Picture of an Echo Dot 4 clock speaker alongside a Sony SRS XB21 BT speaker.

How to Connect Sony XB21 to Alexa

This post shows how to connect the Sony XB21 mini Bluetooth speaker to Alexa smart speakers. Since this pairing happens between the Sony and Echo devices directly, you need not turn Bluetooth on in the mobile device you’re using to set up this connection.

How to Connect Sony XB21 to Alexa, Step by Step

With your Sony XB21 powered OFF (status lamp is dark), run through this routine to connect it to your Alexa Echo, Show, Studio, Input, and Dot models. We use an iPad Air tablet to set this up.

1. Find the Alexa app on your Mobile Device

We found the app on the iPad Air as shown in the next shot. In this exercise, the app is in a custome folder that we set up, called  Smart Speakers, pointed at by the green arrow.

Screenshot of the the Alexa App Icon in Folder on iPadOS.
The Alexa App Icon in Folder on iPadOS.

2. Run the Alexa App

The app displays its Home screen as we see in the next screenshot.

Screenshot of the More option on the Alexa App Home screen on iPadOS in 2022.
The More Option on the Alexa App Home Screen on iPadOS in 2022.

3. Tap the More Item to Continue with How to Connect Sony XB21 to Alexa

Find the hamburger item in the lower right corner of the screen. We point at this with the green arrow in the last screenshot.

This brings up the Alexa app’s main menu, as shown in the next screenshot.

Screenshot of the Settings item on the Alexa app main menu on iPadOS.
The Settings item on the Alexa app main menu on iPadOS.

4. Tap the  Settings   Option on the Main Menu 

The  Settings   option is pointed at by the green arrow in the last photo.





This brings up the  Settings   screen, as shown in the next screenshot.

Screenshot of the Device Settings item on the Settings Page of the Alexa App on iPadOS.
The Device Settings item on the Settings Page of the Alexa App on iPadOS.

5. Tap the  Device Settings   Option

Touching   Device Settings   brings up the  All Devices   page, as shown next.

Screenshot of an Echo Dot 4 entry on the All Devices page of the Alexa app on iPadOS.
An Echo Dot 4 entry on the All Devices page of the Alexa app on iPadOS.

From here, choose which Echo device you wish to pair with your Sony XB21.

6. Tap the Alexa Device you Wish to Connect

This takes you to the device-specific settings screen for the speaker you chose.

In this demo, we’re pairing from our  Thomas’s 2nd Echo Dot 4   speaker to our XB 21, and so, its device specific settings screen looks as follows.

Screenshot of the Connect a Device item on the Echo Dot 4 Settings page of the iPadOS Alexa app.
The Connect a Device item on the Echo Dot 4 Settings page of the iPadOS Alexa app.

7. Tap the  Connect a Device  Item

Find the  Connect a Device  option pointed at by the  green  arrow in the last screenshot.

This brings up the   Setup   screen, as we show next.

Screenshot of the Pair Bluetooth Device Setup page on the Alexa app on iPadOS.
The Pair Bluetooth Device Setup page on the Alexa app on iPadOS.

At this point, your Alexa device scans for nearby Bluetooth devices that are in pairing mode. Here, we selected an Echo Dot 4  earlier. So, this speaker will be the one that scans for BT devices.

Note that our Dot speaker found no devices so far.  But it will in the next steps, when we turn on the Sony XB21 and put it in pairing mode.

8. Power Up the Sony XB21

Bring your speaker close to your Alexa device to pair, and power up that speaker by pressing and releasing the Power / Pairing button as we show in the next picture.

The -Power- button on the Sony XB21.
Sony XB21 -Power- button.

9. Place the BT Speaker into Pairing / Discovery Mode

Put your speaker into pairing mode by pressing holding in the Power / Pairing button until the speaker plays a rising pitch tone sequence and announces, “Bluetooth pairing,” and the status lamp starts fast blinking blue.

The blinking -Bluetooth Status- light on the Sony XB21.
Sony XB21 -Bluetooth Status- lamp flashing.

10. Find the Sony XB21 on the Alexa App SETUP Page

When you put the speaker into discovery mode, it should then appear in the Alexa app, on the Pair Bluetooth Device… page, as we see next.

Screenshot of a Sony XB21 discovered on the Setup page in the Alexa App on iPadOS.
A Sony XB21 discovered on the Setup page in the Alexa App on iPadOS.

Note that if your speaker does not show up on this page at this point, then try moving it very close to the Alexa speaker, closing and restarting the Alexa app, and then repeating steps 3 through 7 along with step 9 above.  We usually find that this gets the speaker to appear here as it should.

11. Find your Sony XB21 on the Discovered Devices List 

See the last screenshot above.  Our test speaker is there.

12. Finally, Pair your Alexa with your Sony XB21

Pair to the speaker by tapping its corresponding entry on the  Pair Bluetooth Device…  screen, we see in the last screenshot above.

Your Alexa speaker then pairs with the wireless speaker.

The app then takes you back to the Thomas’s 2nd Echo Dot 4 screen, which looks something like the following.

Screenshot of the Sony XB21 connected to an Echo Dot 4 on the Device Settings page in the Alexa App on iPadOS.
The Sony XB21 connected to an Echo Dot 4 on the Device Settings page in the Alexa App on iPadOS.

Note that our Bluetooth speaker now shows as connected.  Also, the Sony speaker makes the Speaker Paired sound (two ding-dong sounding tones).

This speaker is now connected with your Alexa smart speaker. Its Bluetooth light glows solid white to signal that successful pairing is in effect.

13. Done with How to Connect Sony XB21 to Alexa !

We can now ask Alexa to play music or news, and those programs will come out of the Sony XB21. Be sure though, to speak to the Echo speaker when making requests, and not the Bluetooth speaker.  Even though the Sony XB21 is now paired with Alexa, the Echo is still the speaker that hears your voice commands through its internal far field microphones.

Related Posts to How to Connect Sony XB21 to Alexa

    1. How to Connect Sony XB20 to Alexa
    2. How to Connect JBL Bluetooth Speaker to Alexa
    3. How to Connect Sony XB01 to Alexa
    4. How to Connect Sony XB33 to Alexa
    5. How to Connect Sony X2 to Alexa

Other Sony XB21 Posts

    1. Sony XB21 Battery Indicator
    2. Sony XB21 Buttons Explained
    3. How to Check Sony XB21 Battery Life
    4. How to Factory Reset Sony XB21
    5. How to Make Sony XB21 Discoverable

References

    1. Official Sony XB21 Support Page
    2. Where to Buy the Sony XB21

Revision History

    • 2023-03-18: First published.