The Smaller Echo Dot You know what the Echo is, what it does, and which one you want, but now that you have one it’s finally time to start using it effectively. That’s why below I’ve got a few things you can try out with your brand new Echo to help break it in. Since this is just a beginner’s guide, I won’t dive very far into the Echo’s full capabilities, but I do want to help answer common questions about the device. This isn’t every question a new user could have, but these are the most important ones in my mind that need to be answered. A: As long as someone knows the wake word, which the default is “Alexa,” anyone can use the Echo. Q: Can I accidently make a purchase with Alexa? A: In your voice settings on the Alexa app is an option to turn off voice activated purchases to prevent this from happening.