How to Connect Alexa to Bluetooth Without Wi-Fi [2023]

Echo devices require Wi-Fi for most of their functions, including Bluetooth pairing. When you don’t have Wi-Fi, you have to get creative to pair Alexa to your iPhone or Android smartphone.

In this guide, you’ll discover how to connect Alexa to Bluetooth without Wi-Fi by using your phone’s personal hotspot.

How to Connect Alexa to Bluetooth Without Wi-Fi

This process is only necessary the first time you connect your phone to your Echo. If they have been paired before, you can just select your Echo from your phone’s Bluetooth menu or say, “Alexa, connect my phone.”

1. Activate your phone’s hotspot

iPhone hotspot

1. Swipe down from the top-right of your phone to open the iPhone Command Center.
2. Press and hold the connectivity section until the full list of options appears.

3. Press the Personal Hotspot icon to activate your phone’s hotspot.

Android hotspot

These instructions work with the most recent version of the Android operating system. If your phone is running a different version, you may need to look up a more specific guide for this step.

1. Swipe down from the top of the screen to open the Quick Settings menu.
2. Press the Hotspot button to activate your phone’s hotspot. If there’s no Hotspot button, press Edit and drag the Hotspot button into the menu, then press it.

2. Connect Alexa to the hotspot

The setup process for Echo is usually straightforward. However, there can be some complications, mostly for older Echo models. If any of these steps don’t work, take a look at my complete guide to connecting Alexa to Wi-Fi.

1. Put your Echo in setup mode. You should see an orange light ring around the Echo as soon as you plug it in. If not, hold down the action button (the one with a circle or dot) until the orange ring appears.
2. Open the Alexa app and wait up to 30 seconds for it to recognize the new device.
3. Press Continue on the popup.

4. Press Continue once the connection process finishes. This will take about 30 seconds.

5. Choose a language and hit Continue. You can also choose to skip this and the remaining steps by clicking the X in the upper corner.

6. Choose or create a room and hit Continue. You can also choose to skip this and the remaining steps by clicking the X in the upper corner.

7. Choose or enter an address and hit Continue. You can also choose to skip this and the remaining steps by clicking the X in the upper corner.

8. Choose to either Enable or Disable Amazon Sidewalk on your Alexa account. If you’re not familiar with Amazon Sidewalk, it might be best to leave it disabled until you have time to understand what you are agreeing to. You can also choose to skip this and the remaining steps by clicking the X in the upper corner.

9. Press Let’s Go to finish the setup process.

3. Pair Alexa to your phone with Bluetooth

With Echo on your hotspot, you can follow the standard procedure for connecting Alexa to your phone.

1. Get your device into the Bluetooth range of your Amazon Echo, approximately 20–30 feet.
2. Tell your Echo speaker to disconnect other Bluetooth devices by saying (assuming you use the default wake word), “Alexa, disconnect.”
3. Set your device to Bluetooth pairing mode.
   1. On Android, the pairing process may depend on your device and operating system version. On most newer Androids, go into Settings -> Bluetooth and toggle the Bluetooth switch on. You’ll see a message saying that your device is visible. 
   2. On iPhone, go into Settings -> Bluetooth and toggle Bluetooth on. You’ll see a message that says, “Now discoverable as…”

4. Tell your Echo to go into pairing mode by saying, “Alexa, pair.” If it worked, Alexa should say, “Searching.”

5. Your smartphone (or tablet) should display your Echo speaker under a list that says “Devices,” “Other devices,” or “Available devices,” depending on your operating system. Select that device. It will be added to your list of known devices, and Alexa will verbally confirm the connection. If you aren’t sure which device is your Echo, just wait a few seconds, and Alexa will tell you. 

With that, the pairing process is done. You can turn off your personal hotspot, and Echo will remain connected to your phone through Bluetooth.

Even better, you don’t need the hotspot the next time you want to connect Echo to your phone. Just say Alexa, connect to my phone.” Alternatively, you can select your Echo from your phone’s Bluetooth menu, and it will connect. Easy, right?

What’s Next?

Echo makes a pretty great Bluetooth speaker, especially if you’ve upgraded to an Echo Studio or the newer, often slightly more expensive, Echo models. If you’ve added an Echo battery pack, you can even take them on the go as portable speakers.

But most of the Echo’s best features require an active Wi-Fi connection. That includes using Alexa with Spotify or playing iHeartRadio stations on Echo, although you can play either of those services on Echo without Wi-Fi now that it’s connected to your phone’s Bluetooth.