Amazon Echo Show 5, 8 & 11 – The Smart Displays That Turn Alexa Into a Family Photo Frame

Editor’s note: We use Echo Show 5, 8, and 11 daily in our own home. This review is based on long-term, real-world usage in a family setting and is not sponsored by Amazon.

🖼️ Introduction – When a Smart Speaker Becomes a Family Photo Frame

Echo devices started as clever little speakers that answered questions and played music. The Echo Show 5, 8, and 11 take that idea and add something we’ve completely fallen in love with: a fantastic electronic picture frame that taps into your Amazon Photos library.

Instead of a black plastic box on a shelf, you suddenly have a living family album in your kitchen, living room, or hallway. One moment you see a vacation at the beach, the next a birthday party, then a random, slightly chaotic snapshot from the kids’ room that still makes you smile. The Echo Show lineup quietly blends those memories with all the usual Alexa tricks—music, timers, calendar reminders, smart-home control—and that combination is why these are easily our favorite Echo products.

🖼️ The Photo Frame Magic – Amazon Photos Done Right

Let’s start with the feature that genuinely changes how the devices feel: the photo frame mode.

Because your entire family photo library lives in Amazon Photos, the Echo Show can continuously pull in:

• Bilder des Tages / Photos of the Day
• Recent uploads
• Random, nostalgic throwbacks

There’s something special about glancing at the display while you make coffee and suddenly seeing a picture from a holiday years ago. You catch yourself thinking, “Wo war das nochmal?”, talking with your family about the moment, and reliving the story for a second. It turns background tech into small, daily memory boosts.

We love that you can:

• Choose which albums to show (e.g., “Family 2024”, “Vacations”, “Kids”).
• Let Echo Show shuffle through your pictures so it never feels repetitive.
• Enjoy different photos on different devices depending on the room.

In practice, this means the Echo Show in the kitchen might show more everyday moments, while the one in the living room focuses on big trips and favorite family events. Either way, your photos stop being hidden in the cloud and start becoming part of your life again.

🎵 Sound & Alexa – Music, Radio, and Voice That Actually Fits the Room

The Echo Show lineup also works really well as everyday audio gear. You can of course ask Alexa to:

• Play playlists from Amazon Music, Spotify, etc.
• Stream radio stations or podcasts while cooking.
• Use the devices as Bluetooth speakers if you want something simple.

All three sizes deliver surprisingly good sound for their footprint. The Echo Show 8 and 11 in particular go beyond “kitchen radio” and become solid music speakers for casual listening in the living room. They’re not replacing a full surround system, but for day-to-day playlists, kids’ music, or background sound while you cook, they’re more than enough—and they sound pleasant, not harsh.

Voice recognition is classic Alexa: you say the wake word, give a command, and it just works most of the time. Even with music playing, the Shows usually pick up your voice reliably, which is crucial when you’re yelling “Alexa, stop timer!” with flour-covered hands.

🍳 Echo Show 5 – Small Screen, Big Impact in the Kitchen

In our home, the Echo Show 5 has earned a permanent spot in the kitchen. The smaller display is perfect for tighter spaces where you don’t need a cinema screen, but you do want:

• Photo frame while you cook or eat.
• Quick timers (“Alexa, set a 10-minute pasta timer.”).
• Measurement conversions (“How many ounces is 200 grams of flour?”).
• Short recipe glances or step-by-step instructions.
• Weather checks and shopping list updates.

The footprint is small enough that it doesn’t dominate the counter, yet the screen is large enough that you can see photos and timers at a glance from across the room. It’s also nice as a soft nightlight or quiet music player when you’re grabbing a late snack.

If you only buy one Echo Show for a small apartment, the 5 is a strong candidate. In a larger family home, it shines as a secondary screen in utility rooms, hallways, or kids’ rooms.

Amazon Echo Show 5 – Compact Smart Display for Kitchen & Bedside

Small but powerful Echo Show with great sound for its size, perfect for kitchens, hallways, and bedside tables, with Alexa, timers, and a beautiful Amazon Photos frame.

🛋️ Echo Show 8 – The Sweet Spot for Most Families

The Echo Show 8 is the size that, for many families, will feel just right. It’s what we like in the living room or main family area when you don’t have space (or need) for the big 11-inch screen but want a more immersive experience than the 5.

With the 8 you get:

• A larger canvas for photos – group shots, landscapes, and vacation scenes shine.
• Better audio presence, ideal for music and TV-style content in the background.
• A comfortable screen for video calls with grandparents or quick recipe browsing.
• A clean, modern look that fits nicely on shelves or sideboards.

This is the Echo Show that feels most like a default recommendation. If you tell us, “We want one Echo Show for our main room,” the 8 is the one we’d point you to without hesitation.

Amazon Echo Show 8 – The Perfect All-Rounder for Family Rooms

Balanced smart display with a larger screen, better sound, and an excellent Amazon Photos frame, ideal as the main Echo Show in your living room or family area.

📺 Echo Show 11 – The Big Screen Experience for the Living Room

The Echo Show 11 is the large-format option: ideal for living rooms, open-plan spaces, or home offices where you want a proper display that almost feels like a small TV.

Why we like it:

• More space for photos – wide shots and group photos look fantastic.
• You can see who’s on a video call from across the room.
• It works really well as a smart-home dashboard, with visible tiles for lights, cameras, and routines.
• When playing music, the bigger screen makes album art and lyrics more fun to glance at.

In short: if the Echo Show 8 is the “default size,” the 11 is the “go big” option when you have the space and want your smart display to also function as a central family information hub.

Amazon Echo Show 11 – Large Smart Display for the Living Room

Big-screen Echo Show perfect for living rooms and open spaces, combining strong sound, a spacious photo frame, and a central dashboard for your family’s smart home.

⏱️ Timers, Calendars & Routines – The Everyday Superpowers

Beyond photos and music, the Echo Show devices quickly become household organizers:

• Timers: Multiple timers with on-screen labels (e.g., “Pasta,” “Oven,” “Laundry”) are a game changer in the kitchen.
• Calendar reminders: Upcoming appointments, birthdays, and events can appear on the home screen, acting like a subtle family bulletin board.
• Shopping lists: Add items by voice throughout the day.
• Routines: Simple routines like “Good morning” or “Goodnight” can adjust lights, give you a short update, and start or stop music.

Because everything is visual, it’s easier for kids or less tech-savvy family members to interact with the device. You see the reminder and know why Alexa just chimed. The Echo Show stops being a mysterious talking cylinder and becomes more like a friendly little dashboard.

🏠 Smart Home Control – One Glance, One Tap

If you already have a smart home (lights, plugs, thermostats, cameras), the Echo Show fits naturally as a quick control panel:

• Turn lights on/off with one tap or by voice.
• View camera feeds at the door or baby’s room.
• Adjust thermostats or smart plugs from the screen.
• See which devices are on without opening your phone.

While we still love Home Assistant on Raspberry Pi for advanced setups, the Echo Show is incredibly convenient as a simple, immediate front-end for basic control and quick checks. For many families, this combination—Echo Show for convenience, Home Assistant for deep automation—is the best of both worlds.

🔒 Family & Privacy – Settings That Actually Matter

Smart displays in family spaces need to be respectful and configurable. The Echo Show gives you a few important options:

• Microphone and camera controls – including physical camera shutters.
• Do Not Disturb modes to avoid alerts at night.
• Control over photo sources and which albums or people appear.
• Content and voice purchasing restrictions for kids.

You can tune each device differently. For example, the Echo Show 5 in a child’s room might have stricter settings and limited skills, while the 11 in the living room is more open.

👨‍👩‍👧 Dad Perspective – Why We Love Living With Echo Show

For us, what makes these devices so special is the combination of features:

• You walk into the kitchen and see a photo from a vacation you’d almost forgotten.
• In the living room, the Echo Show surfaces calendar reminders so the week feels less chaotic.
• Music is always just one “Alexa, play some…” away.
• Timers and lists stop living in someone’s phone and become family-visible.

Most tech doesn’t manage to be both useful and emotionally positive every single day. Echo Show does, simply by blending music, photos, and gentle structure into the background of family life.

✅ Bottom Line

If you love photos, listen to music often, and like the idea of a visual Alexa that helps organize your day, the Echo Show 5, 8, and 11 are excellent choices. Pick the size that matches the room, connect Amazon Photos once, and enjoy the feeling that your smart speaker has suddenly grown a heart.

📌 FAQ – Echo Show for Families