If you have an Alexa-powered smart speaker or smart display in your home, office, or home office and you’re a Verizon subscriber, this new feature might be useful for you. Well, if you’re willing to pay a monthly extra cost on top of your subscription. The Number Share – Home feature will let your Alexa-powered audio devices make calls through your Verizon mobile number, letting you speak hands-free to whoever it is you need to speak to from your smartphone, but without using your smartphone.
There are times when you need to make or take phone calls but it may be inconvenient for you to actually use your smartphone. With this feature, you can place a speaker on your desk and use it for your phone calls while you’re working on your computer. You can also ask Alexa to make a phone call for you for times when your hands are busy doing something else. If the number of the person or establishment you need to call is not yet in your contacts, you can speak the number to Alexa.
Even when you’re calling from an Alexa hands-free device, the recipient of your call will still see your Verizon number on their caller ID. When you’re receiving a call, Alexa will tell you which of your contacts or what number is calling you. You have the choice to just ignore the call or ask Alexa to answer. You can also place calls to emergency services and contacts in case you are in an emergency situation where you can’t reach for your phone.
Privacy may be a concern for some users so Verizon says that they can turn on an Alexa Routine that will not let inbound calls push through when they aren’t home or in the place where the smart speaker is. There is also a routine where you can restrict calls from coming in during certain hours. You can have up to 99 routines enabled on your account and there are a lot of things you can do for call-related and other things as well.
You will have to pay an additional $5 per month per line to enable Verizon’s Number Share – Home feature. Subscribers who buy an Alexa device through Verizon’s website will get 3 months free for this service.
