As an entrepreneur and Echo Dot user myself, I often connect my device to Bluetooth to play music and podcasts around my small shop. With some handy tips and tricks I‘ve picked up along the way, you can enjoy seamless Bluetooth streaming too.
Why Connect Your Echo Dot to Bluetooth?
Before we get into the step-by-step guide, you might be wondering—why bother connecting to Bluetooth at all? Well, according to a 2022 survey by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, over 50 million U.S. households now own at least one Echo device. Out of those, 87% use their Echo for streaming music or other audio content.
By hooking your Echo Dot up to a Bluetooth speaker or headphones, you amplify its capabilities and enjoy a few key benefits:
- Better sound quality – Get more powerful, immersive audio by pairing your compact Dot with beefier speakers
- Increased volume – Crank up the sound by connecting to speakers that can go louder than your Dot‘s small built-in one
- Range and mobility – Place Bluetooth speakers anywhere in your business space to wirelessly stream music
Now that you know why it‘s worthwhile, let‘s get your devices connected…
Step-by-Step Guide to Connecting Echo Dot to Bluetooth
Follow this simple 4-step process to start streaming:
1. Enable Bluetooth On Your Speaker, Headphones, or Other Device
You can connect your Echo Dot to any Bluetooth-enabled gadgets like wireless headphones, a portable speaker, or your phone.
First, ensure Bluetooth is switched on for the device before attempting to connect it. Check your device‘s user manual if you need help with this initial step.
Figure 1 – Most devices have a clearly marked Bluetooth option in Settings
2. Put Your Echo Dot Into Pairing Mode
Figure 2 – The top of the Echo Dot with the Action button
To get your Echo Dot ready for pairing, either:
- Say "Alexa, pair" out loud
OR - In the Alexa app, select your Echo Dot → Bluetooth Devices → Pair New Device
Your Echo Dot light ring will glow orange once it enters pairing mode.
3. Select "Echo Dot" On Your Device‘s Bluetooth List
Now browse available Bluetooth devices on your phone, tablet, etc. and choose your Echo Dot from the list.
Allow a few seconds for your Echo Dot to pop up in the list if you don‘t see it right away.
4. Connect and Start Streaming!
After pairing successfully, your Echo Dot‘s light ring will turn blue to indicate an active connection.
Give your new wireless Echo Dot audio setup a whirl! Play music or a podcast on your phone and it will automatically stream from the Echo Dot speaker system instead.
You‘re all set up for wireless listening.
Figure 3 – The Echo Dot glows blue to confirm it‘s connected via Bluetooth
Troubleshooting Tips
If you run into any hiccups with the pairing process:
- Double check Bluetooth is enabled on both devices
- Get your phone/tablet and Echo Dot within 30 feet of each other
- Manually “Forget This Device” then re-pair from scratch
- If issues persist, restart both your phone and Echo Dot
Stuck or struggling to get your devices happily connected? Reach out in the comments below! I‘m always happy to help a fellow small biz owner.
So that‘s it from me—you now have all the tools you need to hook your Echo Dot up to a bigger and better speaker system in just a few easy steps. Time to pump up the volume on those business-boosting tunes!
