How to Connect Your Echo Dot to Your Phone

Play Melodial through your Echo Dot using Bluetooth. Works with iPhone and Android — takes about 2 minutes.

What you'll need

Before you start: Make sure your Echo Dot is plugged in, powered on, and connected to WiFi. You'll also need the Melodial app or web player open on your phone. These instructions work for all Echo Dot generations (2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Gen).

The quickest method

The easiest way to put your Echo Dot into pairing mode is with your voice.

Say this to your Echo Dot:

"Alexa, pair"

Alexa should say something like “Searching for devices to pair with”. That means your Echo Dot is now in Bluetooth pairing mode and ready to connect to your phone.

Important: Your Echo Dot must be in pairing mode before it will appear in your phone's Bluetooth list. If you don't see it, say "Alexa, pair" again and then refresh Bluetooth on your phone. If your Echo Dot does not go into pairing mode, you can hold down the Action button (the button with the little circle on it) for about 15 seconds to try to switch on pairing manually.

Full step-by-step instructions

Choose your phone type:

Method 1: Voice command (recommended)

1
Say "Alexa, pair" to your Echo Dot

Alexa will respond with "Searching for devices to pair with" and the light ring will turn blue, indicating it's in pairing mode.

2
Open Settings on your iPhone

Tap the Settings app on your home screen, then tap Bluetooth.

3
Make sure Bluetooth is turned on

The Bluetooth toggle should be green. If it's not, tap it to turn it on.

4
Tap "Echo Dot" in the list of devices

Under Other Devices, you'll see your Echo Dot appear — it may show as "Echo Dot", "Echo Dot-XXX", or "Echo Dot (5th Gen)". Tap it to connect.

5
Wait for "Connected"

Alexa will announce "Connected to [your phone name]" and the Echo Dot will show as "Connected" in your iPhone's Bluetooth settings.

6
Open Melodial and press play

Open the Melodial app or go to app.melodial.com in your browser. Choose a playlist or genre and press play. The music will come through your Echo Dot.

Next time: You won't need to pair again. Just say "Alexa, connect" or "Alexa, pair Bluetooth" and it will reconnect to your iPhone automatically. Or simply turn on Bluetooth on your iPhone — some Echo Dots reconnect automatically when in range.

Method 2: Using the Alexa app

If the voice command doesn't work, you can pair through the Alexa app instead:

1
Open the Alexa app on your iPhone

Download it from the App Store if you don't have it. Sign in with your Amazon account.

2
Go to Devices → Echo & Alexa

Tap Devices at the bottom of the screen, then tap Echo & Alexa, and select your Echo Dot from the list.

3
Tap Bluetooth Devices → Connect a Device

Tap the gear icon (⚙) to open Device Settings. Scroll down and tap Bluetooth Devices, then tap Connect a Device or Pair a New Device.

4
Select your iPhone from the list

Your Echo Dot will search for nearby Bluetooth devices. When your iPhone appears in the list, tap it to connect.

5
Open Melodial and press play

Music from Melodial will now play through your Echo Dot.

Method 1: Voice command (recommended)

1
Say "Alexa, pair" to your Echo Dot

Alexa will respond with "Searching for devices to pair with" and the light ring will turn blue, indicating it's in pairing mode.

2
Open Settings on your Android phone

Swipe down from the top of your screen and long-press the Bluetooth icon, or go to Settings → Connected devices → Bluetooth. (The exact path varies by phone brand.)

3
Turn on Bluetooth and tap "Pair new device"

Make sure Bluetooth is toggled on. Tap Pair new device (or Scan on some phones) to search for nearby devices.

4
Tap "Echo Dot" in the list

Your Echo Dot will appear in the list of available devices — it may show as "Echo Dot", "Echo Dot-XXX", or "Echo Dot (5th Gen)". Tap it to connect.

5
Confirm the pairing if prompted

Some Android phones will show a pairing confirmation popup. Tap Pair or OK. Alexa will announce "Connected to [your phone name]".

6
Open Melodial and press play

Open the Melodial app or go to app.melodial.com in your browser. Choose a playlist or genre and press play. The music will come through your Echo Dot.

Next time: Just say "Alexa, connect" and it will reconnect to your Android phone automatically. Or turn on Bluetooth — some Echo Dots reconnect when in range.

Method 2: Using the Alexa app

If the voice command doesn't work:

1
Open the Alexa app on your Android phone

Download it from the Google Play Store if you don't have it. Sign in with your Amazon account.

2
Go to Devices → Echo & Alexa

Tap Devices at the bottom of the screen, then tap Echo & Alexa, and select your Echo Dot.

3
Tap Bluetooth Devices → Connect a Device

Tap the gear icon (⚙) for Device Settings. Tap Bluetooth Devices, then Connect a Device.

4
Select your phone from the list and play Melodial

Tap your phone's name when it appears. Alexa will confirm the connection. Open Melodial and press play.

Troubleshooting

My phone can't find the Echo Dot
Make sure the Echo Dot is in pairing mode (blue light spinning). Pairing mode only lasts about 2–3 minutes — if it times out, say "Alexa, pair" again. Also make sure your phone's Bluetooth is turned on and you're within 10 metres of the Echo Dot. Try turning your phone's Bluetooth off and on again.
Alexa says "I couldn't find any devices"
Make sure Bluetooth is turned on on your phone and your phone is discoverable. On Android, some phones need you to tap "Pair new device" to become visible to other Bluetooth devices. On iPhone, just having Bluetooth on is usually enough.
The Echo Dot connected but no sound is coming out
Check the volume — say "Alexa, volume 5" to set it to 50%. Also make sure Melodial is actually playing (check the play button in the app). On iPhone, check that the audio output is set to the Echo Dot — swipe down from the top-right to open Control Centre, long-press the music widget, and tap the AirPlay icon to select your Echo Dot.
The music keeps cutting out
Bluetooth range is about 10 metres. Make sure your phone stays within range of the Echo Dot. Also, if your phone's WiFi is weak, the Melodial stream itself may be buffering — try moving closer to your WiFi router. Close other apps that might be using Bluetooth or heavy data.
I want to disconnect my phone from the Echo Dot
Say "Alexa, disconnect Bluetooth" or turn off Bluetooth on your phone. To permanently remove the pairing, go to the Alexa app → Devices → your Echo Dot → Bluetooth Devices, and tap "Forget" next to your phone.
Can I connect multiple Echo Dots to the same phone?
Your phone can only be connected to one Echo Dot at a time via Bluetooth. However, you can pair your phone with multiple Echo Dots and switch between them — just disconnect from one and connect to another.
Do I need the Alexa app to pair?
No — the voice command method ("Alexa, pair") works without the Alexa app. You only need the Alexa app if the voice command isn't working or if you prefer to set it up manually.

Useful voice commands

Say this What it does
"Alexa, pair" Puts Echo Dot in Bluetooth pairing mode
"Alexa, connect" Reconnects to a previously paired device
"Alexa, disconnect Bluetooth" Disconnects the current Bluetooth device
"Alexa, volume 5" Sets volume to 50% (range: 1–10)
"Alexa, volume up" Increases volume
"Alexa, volume down" Decreases volume
"Alexa, stop" Stops playback

Tip: For the best experience in your business, leave your phone connected to the Echo Dot and let Melodial play continuously. The Echo Dot will stay connected as long as your phone is in Bluetooth range (about 10 metres). If you need to take a phone call, Melodial will pause and resume after the call ends.