How to Use an Amazon Echo as a Bluetooth Speaker
Many of us rely on voice assistant Alexa 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 laptop. a tablet.
It's a convenient way to play streaming services that aren't supported by Alexa, such as your favorite podcast app, and is certain to deliver better sound quality than your smartphone's built-in speakers. You can also connect devices like Bluetooth headphones for private listening via Echo.
Connecting only takes a few minutes, with voice commands doing most of the work.
In this section:
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
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Stage
1Put your Echo in Bluetooth pairing mode
As long as your Echo device is on and connected to the internet, just say "Alexa, pair" or "Alexa, search for Bluetooth devices." The LED lights should flash blue and it will start looking for devices to connect to.
You can also use the Amazon Alexa app on your smartphone. Open the app, tap "Devices" in the bottom navigation bar, then tap "Echo & Alexa" on the next screen. Tap the name of the Echo device you want to use, then on the screen that appears, scroll down to 'Bluetooth connections' and tap 'connect device'.
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Stage
2Search for devices on your smartphone
On iOS, open the Settings app, then tap Bluetooth. Enable Bluetooth using the toggle if it isn't already, then scroll down to "Other devices." Tap your Echo device when it appears.
On Android, open the Settings app, then tap Connections, then Bluetooth. Turn Bluetooth on if it isn't already, 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.
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3Start playing
Now that you're paired, all music from your smartphone or tablet will play through your Echo. You can ask Alexa to play, pause, stop, skip forward and backward, and adjust the volume, all without having to reach for your device.
You can now 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 deactivate the connection again. Just be sure to use the device name as it appears in the Amazon Alexa app, under "Bluetooth Connections".
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4Connecting to other speakers
The pairing process is largely the same for connecting other devices, for example a set of Bluetooth headphones or a higher quality audio system. While the device is in pairing mode, just say "Alexa, pair" or "Alexa, search for Bluetooth devices" and your Echo should connect to it.
FAQ
Every Echo speaker has built-in Bluetooth.