Can you use an Alexa without a smart phone?

[pastypirate]

Dm wants an echo for her birthday. She doesn't have a smart phone she is 79 and doesn't want to use them. Fair enough.
We live locally I can set it up for her no problem.
She wants to use it for the radio and podcasts. The one with a screen is half price now - if I get her that will that work without a smartphone?
It's only £54 it's v reasonable if it does what she needs it to?
Any experiences with elderly relatives?

I don't have experience with elderly relatives, but I think that once you've set it up for her, it'll work without a phone, assuming she has Wi-Fi.

I think once it's set up it just works with internet.

I know a few people with Alexa who definitely don't have a smart phone so there must be some way around it.

Also, your DM could watch shows/the news on it too

My 78 year old MIL has wifi (God knows why as she doesn't have a smartphone or computer and refuses to use Iplayer etc) but I set up an Echo Dot for her using my phone. It does work but needless to say it is turned off at all times (I love her to bits but this is the one area where she drives me mad).

You don't need a smart phone once it's set up.