Alexa Echo Dot 3 alongside a JBL Charge 4 Bluetooth speaker.

Alexa Dot Bluetooth Speaker Pairing

This post gives the Alexa Dot Bluetooth Speaker Pairing procedure. These directions include the all Bluetooth (BT) compatible Echo smart speakers. And, since this pairing occurs right between the Bluetooth speaker and the Alexa Dot, you need not turn BT on in the mobile device you’re using to create this pairing.

Alexa Dot Bluetooth Speaker Pairing: Step by Step

With the Bluetooth speaker powered off (power button is dark), run through this routine to pair it to your Amazon Echo. We’re using an iPad Air 2 tablet to set up this BT connection. And for the Bluetooth speaker, we use a JBL Charge 4 model.

1. Find the Alexa app on your Mobile Device

We find the Alexa app on the iPad Air 2 as seen in the next picture. In this scenario, the app is on the third home screen page. It’s pointed at by the blue arrow.

Screenshot of the iOS 11 home screen, showing the Amazon Alexa app Icon highlighted.
iOS home screen, showing the Amazon Alexa app Icon highlighted.

2. Run the Amazon Alexa App

The app then displays its  Home   screen.

Screenshot of the Alexa app -Home- screen, showing the main menu button.
The Alexa app -Home- screen, showing the main menu button.

3. Tap the Hamburger Control

Find the hamburger item in the top left corner of the screen, pointed at by the blue arrow in the last screenshot.

This brings up the Alexa app’s main menu.

Picture of the main menu in the app, showing the -Settings- option.
The main menu in the app, showing the -Settings- option.

4. Tap the Settings Option on the App’s Main Menu to Continue with Alexa Dot Bluetooth Speaker Pairing

We point at the  Settings  item with the green arrow in the last screenshot.

This brings up the  Settings  screen.

Screenshot of the -Settings- page, showing the -Device Settings- option. Visit here in order to begin Alexa Dot Bluetooth Speaker Pairing.
The -Settings- screen, showing the -Device Settings- option. Visit here in order to begin Alexa Dot Bluetooth Speaker Pairing.

5, Tap the  Device Settings  Option

This brings up the  All Devices   screen, where all of your connected Amazon Alexa enabled devices appear in a list.

Screenshot of the -All Devices- page in the app, showing an Echo Dot 3rd Gen smart speaker in the list.
The -All Devices- screen in the app, showing an Echo Dot 3rd Gen smart speaker in the list.

6. Tap the Echo Device you Wish to Bluetooth Pair With an External Speaker

For this demo, we chose the  Thomas’s Echo Dot 3rd Gen  Alexa speaker, although pairing works similarly with all the other Bluetooth enabled Alexa speaker models.

Anyway, touching the speaker listed that you wish to pair then takes you to the device-specific settings screen for that particular Echo.

Screenshot of the -Device Settings- page for the Echo Dot 3rd Gen Alexa speaker, showing the -Bluetooth Devices- option.
The -Device Settings- screen for the Echo Dot 3rd Gen Alexa speaker, showing the -Bluetooth Devices- option.

7. Tap the  Bluetooth Devices  Item

Find the Bluetooth Devices option pointed at by the   green   arrow in the last screenshot.

This brings up the  Bluetooth Settings   screen.

Screenshot of the -Bluetooth Settings- page, displaying the -Pair a New Device- button bar.
The -Bluetooth Settings- screen, displaying the -Pair a New Device- button bar.

At this point, your Alexa app is ready to begin a BT scan by your chosen Echo Amazon speaker. We selected our Dot 3 in the last step. So, that Dot will be the one that looks for BT devices when we press the blue   Pair a New Device   bar at the bottom of the page.

BUT WAIT A MINUTE!  Don’t press that bar just yet.  We must turn on the Charge 4 speaker first, and then put it in Bluetooth pairing mode.  But if your Charge is already powered ON and ready to pair, then skip the next step, and move on to step 9 below.

8. Turn On your JBL Charge 4 to Continue with Alexa Dot Bluetooth Speaker Pairing

Put down your mobile device for a second, and turn on the Charge 4 by quickly pressing its  Power  button.

Picture of the top of the JBL Charge 4, showing the -Power- button.
The JBL Charge 4 top view, showing the -Power- button.

The wireless speaker then powers up.

But since our Dot has never paired with this speaker prior, it has no connection information for it in its earlier paired Bluetooth devices list.  Thus the JBL speaker will not yet pair with this Dot automatically.

Picture of the JBL Charge 4 not connected here, showing the dark -Bluetooth- button. Press this button to continue with the Alexa Dot Bluetooth Speaker Pairing procedure.
The JBL Charge 4 not connected here, showing the dark -Bluetooth- button. Press this button to continue with the Alexa Dot Bluetooth Speaker Pairing procedure.

9. Put the Bluetooth Speaker into Pairing Mode

Now, to allow a Dot to find the Charge, place your speaker into BT pairing mode. E.g. Press and release in the the Bluetooth button on the speaker.  Find this button in the last picture, pointed at by the green arrow.

Then, the JBL makes a plucking guitar note sound. Also, the   Bluetooth  button starts flashing white.

10. Now Go Back to your Mobile Device and the Alexa App

The screen with the blue  Pair a New Device  button should still be there.

Screenshot of the Alexa app, displaying its -Bluetooth Settings- page, showing the -Pair a New Device- button bar.
Back to the Alexa app, displaying its -Bluetooth Settings- page, showing the -Pair a New Device- button bar.

11. Touch the  Pair a New Device  Button

This starts your Dot scanning for nearby Bluetooth devices that are in BT discovery mode. Since your JBL Charge 4 is now in discovery mode, the Dot should find it.  Our Charge 4 is indeed close enough for our Gen 3 Dot to pick up.

Thus, after a short time, you should get something like the screen we got. Shown next.

Screenshot of the -Bluetooth Setup- page, showing that it found the -Tom's Charge 4- JBL Charge 4 device.
The -Bluetooth Setup- screen, showing that it found the -Tom’s Charge 4- JBL Charge 4 device.

In our demo, the Amazon Alexa app, through our 3rd generation Dot, discovered our JBL speaker, named   Tom’s Charge 4.

12. Find your JBL Charge 4 in the Discovered Devices List

See the screenshot above. Our scan found one device, which is the JBL Charge 4.

13. Finally, Pair your Alexa Dot With the Bluetooth Speaker

Pair with the 4 by touching that speaker entry on the  Bluetooth Setup  screen, shown in the last screenshot above.

The Dot then pairs with this BT speaker.

Shortly thereafter, the Alexa app again displays the  Bluetooth Settings  screen, that now shows the paired JBL Charge 4, as pictured next.

Screenshot of the -Bluetooth Settings- page, with the paired JBL Charge 4 listed. Alexa Dot Bluetooth Speaker Pairing is now complete.
The -Bluetooth Settings- page, with the paired JBL Charge 4 listed. Alexa Dot Bluetooth Speaker Pairing is now complete.

 

Also, the Charge 4 plays the   Speaker Paired   rising guitar sound. Note also that the Bluetooth symbol and speaker name text turns blue. This means that successful pairing has occurred.  The blue speaker name text shows you which memorized speaker in the Previously Paired Bluetooth Devices list is currently paired to your Dot.

The Charge 4 speaker   Bluetooth   button now glows solid white, meaning that successful pairing has happened, as shown next.

Picture of the -Power- and -Bluetooth- buttons aglow on the JBL Charge 4.
The -Power- and -Bluetooth- buttons aglow on the JBL Charge 4.

14. Done with Alexa Dot Bluetooth Speaker Pairing

We have now successfully paired our JBL Charge 4  with our Dot. Thus, we may now ask Alexa to play music on this Dot, and she’ll stream it to the Charge 4. Thus, that music will play on the very “big sounding” JBL portable speaker instead of the Echo. This speaker offers a louder, fuller sound than your run-of-the-mill Echo speakers.  So pairing these devices has definite sound advantages.

Other Posts About the JBL Charge 4 Bluetooth Speaker

    1. Hard Reset Instructions
    2. Charging Instructions
    3. Updating Firmware Procedure
    4. The Low Frequency Mode Described
    5. The Buttons Guide

References for Alexa Dot Bluetooth Speaker Pairing

    1. JBL Charge 4 Official Product Page
    2. Alexa Dot Home Page
    3. Where to Buy an Alexa Dot
    4. Where to Buy a Bluetooth Speaker