How to connect to alexa through bluetooth

Table of Contents Show

Pair your Echo speaker with a Bluetooth-enabled device.
What we used
The short version
Put your Echo in Bluetooth pairing mode
Search for devices on your smartphone
Start playing
Connecting to other speakers
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Amazon’s Echo smart speakers are best known for the Alexa voice assistant that powers them, but they can also function like any other Bluetooth speaker to play music, podcasts and other audio programming from your smartphone, tablet and other Bluetooth-enabled devices. Not only does this bolster the quality of your audio, but it also allows you to source services that remain inaccessible by Alexa, including Apple Music and popular podcast apps.

The Echo Tap does not support Bluetooth pairing.

Not all Echo smart speakers offer superior sound quality, however. The Echo Dot is best for engaging with Alexa and receiving spoken audio updates rather than listening to music. The second-generation Echo can supply quality sound to a small or medium-sized room. And the Echo Plus is quite robust for any room.

Echo speakers can be synced to boost volume collectively, but Multi-Room Audio is not supported for Bluetooth connections. This is due to limitations of Bluetooth technology rather than a shortcoming of Amazon.

While limited, Alexa’s control of your Bluetooth audio source is not completely absent. Generally, she’ll retain the ability to play, pause, stop, skip forward and backward, and adjust the volume, among other basic functions.

And of course, she’ll coordinate the Bluetooth connection.

Pair your Echo speaker with a Bluetooth-enabled device.

To use your Echo device as a Bluetooth speaker for your smartphone, tablet or other Bluetooth-enabled device, follow the below steps.

Ensure your device is in range of your Echo speaker.
Disconnect any existing Bluetooth connections with the command, “Alexa, disconnect.”
Set your smartphone, tablet or other device to Bluetooth paring mode.
Set your Echo device to pairing mode with the command, “Alexa, pair.” She’ll confirm with, “Searching…”
On your phone, tablet or other device, select your Echo speaker under Bluetooth settings. Alexa will announce the successful connection.
Having configured the connection, you can reinitiate it any time the devices are in range, with Bluetooth, active by issuing the command, “Alexa, pair with [Device Name]” or “Alexa, connect to [Device Name].”

Lots of us rely on the Alexa voice assistant to stream audio through our Amazon Echo smart devices, but they can also double as Bluetooth speakers to play music directly from a smartphone or tablet.

This is a handy way to play streaming services that aren’t supported by Alexa, such as your favourite podcast app, and is certain to deliver better sound quality than the speakers built into your smartphone. You can also connect devices like Bluetooth headphones for private listening through an Echo.

Getting connected just takes a few minutes, with voice commands taking care of most of the work.

What we used

These steps will work with any Amazon Echo smart speaker.

The short version

Put your Echo in Bluetooth pairing mode
Search for devices on your smartphone
Start playing
Connecting to other speakers

Step
1
Put your Echo in Bluetooth pairing mode
As long as your Echo device is powered on and connected to the internet, just say “Alexa, pair” or “Alexa, search for Bluetooth devices”. The indicator LEDs should pulse blue and it will begin looking for devices to connect to.
You can also use the Amazon Alexa app on your smartphone. Open the App, tap “Devices” on the bottom navigation bar, then “Echo and Alexa” on the next screen. Tap on the name of the Echo device you want to use, then on the screen that appears, scroll to “Bluetooth Connections” and tap “connect a device”.
Step
2
Search for devices on your smartphone
On iOS, open the Settings app, then tap on Bluetooth. Turn Bluetooth on using the toggle if it isn’t already, then scroll down to “Other Devices”. Tap on your Echo device when it appears.
On Android, open the Settings app, then tap Connections, then Bluetooth. Toggle Bluetooth on if it isn’t already, and then tap “pair new device” or “scan for devices”. This process differs slightly between manufacturers. Choose your Echo from the list of devices that appears.
Step
3
Start playing
Now you’re paired, all music from your smartphone or tablet will be played through your Echo. You can ask Alexa to play, pause, stop, skip forward and backward, and adjust the volume, without having to reach for your device.
Now you can use a voice command (eg “Alexa, connect to my phone”) and your Echo will automatically reconnect to your device. Saying “Alexa, disconnect from my phone” will disable the connection again. Just make sure to use the name of the device as it appears in the Amazon Alexa app, under “Bluetooth connections”.
Step
4
Connecting to other speakers

The pairing process is largely the same for connecting other devices, for example a set of Bluetooth headphones, or a better-sounding audio system. As long as the device is in pairing mode, simply say “Alexa, pair” or “Alexa, search for Bluetooth devices” and your Echo should connect to it.