Can Alexa connect to Bluetooth speakers?

Amazon’s Echos are made to function as smart speakers all on their own … but sometimes you want more. If you love playing music or other audio from an Echo speaker, you may want to add more Bluetooth speakers for multi-room sound or simply connect your Bluetooth headphones directly to the Echo for private listening. Here’s how to connect Bluetooth speakers directly to your Echo for situations just like these!

Step 1: Get an Alexa device, and sign in to your account

Let’s start with the basics. You’ll need an Echo device that you have previously set up with the Alexa app. It sounds easy, but if it’s your first Echo, then take the time to learn how the speaker works. Try playing some music on it so you don’t have to worry about figuring any of that out later.

When ready, open the Alexa app, and make sure that you are signed in with your Amazon account, if necessary.

Step 2: Find your Alexa device

Now you need to go to the specific Echo that you want to pair with another Bluetooth speaker. Look at the bottom menu on the home screen, and choose Devices.

The next window lists several different devices. Choose Echo & Alexa to find your device. Now you’ll see a list of all the Echo devices you are currently signed in on and whether or not they are online (they’ll need to be online for this process, which is why step 1 is important). Your Echo will be listed by the name you assigned during setup, so select that name to continue.

Step 3: Get ready to pair with Bluetooth

Next, navigate to the Bluetooth section of this particular Echo. Look in the section that says Connected Devices and select the Speaker option.

Now, look for the section that says Other Speakers. Select the Bluetooth section and select Next.

Step 4: Find your Bluetooth device

Alexa will now present a list of previously paired devices. Since you are pairing a new Bluetooth speaker, ignore this section for now and look below and select Pair a New Device.

Step 5: Pair your devices and start playing

Alexa searches for any new Bluetooth devices nearby. Once it finds them, the voice assistant will list available devices. Select your Bluetooth speaker from this list, and wait for Alexa to pair them. Confirm the process is complete. If your Bluetooth device has a pairing button, make sure to press it while Alexa is searching. Don’t choose the Skip This Step button, or it will cancel the search.

If Alexa can’t find your Bluetooth speaker, it’s a good idea to reboot everything, including the Alexa app device, and try again.

Final notes

Alternatively, if you have an Echo Show, you can use the Show’s touchscreen to pair more directly. Simply swipe down, select Settings, and select Bluetooth, and the Echo Show should automatically start looking for nearby Bluetooth devices.

Remember, you will probably want to unpair the Bluetooth speaker when you are done to return to the normal Echo function. You can do this with a simple voice command. Just say, “Alexa, disconnect from my speaker,” and the Echo should respond. Now that Alexa has recognized your Bluetooth device, you should be able to pair it again with another voice command: “Alexa, connect to [speaker name].”

Finally, did you know that you can connect Alexa directly to a Bluetooth speaker without needing an Echo device as a go-between? Here’s our guide to connecting Alexa to compatible home speakers even without an Echo.

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