Smart speakers like Amazon Echo devices are fantastic for playing music, answering questions, and controlling your smart home. However, the built-in speakers sometimes lack the audio oomph you desire, especially for music lovers or larger rooms. Fortunately, you can easily boost your Alexa’s audio output by connecting it to a Bluetooth speaker. This allows you to enjoy richer, more powerful sound from your favorite playlists and Alexa’s responses throughout your home.
This guide will walk you through the simple steps to pair your Alexa device with a Bluetooth speaker, enhancing your audio experience and giving you more flexibility with your smart home setup. Whether you want to amplify the sound in your living room or take Alexa’s capabilities to your patio, connecting to a Bluetooth speaker is a quick and effective solution.
Before we dive into the pairing process, let’s cover a couple of essential preliminary steps.
Getting Ready to Connect Your Bluetooth Speaker to Alexa
Before initiating the pairing process between your Alexa device and Bluetooth speaker, ensure a smooth and hassle-free connection by taking these quick preparatory steps:
- Proximity is Key: For a stable Bluetooth connection, position your Bluetooth speaker and Alexa device within close range of each other, ideally within 3 feet (approximately 1 meter). This close proximity is most important during the initial pairing process.
- Activate Pairing Mode on Your Bluetooth Speaker: Your Bluetooth speaker needs to be discoverable. Typically, this involves pressing and holding the power button or a dedicated Bluetooth button on your speaker until it enters “pairing mode.” A flashing light on the speaker usually indicates that it’s in pairing mode and ready to connect.
Alt: Sony portable Bluetooth speaker with blue light flashing indicating pairing mode.
Important Considerations Before Pairing:
- Audio Output Redirection: Once you successfully connect your Bluetooth speaker to Alexa, all audio, including music and Alexa’s voice responses, will be routed through the Bluetooth speaker. The built-in speaker on your Alexa device will be muted. To revert to Alexa’s internal speaker, you’ll need to disconnect the Bluetooth speaker.
- Single Speaker Output: Alexa is designed to output audio to a single Bluetooth speaker at a time when using this pairing method. For multi-room audio across several speakers simultaneously, explore Alexa’s multi-room music feature, which is a different setup process.
- Alexa Voice Functionality: While your audio will play through the Bluetooth speaker, you will still interact with Alexa through your Echo device. The external Bluetooth speaker does not extend Alexa’s voice recognition capabilities.
Step-by-Step Guide: Connecting Alexa to a Bluetooth Speaker
The most straightforward method to pair your Alexa device with a Bluetooth speaker is using the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet. Here’s how:
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Launch the Alexa App: Open the Alexa app on your mobile device. If you haven’t installed it yet, you can download it from the Apple App Store for iOS devices or the Google Play Store for Android devices.
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Navigate to Devices: At the bottom of the Alexa app screen, you’ll find a menu bar. Tap on “Devices.”
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Select Your Alexa Device: You’ll see a list of your smart devices. Locate and select the specific Alexa device (e.g., Echo Dot, Echo Show) that you want to connect to your Bluetooth speaker. You may need to scroll down or use the search icon to find your device.
Alt: Screenshot of Alexa app “Devices” screen interface.
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Access Bluetooth Settings: Once you’ve selected your Alexa device, scroll down through the device settings until you find the “Bluetooth Connections” section. Tap on “Connect a Device.”
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Choose Your Bluetooth Speaker: Alexa will now search for available Bluetooth devices in pairing mode. A list of discoverable devices will appear. Select your Bluetooth speaker from this list. If you’re unsure of the speaker’s name, check the device itself for a model number or name, often found on the bottom or back.
Alt: Alexa app displaying a list of Bluetooth devices available for connection.
In the example above, a Bluetooth speaker with the model number “CK 207” is being connected. Model numbers are usually printed on the device itself.
Alt: Image highlighting the model number on a wireless speaker.
Once you select your speaker, Alexa will initiate the pairing process. After successful pairing, you’ll hear a confirmation tone from your Alexa device, and the Bluetooth speaker will be connected.
Automatic Reconnection for Future Use
For subsequent uses, you typically don’t need to repeat the entire pairing process. Simply saying, “Alexa, connect my speaker,” will prompt Alexa to automatically pair with the last Bluetooth speaker it was connected to, provided that the speaker is turned on and within range. Many Bluetooth speakers are also designed to automatically reconnect when in range of previously paired devices.
How to Disconnect a Bluetooth Speaker from Alexa
Disconnecting your Bluetooth speaker from Alexa is equally simple. You have two convenient options:
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Voice Command: The quickest way to disconnect is to simply say, “Alexa, disconnect my speaker.” Alexa will then disconnect from the currently paired Bluetooth speaker, and audio output will revert to the Alexa device’s internal speaker.
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Alexa App Disconnection: Alternatively, you can disconnect via the Alexa app. Go back to Devices, select your Alexa device, navigate to Bluetooth settings, choose your connected Bluetooth speaker, and tap “Disconnect Device” or “Forget Device.” “Disconnect Device” will temporarily sever the connection, while “Forget Device” will remove the pairing entirely, requiring you to re-pair from scratch if you want to use the speaker again in the future.
Alt: Screenshot of Alexa app Bluetooth settings with options to disconnect or forget a paired speaker.
Using Your Alexa Device as a Bluetooth Speaker
In addition to outputting audio to a Bluetooth speaker, you can also use your Alexa device as a Bluetooth speaker itself, allowing you to play audio from your smartphone, tablet, or computer through your Echo device. Here’s how:
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Enable Bluetooth on Alexa: Say, “Alexa, turn on Bluetooth.” Your Alexa device will become discoverable as a Bluetooth speaker.
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Connect from Your Device: On your smartphone, computer, or tablet, go to the Bluetooth settings menu. Search for available devices, and you should see your Alexa device listed (usually starting with “Echo” followed by a unique identifier). Select your Alexa device to pair and connect. Alexa will provide an audible confirmation once the connection is established.
Connecting Your iPhone to Alexa via Bluetooth
If you primarily want to play music from your iPhone through your Alexa speaker, you can directly connect your iPhone via Bluetooth using these steps:
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Access iPhone Bluetooth Settings: On your iPhone, open the “Settings” app and tap on “Bluetooth.”
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Select Your Alexa Device: Ensure Bluetooth is toggled on. Scroll down to the “Other Devices” section, where your Alexa speaker should appear if it’s in pairing mode or discoverable. Select your Alexa speaker from the list. Alexa devices are typically listed as “Echo” followed by a combination of letters and numbers.
Alt: iPhone Bluetooth settings screen displaying available Amazon Echo devices.
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Play Audio from Your iPhone: Once connected, you can play music or other audio from your iPhone. Open your preferred music app (like Spotify or Apple Music) and select your Alexa speaker as the playback output via the AirPlay or Bluetooth icon within the app.
Alt: iPhone music app interface showing options to select audio output via AirPlay or Bluetooth.
Conclusion
Pairing a Bluetooth speaker with your Alexa device is a simple yet powerful way to upgrade your audio experience. Whether you want to enhance the sound quality for music playback or extend Alexa’s voice output to a larger area, Bluetooth connectivity offers a versatile solution. By following these easy steps, you can seamlessly integrate your Bluetooth speakers with your Alexa smart home ecosystem and enjoy superior sound throughout your home.
