Have you ever wanted to play YouTube videos or music on your Alexa devices like Echo or Echo Show? It seems like it should be easy, since Alexa is designed to deliver entertainment on command.
Unfortunately, it‘s not as simple as directly asking Alexa to play YouTube. Since Amazon and Google are competitors, there are some hurdles to overcome first.
But don‘t worry! I‘m going to walk you through exactly how to get YouTube working on Alexa in just 3 quick steps.
Whether you want to listen to music or watch videos, this guide has got you covered. Just follow along with me below.
The key to getting YouTube up and running on Alexa is to connect your phone to your Echo speaker via Bluetooth. This allows you to play audio from your phone through your Echo seamlessly.
According to Statista, over 5 billion devices were expected to ship with Bluetooth capability in 2018. So chances are, your phone and Echo are ready to pair!
Here‘s exactly how to get your devices paired:
Put Your Echo Into Pairing Mode
First, you need to make your Echo device "discoverable" so your phone can find it.
Simply say "Alexa, pair Bluetooth" out loud. This triggers your Echo to enter pairing mode.
You‘ll know it worked when the light ring at the top of your Echo turns blue and spins around. This indicates it‘s ready to pair.
Open Bluetooth Settings on Your Mobile Device
Now you need to get your phone ready to find your Echo.
Open up the Bluetooth settings on your mobile device:
On an iPhone:
- Go to Settings > Bluetooth
- Make sure Bluetooth is toggled to the ON position
On an Android device:
- Go to Settings > Connected Devices > Bluetooth
- Toggle Bluetooth to the ON position if it isn‘t already
Your phone will start scanning for nearby available Bluetooth devices at this point.
Select Your Echo Device From the List
After a few seconds of scanning, you should see your Echo pop up in the list of available Bluetooth devices.
The name will look something like "Echo-XXX" or "Echo Dot-XXX".
Simply tap on your Echo‘s name in the list to initiate pairing. You may have to tap a popup to confirm pairing as well.
When successfully connected, Alexa will say out loud "Now paired".
And that‘s it! Your phone and Echo are now wirelessly paired over Bluetooth. Nice work!
But we‘re not done yet…
Here‘s an important note – just because your phone and Echo are paired does not mean they‘re actively connected.
Pairing just makes the introduction. You still have to initiate a connection to actually start streaming audio.
Try saying "Alexa, connect Bluetooth" out loud. Alexa will handle the active connection for you.
You‘ll know it worked when you hear a tone, and Alexa says "Now connected to [your device name]".
If the voice command doesn‘t work for any reason, you can manually connect via your phone:
On an iPhone:
- Go to Settings > Bluetooth
- Under "My Devices", tap on your Echo device
On an Android:
- Go to Settings > Connected Devices > Previously Connected Devices
- Tap on your Echo device
Either way, you‘ll know the active connection was successful when you get the audio confirmation from Alexa.
Now your phone and Echo are wirelessly connected via Bluetooth and ready to start streaming audio!
We‘ve reached the fun and easy part – playing YouTube videos and music!
Simply open the YouTube app on your phone and play any video you want, just like normal.
The audio from the YouTube video will automatically stream from your phone right to your Echo speaker. No lag or sync issues.
You can pause, resume, adjust volume, and control playback just like any other Bluetooth device. It works great.
And that‘s really all there is to it! With just 3 quick steps you are now streaming YouTube ad-free on your Alexa devices.
Here are a few pro tips:
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For Echo Show: You can actually watch YouTube videos directly on the screen. Just say "Alexa, open YouTube" and use the mobile site.
-
Amazon Music: Say "Alexa, play [song name] on Amazon Music" to play your Prime songs without any Bluetooth setup.
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Disconnect When Done: Say "Alexa, disconnect Bluetooth" or toggle your Echo off in your phone‘s Bluetooth settings.
I hope this guide helped explain exactly how to get YouTube working on your Alexa speaker or display! Let me know if you have any issues.
Now cue up your favorite playlists or music videos and let the streaming begin!