Compact Smart Display
Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen) Review

5.5-inch display  |  2 MP camera with built-in shutter  |  Sunrise alarm  |  Matter controller  |  Dual-band Wi-Fi

Overview

The Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen) is Amazon’s compact smart display. Amazon’s UK guide to Echo devices lists a 5.5-inch display, a camera and a sunrise alarm. Amazon’s Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen) setup page puts a light bar and a 2 megapixel camera on the front, and the power port, a camera shutter slider and the volume buttons on the back. A Microphone and Camera button turns the microphones and camera off, and Amazon says you can also cover the camera with the built-in shutter.

For smart home control it is a Matter controller: Amazon’s UK smart home page lists the Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen) for Matter. Its UK safety page lists dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy with no Zigbee radio, so it isn’t a Zigbee hub, and it isn’t on Amazon’s Thread border router lists. Amazon also notes that Settings menu items on the Echo Show 5 (all generations) may vary from the steps on its help pages. Amazon lists a Kids version too, with its own setup, Drop In and Live View pages.

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Key Features

✓5.5-inch display, per Amazon’s UK guide
✓2 megapixel front-facing camera
✓Built-in camera shutter with an on or off slider on the back
✓Microphone and Camera button; red on the light bar means the microphones and camera are off
✓Light bar on the front that shows its status
✓Sunrise alarm, per Amazon’s UK guide
✓Matter controller on Amazon’s UK smart home page
✓Dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy; no Zigbee radio
✓Volume up and volume down buttons on the back
✓Power adapter in the box; the UK safety page lists the PA27UK at 22 W

Pros & Cons

Pros

+ Physical camera shutter as well as a Microphone and Camera button
+ Compact 5.5-inch display with a sunrise alarm
+ Matter controller for Matter devices
+ Light bar shows its status, including red when the microphones and camera are off
+ Same five-step setup as the Echo Show 8 (2025 release) and Echo Show 11

Cons

− Not a Zigbee hub or Thread border router
− 2 MP camera, where Amazon lists 13 MP for the Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) and Echo Show 8 (2025 release)
− Not on Amazon’s list of models that support Visual ID
− Amazon says its Settings menus may differ from the steps on its help pages

Setup & Installation

Amazon’s setup page gives five steps: plug the Echo Show in with the included power adapter, select a device language, connect to your Wi-Fi network, log in to your Amazon account, then follow the on-screen steps. Amazon’s Support for Echo Show page links the separate setup pages for the Kids version.

To change Wi-Fi later, do it on the device rather than in the app. On Alexa+, tap Menu, then Settings. On the original Alexa, swipe down from the top of the screen and tap Settings. On either, you can say “Go to Settings”. Then select Device Options > Network and pick your network, per Amazon’s Wi-Fi page for screen devices. If you need to start again, our Echo Show reset guide covers Amazon’s button and on-screen methods.

Common Problems & Fixes

Running into issues? Our Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen) troubleshooting guide has step-by-step fixes taken from Amazon’s own support pages, including how to reset an Echo Show: button and on-screen methods, red light: what the red light bar means, won’t connect to Wi-Fi.

Who Should Buy It

It suits a bedside table, desk or small kitchen where you want a compact screen, a camera you can cover and Matter control, and you don’t need a Zigbee hub.

Verdict

The Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen) is a compact display with a physical camera shutter and a Matter controller built in. Its 2 MP camera, and the lack of a Zigbee hub or Thread border router, set it apart from the Echo Show 8 models, so look at those if you want a sharper camera or a Zigbee hub.

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