Preliminary information
Before getting to the heart of the guide and explaining yourself how to use Alexa as a speaker, there is some preliminary information that is good to know.
First of all, the procedures that I am about to illustrate are valid for all the devices of the family Amazon Echo. In the tutorial, I will examine a 2nd generation Amazon Echo, but the steps to be taken are the same for all the speakers of the Echo family (Echo, Echo Plus, Echo Studio ed Echo Dot) and for all generations of the latter.
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There is some difference for Echo devices with integrated display (eg. Echo Spot o Echo Show), but they are also less suitable for use as a speaker. In any case, do not worry: in the course of the guide I will also mention the steps to be taken on the latter.
Another important thing to note is that the reproduction of audio via Bluetooth may involve a slight lag (delay) between image and sound. To fix this, you might consider use Alexa as an AUX speaker (the cable connection, in fact, eliminates the risk of lag); however you should know that not all Amazon Echos are suitable for the purpose. I'll explain.
All Amazon Echo speakers are equipped with 3,5mm AUX audio output (therefore the classic headphone jack) but it is, precisely, an output, which serves to reproduce the audio of the Echoes on external speakers, not vice versa. The only Amazon Echo models equipped with audio input and which can therefore be used as a wired speaker - to be connected to televisions or other devices equipped with 3.5mm audio jacks - are Amazon Echo from the 3rd generation onwards e Amazon Echo Plus.
Finally, an obvious thing but it is always good to specify: use Alexa as a speaker it does not mean that you can control the associated devices with your voice. The only thing that can be done is control multimedia playback with basic voice commands, e.g. “Pause”, “stop”, “next track”, “previous track” or “resume from the beginning”.
More advanced commands, such as those to open apps, turn the TV on or off, etc. they won't work - that's good for you to know.
How to use Alexa as a Bluetooth speaker
Having made the necessary clarifications above, it's time to take action and find out how to use Alexa as a speaker. Let's start, to be precise, from the procedure for use Alexa as a Bluetooth speaker to be combined with smartphones and tablets.
In this case, the first step you need to take is to get close to your Amazon Echo and say the phrase “Alexa, turn on Bluetooth” (or something very similar). The speaker will come in pairing mode and it will then become “visible” to other Bluetooth devices nearby.
At this point, take your smartphone / tablet and access the menu of Settings (the'icona dell'ingranaggio located on the home screen or in the drawer), then go to the section dedicated to Bluetooth, make sure that this connectivity is active (otherwise activate it, using the relative lever) and wait for the name of your Echo.
Then tap on the name of theEcho and wait a few seconds for the pairing to be established. The Amazon speaker will notify you of this, informing you that you have connected to your smartphone or tablet.
At this point, you should already be able to hear the audio of your device through the Amazon cashier. To remove the association, you can say the command “Alexa, disconnect Bluetooth” or act through the Bluetooth settings panel on your smartphone or tablet.
The same goes for making the connection between the two devices again: just say the command “Alexa, connect Bluetooth” or use the Bluetooth settings panel of your smartphone or tablet.
If you pair more than one Bluetooth device with your Echo, know that the speaker will automatically remember the last paired one and will attempt to connect to the latter. To force connection to another device, you will need to open the app Amazon Alexa for Android or iOS / iPadOS (the one you already used for the initial configuration of your Amazon Echo), go to the section Devices> Echo & Alexa> [your Amazon Echo name]> Bluetooth devices, expand the menu for the device to which you want to connect the speaker and press on the item Connect device.
From the same screen you can also do forget a device to your Amazon Echo and avoid new connections to it.
If you want to connect Alexa to a device other than smartphones and tablets but the procedure described above has not given results, you can act in another way.
Then open the app Amazon Alexa on your smartphone or tablet, go to the section Devices> Echo & Alexa> [your Amazon Echo name]> Bluetooth devices and tap on the name of the device to pair to your Smart speaker.
Clearly, the device to be paired with the Amazon Echo must have been set in pairing mode: which is usually done by pressing and holding the power key, a combination of keys indicated in the user manual or by pressing a dedicated key.
If you have one Echo device with integrated display (Eg. Echo Spot), you can access the Bluetooth menu directly from the latter, by going to settings (the'icona dell'ingranaggio which, for example, appears on Echo Spot by swiping from the top of the screen to the bottom) and pressing, precisely, on the item Bluetooth.
To find out more, check out my tutorial on how to turn on Bluetooth.
How to use Alexa as a PC speaker
You stai chiedendo how to use Alexa as a PC speaker? No problem: below you will find explained how to achieve this result both with the PC Windows that with i Mac. I assure you this is a breeze.
Windows 10
There is a PC equipped with Windows 10, you can use your Amazon Echo as a Bluetooth speaker in a very simple way.
First, click on the button Home (the flag icon located in the lower left corner of the screen) and access the Windows settings, by pressing onicona dell'ingranaggio present on the side in the menu that has opened.
In the next window, go to devices, select Bluetooth and other devices from the left sidebar and, if necessary, activate the Bluetooth lever. Once this is done, say the phrase "Alexa, activate Bluetooth" (or something very similar), to activate the pairing mode on the Amazon Echo, press the button Add Bluetooth or other device on your computer, select the option Bluetooth from the screen that is proposed to you and press on your name Echo, to establish the connection.
Again, if you do not see the name of your Echo appear among the paired devices, try to act from the app Amazon Alexa, by going to the section Devices> Echo & Alexa> [your Amazon Echo name]> Bluetooth devices and pressing on the name of yours computer.
Next, you can select the audio output device for your computer (including the Amazon Echo) and adjust its volume by simply clicking on thespeaker icon present in the notification area, next to the Windows clock.
To connect / disconnect the computer from Alexa, simply say the commands “Alexa, connect Bluetooth” and “Alexa, disconnect Bluetooth”.
If you have one Amazon Echo o Echo Plus equipped with 3.5mm audio input, I remind you that you can also physically connect the computer to the speaker, using a common one 3.5mm cable.
Vedi offers your AmazonMac
If you have one Mac, you can use Alexa as a speaker in a very simple way too. To connect via Bluetooth, first make sure that this connectivity is active on your computer, by going to System preference (the'icona dell'ingranaggio located on the bar Dock), by clicking on the button Bluetooth and pressing, if necessary, on the button for turn on Bluetooth present in the screen that is proposed to you.
At this point, stay on the screen of System preference relating to Bluetooth, say the command "Alexa, activate Bluetooth" (or something similar), to activate pairing mode on the Amazon Echo, and click on the button Connect for the device in question (which should have appeared at the bottom of the window).
Once the connection is established, you can choose the Mac audio output device (including the Amazon Echo) and adjust its volume by clicking on thespeaker icon present at the top right, in the menu bar (if you don't see it, you can activate it by going to System Preferences> Sound and checking the box Show volume in the menu bar).
To connect / disconnect the computer from Alexa, as mentioned above for Windows PCs, just say the commands "Alexa, connect Bluetooth" and "Alexa, disconnect Bluetooth".
Alternatively, if you have a Amazon Echo o Echo Plus equipped with AUX input, I remind you that you can connect the computer to the speaker with a common 3.5mm cable.
Vedi offers your AmazonHow to use Alexa as a TV speaker
You would like it use Alexa as a speaker for the TV? In this case, as it would be a shame to watch movies, series and TV shows with audio delays if you have a Amazon Echo o Echo Plus with AUX input, I highly recommend you take advantage of the wired connection.
Vedi offers your AmazonIf you prefer to opt for the link via Bluetooth (or you are forced to, because your Amazon Echo does not have an audio input), you can act in various ways.
If, for example, you own one Smart TV with Bluetooth connectivity, you can perform pairing via the TV menu, a bit like with Bluetooth headphones (remembering to first activate pairing mode on the Amazon Echo, using the command “Alexa, activate Bluetooth”).
Alternatively, you can use external smart devices and connect them to Alexa, rather than the TV itself.
For example, if you have aAmazon Fire TV Stick, you can connect the latter to Amazon Echo by going to its settings, going up Bluetooth controllers and devices> Other Bluetooth devices and selecting the name of yours Amazon Echo from the screen that opens. More info here.
Vedi offers your AmazonIf, on the other hand, you have a Apple TV, you can act through the menu Settings> Remotes and Devices> Bluetooth (always after activating the pairing mode on the Echo) of the device or through the menu Devices> Echo & Alexa> [your Amazon Echo name]> Bluetooth devices the Alexa app.
See offer on Amazon See offer on AmazonIn short, the possible procedures to follow are always the same: activate the pairing mode on Amazon Echo, go to the menu of the Bluetooth on the device to be connected and select the name of theEcho or, alternatively, act via the menu Devices> Echo & Alexa> [your Amazon Echo name]> Bluetooth devices the Alexa app.
In any case, it is possible to activate and deactivate the connection between Amazon Echo and a device using the voice commands “Alexa, connect Bluetooth” and “Alexa, disconnect Bluetooth” or by using the Alexa app, as explained above.
How to use Alexa as a speaker
