Amazon’s second-gen Fire TV Cube now lets you make Zoom calls

Wish you could take your Zoom meetings on the big-screen TV in your living room? Facebook’s Portal TV camera added that ability earlier this year, and now Amazon’s Fire TV Cube has learned the trick, too.

Amazon says it switched on Zoom calling for the second-gen Fire TV Cube starting today, although you’ll need some extra hardware before you can start jumping into Zoom meetings.

Namely, you’re going to need a webcam. Amazon recommends a trio of popular Logitech options, including the C920, the C922x, and the C310, or you could also try the Wansview 101JD. That said, any webcam that supports USB Video Class (UVC) and a resolution of at least 720p should do.

You’ll also need a microUSB-to-USB adapter to plug the webcam into the Fire TV Cube’s rear microUSB port.

Once you have your webcam connected, just install the Zoom app from the Fire TV app store, then make sure your Fire TV Cube is fully updated with the latest firmware.

To join a meeting, you can use the Fire TV remote to enter the meeting ID and passcode—or, better yet, just say “Alexa, join my Zoom meeting” and let Alexa handle the details.

Besides joining Zoom meetings as a guest, the Zoom app for Fire TV will let you sign into your Zoom account, allowing you to see your Zoom contacts or review any scheduled meetings.

News of native Zoom calling on the Fire TV Cube comes about a year after Amazon added the ability to make two-way video calls on the Cube with other Alexa devices equipped with a camera.

Facebook’s Portal TV, a camera-equipped bar with built-in Alexa that connects to TV sets, got the ability to make Zoom calls back in April.

Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he covers smart home and home entertainment products.