Setting up my Portal.
I'm having trouble using the touch screen while setting up my Portal.
If your Portal's touch screen isn't working as expected during setup, accesibility options may
have been turned on by mistake. If you're seeing a green rectangle on your Portal's screen or
Portal is reading text out loud to you during setup, accessibility options have been turned on.
To turn accessibility options off during setup:
1. Use two or more fingers to press and hold your Portal's touch screen for 8 seconds.
o After 4 seconds, you'll hear an audible prompt to continue holding your Portal
screen to turn accessibility options off.
2. Continue holding for 8 seconds to turn off accessibility options.
To use your Portal with accessibility options turned on:
Scroll by using two fingers.
Select by double-tapping the screen where you'd like to make a selection.
If accessibility options are not turned on, try turning your Portal off and back on again. If you
continue to experience issues with your Portal's touch screen, please contact us for assistance.
Setting Up Your Portal
Before setting up your Portal, make sure to review our health and safety guidelines.
To set up your Portal:
1. Place your Portal on a stable flat surface, like a tabletop or counter.
o Do not place your Portal near sinks, showers, pools or other areas where it might
get wet.
o Do not place your Portal near sources of heat, such as stoves, ovens, or
radiators.
o Do not place Portal where it may be tipped over easily.
2. Plug your Portal in with the included power cord.
o Plug the included power cord into Portal first, then into an appropriate outlet.
Make sure the included power cord is fully plugged into your Portal
before plugging it into an appropriate outlet.
o Your Portal works when connected to a rated AC power source with 100V to
240V AC at 50Hz to 60Hz. Please review our health and safety guidelines for
more information.
o Arrange any cables and cords so that people and pets are not likely to trip over
or accidentally pull on them as they move around or walk near the Portal.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to:
o Connect your Portal to Wi-Fi:
1. Select your Wi-Fi network.
2. Enter your Wi-Fi password and tap Join.
3. Tap Next.
o Log into your Facebook account.
o Complete the setup process.
During set up you can:
Add accounts to your Portal.
Set up Amazon Alexa.
Give your Portal a name.
Add your Facebook photos and videos to Superframe.
Connect your Portal to your music accounts, like Spotify or Pandora.
Note: If you're having trouble using your Portal's touch screen during setup, learn more about
turning off accessibility options.
How do I set up or change the Wi-Fi network on my Portal?
During the initial set up of your Portal, you'll choose and connect to a Wi-Fi network. You can
change your Portal's Wi-Fi network at any time.
To change your Portal's Wi-Fi network:
1. From Home on your Portal, tap Settings.
2. Tap Wi-Fi.
3. Select the network you'd like to connect to, enter your Wi-Fi password, and tap Join.
Portal Voice Controls
There are two voice assistants built into your Portal for hands-free control. You can use Hey
Portal to control calling, and Alexa to control everything else.
For example:
Start a video call by saying, "Hey Portal, call [contact name]" or "Hey Portal, call
[Relationship Name]."
Check the weather by saying, "Alexa, what's the weather forecast?"
In order to enable Alexa on your Portal, one of the accounts linked to your device must sign into
their Amazon account.
To use voice controls:
Say "Hey Portal" followed by your request to control calling.
Say "Alexa" followed by your request to control:
o Playing Music through Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, or music services
connected to your Amazon account.
o Checking the date and time or weather.
In order to check the weather using Alexa, you'll need to download the
Alexa app and set your location.
o Settings alarms or timers.
o Shopping and creating to-do lists.
o Some Alexa-supported features, like controlling smart-home devices.
You can learn more about Amazon Alexa on the Alexa website.
Notes:
Some Alexa features are not currently supported on Portal.
Your Portal's microphone must be turned on to use voice controls.
What comes with my Portal?
Before you set up your Portal, make sure you have all the items that should be included in your
Portal box.
The following items should be included in your Portal box:
Portal or Portal+
Portal Power Cord
Camera Cover
Portal Quick Start Guide
How do I enable Alexa on my Portal?
In order to use Alexa on your Portal, a user of your Portal must connect an Amazon Alexa
account to your Portal. You can connect to Alexa during the initial setup of your Portal, or from
the Settings menu.
To connect to Alexa:
1. From Home on your portal, tap Settings.
2. Tap Accounts.
3. Tap Amazon Alexa and follow the on-screen instructions to log in with your Amazon
account.
Learn more about using voice controls on your Portal.
Notes:
The Alexa account connected to Portal is not linked to a particular Portal account. If one
of multiple Portal accounts is removed from your Portal, the Alexa app will remain
connected on the device.
You can disconnect an Alexa account from your Portal from the Alexa app or by
performing a factory reset on your device.
How do I turn my Portal off?
You can turn your Portal off by holding the power button and then selecting the Power Off
button on your screen.
You can also make your Portal sleep, which turns the screen off, but allows your Portal to be
woken up by touch, voice commands, motion detection or incoming calls. Your Portal will go to
sleep automatically after 15 minutes without use, or you can make your Portal sleep manually.
To make your Portal sleep:
1. Swipe up from the bottom of your Portal screen to view the Quick Controls.
2. Tap the on-screen Power button.
On Portal+ you can also make your Portal sleep by pressing the power button on the back of
your Portal.
How do I add or remove Favorites from my Portal?
On Portal, you can add contacts to your favorites list. You can set to see your Favorites'
availability on Superframe, and control whether individual favorites can see when you're home.
To add someone to your favorites:
1. From Home on your Portal, tap the contact you'd like to add to favorites.
2. Tap Add as favorite.
To remove someone as a favorite:
1. From Home on your Portal, tap the favorite contact you'd like to remove from your
favorites.
2. Tap the toggle next to any albums you'd like to add or remove from Superframe.
3. Tap Favorited to remove them.
How do I view regulatory information about my Portal?
You can view regulatory information about your Portal from the About section of your Portal's
Settings menu.
To view your Portal's regulatory information:
1. From Home on your Portal, tap Settings.
2. Tap the About tab and then tap Regulatory.
What languages are supported on Portal?
Portal currently supports US English. Additional language support may be added in the future.
How do I use Portal safely with kids in my home?
We recommend the following tips to make sure you're using your Portal safely and responsibly
with kids in the home:
Set a 12-digit passcode to keep your screen locked when it's not in use.
Turn your microphone and camera off when you aren't using your Portal, or use the
included camera cover.
Turn the Home and Away setting on so you'll only receive calls on Portal when you're
home.
Use the Do Not Disturb feature to silence incoming calls and prevent your contacts from
seeing if you're available.
Learn how to control which photos show up on Superframe and how to add photos that
you don't want visible on Facebook.
Control which contacts you add to favorites and who can see when you're home and
available to call.
Learn how voice controls work on Portal.
Learn about controlling third-party apps, like Spotify or Pandora.
How do adjust I the volume on Portal?
You can adjust the volume on your Portal using voice commands by saying things like:
“Hey Portal, turn the volume up.”
“Hey Portal, lower the volume by 2.”
You can also control volume directly by tapping the volume buttons on the top of your Portal,
or swiping up from the bottom of your Portal screen to view the Quick Controls.
How do I adjust the brightness of my Portal display?
How do I connect my Spotify, Pandora or iHeartRadio accounts to Portal?
You can connect and play music through several streaming services on your Portal, including
Spotify, Pandora and iHeartRadio.
Spotify
To connect a Spotify account to your Portal, you must have a Spotify Premium account.
To connect Spotify:
1. From Home on your Portal, tap Spotify.
2. Tap Connect Spotify.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to connect your Spotify account.
Pandora
To connect a Pandora account, you can use a Pandora, Pandora Plus, or Pandora Premium
account.
To connect Pandora:
1. From Home on your Portal, tap Pandora.
2. Tap Connect Pandora.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to connect your Pandora account.
iHeartRadio
To use iHeartRadio, select iHeartRadio from Home on your Portal. An iHeartRadio account is
not required to use iHeartRadio on Portal.
Notes:
You can disconnect your third-party accounts from Portal by tapping Disconnect next to
the account from the Accounts section of the Settings menu.
If an account that was connected to Spotify or Pandora is removed from your Portal, the
third party service will be disconnected from the device.
How do I download new apps to my Portal?
After you set up your Portal, you'll have a selection of apps already installed, and a selection of
apps available for download. Your Portal apps can be found on the Home screen of your Portal.
To add new apps to your Portal:
1. From Home on your Portal, tap Portal Apps.
2. Tap app you'd like to download.
Note: Some apps may require additional account login, registration, or payment.
How do I remove apps from the Portal home screen?
To remove apps from your Portal Home screen:
1. From Home on your Portal, press and hold on any app until a small X appears on the
corner of your apps.
2. Tap the X on the corner of the app you'd like to remove.
3. Tap Done when you've finished editing your apps.
Note: Removing an app from your Portal home screen does not disconnect your credentials or
subscriptions from the app you have removed.
What is Superframe?
When you're not on a call, Portal's Superframe can display Facebook photos and videos of you
and your friends and family.
Superframe allows you to:
Choose Facebook photos and videos to display on the screen when your Portal is idle.
See when your closest contacts are available to connect.
View album artwork if you're listening to music.
See the current time and weather for your area.
Receive birthday reminders for your friends on Facebook.
See tips for using Portal.
How do I add or remove photos from Superframe on my Portal?
You can select Facebook albums you'd like to display in Superframe during your initial setup, as
well as tagged photos of your favorite contacts. You can also add and remove photos from the
Settings menu on your Portal.
To add or remove photos from Superframe:
1. From Home on your Portal, tap Settings.
2. Tap the Superframe tab.
3. Tap From Facebook under Customize Superframe.
4. Tap the toggle next to any albums you'd like to add or remove from Superframe.
Notes:
You can add and view your Instagram photos in Superframe by sharing your Instagram
photos to Facebook and selecting the Instagram album you'd like to see in Superframe.
Photos from Your Photos, Photos of You and Photos of Favorites will only display
photos from the past 6 months.
If you remove a photo from Facebook that was previously visible on Superframe, it will
no longer appear on Portal.
How do I add or remove contacts from my Portal?
Your Portal contacts are the Facebook friends and Messenger connections of all accounts linked
to your Portal. Adding or removing a Facebook account to your Portal will add or remove the
contacts associated with that account.
Note: Blocking someone on Facebook or Messenger will mean they can't call you or be called
from Portal and they will be removed as a contact from your Portal.
Adding and Removing Accounts
You can have up to 4 accounts linked to your Portal. The accounts you add must be Facebook
friends or Messenger connections with an account already connected to your Portal.
People who have added accounts to your Portal will be able to add photos or connect to third
party services. All of their Facebook friends and Messenger connections will become contacts
on your Portal.
To add an account to your Portal:
1. From Home on your Portal, tap Settings.
2. Tap the Accounts tab.
3. Tap Add an Account.
4. Select your account.
o Follow the on-screen instructions to log in with your Facebook account.
5. Tap Next.
6. Select the person you'd like to add to your Portal.
o If you don't see the person you'd like to add, use the Search option to find who
you're looking for.
7. Have the person you'd like to add to your Portal tap Log in with Facebook.
8. Have the person you'd like to add follow the on-screen instruction to log in with their
Facebook account.
To remove an account to your Portal:
1. From Home on your Portal, tap Settings.
2. Tap the Accounts tab in the left menu.
3. Tap Remove next to the account you'd like to remove and follow the on-screen
instructions.
Notes:
You can also remove your own account from your Portal from the Security and Login
menu in your Facebook settings.
o If your Facebook account is deleted, deactivated or you change your Facebook
password, your account will also be removed from your Portal
Anyone who uses your Portal can view and call all contacts, manage favorites, see
photos added to your Portal and use third-party services connected to your Portal.
Removing an account from your Portal will remove the contacts, photos and other data
associated with that account, and will remove the account holder from certain
connected third party apps.
Removing all accounts that are connected to a Portal device will automatically factory
reset that device.
If one of multiple account holders is removed from your Portal, call history on the device
will remain but it will no longer show that the removed account holder initiated a call.
Adding an account to the Portal will allow the new account holder to see and delete all
Portal voice interactions in their Facebook activity log. If an account holder is removed
from Portal, that account holder will no longer be able to view and delete Portal voice
interactions in their Facebook activity log.
