How to connect Alexa to your phone via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and more

While your Alexa-enabled device (such as an Echo smart speaker or Echo Show smart display) can stream music and other content from the internet, that’s not the only way you can use it to play audio. For example, you might want to listen to your favourite music or podcasts directly from your phone.

To do that, you’ll need to connect your phone to the Echo device. It’s simple to do, and once set up, you can easily stream audio from your phone to Alexa as if it were an ordinary Bluetooth speaker.

Here’s how to connect your Alexa-enabled device to your phone.

Preparing your devices for connection

Firstly, make sure you have an active Wi-Fi connection when you pair your device for the first time so your Echo device can access Alexa’s full range of features.

Of course, your Alexa device needs to be set up properly using the Alexa app on your phone. If you haven’t done that yet, install the Alexa app for iPhone or Android and then use it to set up your speaker. The app will walk you through every step, including connecting to your home Wi-Fi network and logging into your Amazon account.

You will know your Echo is in setup mode when the ring of light changes from blue to orange.

Connecting Alexa to your phone using the app

Once you’ve set up the Alexa app, you can use it to connect your Echo device to your phone by following these six simple steps:

Put your Bluetooth device in pairing mode
Open the Alexa app
Select 'Devices'
Select your device
Select 'Device Settings'
Select 'Bluetooth Devices', and then 'Pair A New Device'

How to put Alexa in pairing mode

As mentioned above, you need to make sure that Alexa is in pairing mode on your Echo device. To do this, simply say "Alexa, pair" to the Echo device you want to connect to.

Doing this will put it into pairing mode and search for nearby Bluetooth-enabled devices. Alexa will tell you once it's connected to your phone, or you can look for the Echo Device in the list of new devices at the bottom of your phone’s Bluetooth settings page.

Alternative connection methods

Don't have a mobile device? You can also use the Alexa app on a compatible web browser.

The Alexa desktop app is compatible with:

● Safari
● Firefox
● Chrome
● Microsoft Edge
● Internet Explorer (10 and above)

To set up your Alexa on your web browser, visit https://alexa.amazon.co.uk/, sign in to your Amazon account, and follow the instructions on your desktop.