• "Alexa, turn off Firestick" – Powers down the Fire TV

You have tons of options! Alexa makes it easy to launch apps, play content, control playback, search for titles, and manage basic functions.

I‘m always finding new voice commands to try. It really makes accessing entertainment feel like living in the future!

Limitations of Alexa Voice Control

While Alexa integration works great for official apps like Netflix and Hulu, there are a couple minor limitations:

• Won‘t open sideloaded apps – Apps you manually installed like Kodi won‘t work. Alexa can only launch official channel/app store apps.

• Limited guide functionality – Alexa has some live TV voice control but not full integration.

• Only links to one device at a time – You have to switch Echo control in the Alexa app settings.

But overall, these are small tradeoffs for the convenience of going completely hands-free. I barely touch my remote anymore!

Controlling Playback on Firestick & Roku with Alexa

In addition to launching apps and content, Alexa also makes it super easy to control video playback once you‘re streaming.

Here are some of the most handy media controls:

• "Alexa, pause" – Pauses video

• "Alexa, resume" – Resumes playback after pausing

• "Alexa, restart" – Starts the video over from the beginning

• "Alexa, rewind" – Jumps back 10 seconds

• "Alexa, skip ahead" – Skips forward 10 seconds

• "Alexa, fast forward 2 minutes" – Jumps ahead 2 minutes

• "Alexa, go back" – Returns to previous episode in a series

• "Alexa, stop" – Exits video playback completely

You can even tweak speed, volume, and more:

• "Alexa, turn it up/down" – Raises or lowers volume

• "Alexa, mute" – Mutes audio

• "Alexa, set volume to 5" – Changes to a specific volume level

• "Alexa, slower" – Lowers playback speed

• "Alexa, faster" – Increases playback speed

• "Alexa, next episode" – Plays the next episode in order

• "Alexa, turn on/off subtitles" – Toggles closed captioning

Alexa makes controlling your entertainment experience completely hands-free. It‘s especially helpful when multi-tasking or relaxing on the couch. Give it a try!

Troubleshooting Tips for Linking Echo with Firestick & Roku

Connecting your Echo to a Fire TV or Roku device is usually quick and painless. But if you run into any hiccups during setup, here are some troubleshooting tips:

• Double check wifi connections – Make sure Echo and your streaming device are on the same network.

• Reboot both devices – Unplug them for 30 seconds and plug back in.

• Try moving Echo closer to your TV if the wifi connection is weak.

• Unlink and relink in the Alexa app settings menu.

• Enable ADB debugging in developer options on Firestick.

• factory reset your Echo by holding the mic/action button for 25+ seconds.

• Contact Amazon customer support if issues persist after trying these steps.

With a little patience, you should be able to get Echo successfully linked up to your Firestick, Fire TV, or Roku for hands-free streaming. The minor effort is well worth it!

The Pros of Controlling Fire TV & Roku with Echo

Using an Echo speaker for hands-free Firestick and Roku control provides some great benefits:

• Completely remote-free – Just use your voice instead of hunting for the remote.

• Hands-free playback control – "Alexa, resume playing."

• Quick access to content – "Alexa, open Hulu and play Rick and Morty."

• Voice search across apps – "Alexa, find action movies."

• Smart home management – Unified entertainment and home control.

• Helpful for limited mobility – No need to handle physical remotes.

• Fun factor – Feels futuristic to change channels with your voice!

After setting up Echo control, you‘ll soon wonder how you ever lived without it. Tell that remote to take a permanent vacation!

The Cons of Using Echo for Fire TV & Roku

However, there are also a couple potential drawbacks to consider with Echo integration:

• Only controls official apps – Won‘t be able to open sideloaded/unofficial apps.

• Limited guide functionality – Some live TV support but not full integration.

• Can only link one device at a time – Requires switching in Alexa app settings.

• Extra device required – Need to purchase an Echo if you don‘t already own one.

• May occasionally mishear commands – Alexa comprehension isn‘t 100% perfect.

But for most users, the pros heavily outweigh the cons. Ditching the remote for voice commands is a game changer!

Final Tips for Controlling Firestick & Roku with Alexa

Here are a few final tips to get the most out of using Echo devices with your Fire TV and Roku:

• Position your Echo close enough for clear voice pickup but not too close to the TV speakers.

• Use specific wording like "Firestick" instead of just saying "TV" for better comprehension.

• Enunciate clearly and avoid too much background noise for optimal Alexa understanding.

• Double check the TV is powered on for Alexa to be able to control Firestick/Roku.

• Try to speak in a natural, conversational tone as you would with a friend.

• Enable display mirroring on Fire TV devices to get visual feedback.

• Add the Fire TV and Roku skills in the Alexa app for extended voice control.

• Contact customer support if you continue having issues controlling devices after troubleshooting.

With these Alexa tips, your Echo will handle Firestick and Roku voice commands like a pro. Have fun and get creative with what you ask Alexa to do!

Start Enjoying Hands-Free Streaming Today

If you own a Firestick, Fire TV, or Roku player, do yourself a favor and link it up to an Echo speaker for hands-free control. The short setup time is absolutely worth it.

I hope this step-by-step guide made the process of connecting Echo with your streaming device quick and hassle-free. Let me know if you have any other questions!

Now you can kick back and enjoy accessing entertainment completely with your voice. No more stubborn remote needed!

Just say "Alexa, play my favorite show" and streaming hands-free living will begin. Have fun and happy watching!