How to Use Your Alexa Device as a Wireless Speaker

Have you ever wanted to take your Alexa on the go or use it as a speaker for a party? While Amazon Echo devices are great smart assistants for your home, did you know you can also use them as portable Bluetooth speakers?

With just a few simple steps, you can pair your Alexa to your smartphone, laptop, or other devices and use it to play music or other audio wirelessly. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities for your Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, or other compatible Alexa Wireless Speaker.

Table of Contents

Why Use Your Alexa as a Speaker?

Here are some of the top reasons to use your Alexa device as an external wireless speaker:

Portability – Bring your Alexa smart speaker into any room where you want to listen to music. Take it outside to the patio or tailgate without having to lug around a bulky traditional speaker.
Voice Control – Use your voice to request songs, adjust volume, and more, even when paired as a Bluetooth speaker.
Multi-Room Audio – For Echo devices, you can connect multiple Alezas throughout your home to play the same music in sync across different rooms.
Sound Quality – Get surprisingly good audio performance from your compact Echo or Echo Dot for their size. Pair two for stereo sound.
Hands-Free Calls – Answer calls hands-free when your phone is paired to your Alexa device. The speaker acts as a speakerphone.
Affordability – At under $50 for the Echo Dot, it’s an affordable way to add wireless music anywhere compared to similar Bluetooth speakers.

How to Set Up Your Alexa as a Wireless Speaker

Ready to start using your Alexa smart device as a wireless speaker? Follow these steps:

Enable Bluetooth

Open the Alexa app on your smartphone.
Select the Devices tab on the bottom toolbar.
Choose your Echo or other Alexa device from the list.
Select Bluetooth from the settings menu for that device.
Toggle Bluetooth on. The device will now be discoverable for pairing.

Pair a Mobile Device

You can now connect your phone, tablet, laptop or other Bluetooth-enabled device:

Go to the Bluetooth settings on the mobile device.
Select your Alexa’s device name once it appears in the list of available devices.
Accept the pairing request on your Alexa if prompted.
Once successfully paired, you’ll hear a confirmation.

Begin Streaming Audio

After pairing, you can start playing music or other audio from your mobile device and it will stream over your Alexa speaker!

Play music or podcasts from your phone’s apps. The sound will now come through your Alexa.
Play YouTube videos or audio from websites. Just make sure the sound on your mobile device is turned off.
For music apps, you may need to select your Alexa as the audio output in the settings.
Ask Alexa to stream music by voice just like normal even when paired to your phone.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you can’t get your device to pair to your Alexa speaker, try these tips:

Make sure Bluetooth is enabled on both devices.
Reboot both your Alexa device and mobile device.
Double check they are within 30 feet of each other. Move them closer.
On your phone, delete existing Alexa pairings and try repairing.
Ensure your Alexa speaker is not already paired to another device. Only one pairing can be active.
For an Echo, the light ring will turn blue when connected via Bluetooth.

Using Multiple Alexa Devices for Wireless Audio

Have multiple Alexa devices around your home? You can connect them together to stream music simultaneously across different rooms. Here’s how to set up multi-room music:

Update all your Alexa devices to the latest software in the Alexa app.
Select one Alexa to be the audio source. Start playing music on this device.
In the app, under the Devices menu, choose “Combine speakers” to link another Alexa.
Select the additional Alexa devices you want to add from the list.
The same audio from the source Alexa will now play in sync on all selected devices.

This allows you to spread the music around your whole home! Note that you can’t pair Alexa devices to your phone using Bluetooth when also synced together for multi-room audio.

Using Your Alexa Speaker for Parties or Outdoors

Your Alexa isn’t just limited to inside your home. Its portable size and voice controls make it perfect for parties, tailgates, camping trips, and more. Here are some clever ways to use your Alexa as a speaker in social settings:

Set up your Alexa in the backyard or take it to a park for a portable smart speaker.
Use it to provide background music for a party after pairing it with your phone’s playlist. Guests can request songs verbally.
Let guests sync their phones to your Alexa for turns DJing music at a gathering.
Pack your Echo Dot or Echo Input in your luggage to have a handy smart speaker on vacation.
Keep an Echo Auto in your car to stream playlists or Audible books using voice commands.
Mount an Echo Show with batteries or solar charger for hands-free cooking help on your patio.
Connect to external bigger speakers for more sound when outdoors.

Just make sure to protect your Alexa from any rain or water damage when using outside. And utilize the built-in microphone off switch when needed for privacy.

Tips for Getting the Best Sound Quality

While convenient, most Alexa devices have relatively small built-in speakers. But you can improve the sound quality by:

Pairing two Echos in a stereo pair – This will give a wider, more dynamic sound.
Connecting your Alexa to an external speaker via Bluetooth or 3.5mm audio cable. Look for ones with Alexa audio control built in.
Placing your Alexa speaker near a wall or in a corner to amplify bass.
Adding an Alexa Connect Kit to integrate with higher-end speakers.
Setting your music service to stream at highest quality and disabling any sound adjustments like Dolby processing.
Using EQ controls in the Alexa app to adjust bass, midrange, and treble to suit your taste.
Buying a third-party Alexa speaker from brands like Sonos or Bose for superior audio drivers.

Can You Use Alexa Speakers Without WiFi?

For full functionality, your Alexa does need to stay connected to WiFi so it can access the cloud-based Alexa service. However, once paired via Bluetooth, you can still use an Echo’s speaker capabilities without WiFi:

It will play streamed audio from your phone wirelessly.
You can issue basic commands like changing the volume, pausing, or skipping tracks.
More advanced voice features will be limited without WiFi access to handle processing in the cloud.

So for outdoor or portable use, try to stay within WiFi range if possible. Or look at getting an Echo speaker with cellular data connectivity.

Turn Your Alexa Into a Speaker Today!

Adding great audio anywhere around your home or on the go is easier than ever with the wireless speaker capabilities of your Alexa devices. With just a few quick steps to enable pairing mode and connect to your phone or other mobile device, you can begin streaming music from apps, YouTube, and websites over your Echo or other Alexa speaker.

Plus you can still use all the usual voice commands and smart home functions even when using your Alexa as an external Bluetooth speaker. So grab your nearest Alexa and start enjoying bigger, bolder sound today. Just be careful not to crank up the volume too loud with your new wireless speaker setup!

Tags: alexa device setup, alexa devices list, alexa echo dot, alexa speaker