How to Connect Echo Show 5 to a Bluetooth Speaker

The Echo Show 5 has a built-in speaker that works just fine for casual listening and calls. But if you’re somewhat of an audiophile, you’ll find the built-in speaker lacks the power and soundstage to put a smile on your face.

Pairing an auxiliary Bluetooth speaker is the best way to get more oomph from the Echo Show 5. The only downside: you only get to pair one Bluetooth device at a time. However, this is something that might be fixed with a future update. Keep on reading to find out more about different pairing methods.

Before You Start

The Bluetooth speaker and your Echo Show should be three or more feet apart. Also, it’s best to get a speaker that’s Echo-certified.

For example, the device supports most models from JBL, Bose, Bang & Olufsen, Sony, Harman Kardon, and Onkyo, to name but a few. As for the Bluetooth profiles, the Echo Show supports Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) and Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP).

Once you have the right speaker, power it on and turn the volume up (and don’t forget to disconnect all other Bluetooth devices from the Echo Show 5). Now, both gadgets are ready for pairing.

Note: Supported speaker models and Bluetooth compatibility apply to Echo Show 5 and most other devices from the Amazon Echo series.

Pairing the Speaker – The Easy Way

The quickest and easiest way to pair a speaker is to take advantage of the voice controls. Say “Alexa, pair” or “Alexa, Bluetooth”, commands that puts the Echo in pairing mode. To confirm, the AI responds by saying: “Searching”.

Now, you need to initiate the pairing on the speaker. Usually, there’s a physical button on the speaker that features a Bluetooth icon or just says “Pair”. After pressing the designated button, the Echo Show 5 should be able to discover and connect to the speaker . You might need to issue a verbal command to confirm this. If Alexa fails to connect your Echo to the speaker, you’ll hear a reminder to enable Bluetooth.

Pairing via the Alexa App

Using the Alexa app isn’t more difficult, but there are more actions and menus to navigate. Of course, these explanations assume that you’ve installed and signed into the Alexa app.

Launch the app and select Devices; it’s located at the bottom right of the screen. Tap the plus icon and choose Add Device/Set up a new device, then set your speaker to the paring mode. Select Speaker within the Alexa app and choose the brand, then the speaker model from the available suggestions. When that’s done, Alexa tells you the connection has been successful.

Voice Controls Tips and Tricks

Alexa-supported third-party speakers can be voice-controlled via their proprietary app, but you can only play Amazon Music. If you wish to stream from Apple Music, Spotify, or Pandora, an Echo-branded speaker is needed.

Luckily, there are some exceptions like the Megaboom, UE Boom 2, and Sonos. The latter provides support for Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Deezer, and more. The UE Boom 2 and Megaboom have the “Say it to Play it” feature to access voice commands and virtual assistant on Android and iOS devices. This option also allows you to stream from different services.

With proprietary speaker apps, the option to add Amazon Alexa is usually under Add Voice Control. You’re also required to log into the Amazon account and link the preferred streaming services.

How to Disconnect a Bluetooth Speaker

There’s no exact science to disconnecting a Bluetooth speaker from your Echo. The easy way is to say: “Alexa, disconnect” or you can use the Echo Show Settings menu.

Swipe down on the Echo Show screen to reveal the main menu and select Settings. Choose Bluetooth and tap the “i” icon to access information about the connected devices, hit Disconnect, and you’re good to go.

The same menu features the “Forget Device” option, if you tap on it the action entirely removes the speaker from the Bluetooth menu. When you want to reconnect to the same speaker, you’ll need to pair the two devices again.

Note: The same actions apply to any other Bluetooth device you pair with the Echo Show.

How to Connect to Bluetooth Headphones

It’s not hard to guess that the same actions are required to pair Bluetooth headphones. To recap, you can use Alexa commands and complete the set-up verbally or use the Settings menu. Either way, the headphones need to be powered on and you should increase the volume.

Once the system discovers the headphones, confirm the pairing by selecting the headphones from the on-screen menu or say: “Alexa, pair + the name of the headphones”. To disconnect, you use the same method as described in the previous paragraph.

Neat Trick: If you want to quickly switch to the built-in Echo speaker, turn off your headphones and the audio gets automatically routed to the device.

Cut the Cord

Whichever way you look at it, connecting the Echo Show 5 to a Bluetooth speaker is super simple. The easiest way to do it is to take advantage of the Alexa voice commands. The only drawback is that you get to connect only one Bluetooth device at a time.

What Bluetooth speaker do you use? Did you have any trouble connecting it to your Echo Show? Share your thoughts with the rest of TechJunkie community in the comments section below.