I‘ve seen a huge surge in usage of my Alexa smart speaker with just about everyone I talk to. And one of the main things my friends and family ask me is "how do I play YouTube videos on this thing?" And it‘s true, despite how much we love our Alexa devices with Spotify and Amazon Music, nothing really beats watching your favorite YouTube clip or listening to music available only on YouTube.
Until now, YouTube wasn‘t natively supported on Alea which was a major bummer! But I have good news: with just 3 simple steps that I‘m going to walk you through, you can easily stream both the audio AND video from YouTube on any Alexa device. Let‘s get started!
Smart Speakers with Displays Dominated by Amazon Alexa
First let‘s talk about the exciting rise of smart speakers and voice assistants. Research [links to data] shows that smart speaker ownership has tripled over the past few years. And the undisputed leader in the space is Amazon‘s Alexa voice platform integrated into devices like the popular Echo speakers with 70% of the market [link].
These devices give you access to a wide world of information and entertainment through voice commands. Not to mention home automation access to control your lights, appliances and more!
Challenge Playing YouTube Due to Competitive Nature of Tech Giants
The only major gap has been native access to YouTube. If Alexa already seamlessly let‘s me stream from Amazon Music or Spotify, why not YouTube videos?
Well the issue stems from competition between the two tech giants of Amazon and Google. You see, Amazon wants you to stick to their own services and ideally not use competitor‘s offerings. Same with Google – which is why their Google Home smart speakers easily play YouTube Music or YouTube videos with no connectivity hacks needed.
So to encourage platform lock-in, unfortunately Alexa and Google Home make it a bit tricky to crossover. It takes a few extra steps to get YouTube streaming compared to built-in integrated services. But the good news is…it‘s still possible!
Connecting Alexa and YouTube Only Requires 3 Simple Steps
With just your phone, an internet connection, and about 5 minutes of your time, you can connect Alexa and YouTube with 3 steps:
- Pair your phone and Alexa through Bluetooth
- Connect the paired device to activate the wireless link
- Stream audio or video content from YouTube apps and enjoy!
The key is getting your phone and Alexa device linked via Bluetooth. Once established, your phone essentially handles all the heavy lifting of playing the YouTube media, and then seamlessly streams that to output over your Alexa‘s speakers. Kinda like using wireless headphones, except the headphones are now your Alexa!
Let me walk through how exactly to make sure these 3 steps work properly…
Step 1: Get Your Phone Paired to Alexa via Bluetooth
Bluetooth wireless technology has advanced leaps and bounds over the past several years. Newer versions like Bluetooth 5.1 boost speeds up to 2x while quadrupling range. Making perfect for wirelessly transmitting music [research data].
Plus Bluetooth profiles now include high resolution codecs for crisper streaming audio:
| Profile | Maximum Bitrate |
|---|---|
| SBC | 345 kbps |
| AAC | 250 kbps |
| aptX | 352 kbps |
| LDAC | 990 kbps |
First we‘ll cover how to get your phone and Alexa device linked over Bluetooth to establish that wireless connective pathway:
- Initiate pairing mode – Say "Alexa, pair Bluetooth" to have your device enter discoverable mode
- Select Alexa device – On your phone‘s Bluetooth settings screen, choose your Alexa device
- Confirm pairing – Accept any requests for contacts or history if prompted
Here are step-by-step visual guides to connect your Alexa to either an Android or iPhone:
Android Pairing Process
iPhone Pairing Process
Alright, at this point your phone and Alexa device are wirelessly paired! But we have one more quick step to actually start streaming media between them.
Step 2: Connect the Paired Phone and Alexa
With the Bluetooth pairing complete, now we just need to activate the connection so data can actually flow:
- Automatic – Ask Alexa to "connect Bluetooth" which links phone if already paired
- Manual – Navigate device connection settings to select Alexa
Luckily, it only takes seconds to re-establish connections if accidentally disconnected. Auditory confirmation from Alexa provides confidence the linking worked properly.
Here are the step-by-step directions to manually connect paired devices:
And that‘s it! Your phone and Alexa are now wirelessly connected via Bluetooth and ready to start streaming audio or video.
Step 3: Stream YouTube from Phone to Alexa Speakers!
The final step is the reward for all your hard Bluetooth pairing work!
With just a few taps on your phone, you can now play any YouTube video or song and have the audio flawlessly streamed over your Alexa:
The full data flow looks like:
Phone > Bluetooth > Alexa streaming flow>
And keep in mind for Alexa devices like the Echo Show with a visual display – you can now even watch the YouTube videos directly on your Alexa screen!
Tips for Optimal Streaming Experience
Let me provide some additional tips I‘ve gathered over the years for making sure your YouTube streaming over Alexa goes smooth:
Distance – Ensure phone is within optimal 30 feet range of Bluetooth transmission
Line of Sight – Keep direct visual line of sight between phone and Alexa device
Interference – Avoid physical obstructions or competing wireless signals
Reboot Devices – Power cycle phone and/or Alexa device if connections drop
Here is a summary view of the most common issues, causes, and fixes:
So if you face any roadbumps with choppy connections or no audio, walk through that checklist which should resolve any environment or device issues!
Your Turn: Get YouTube Streaming on Alexa!
Well there you have my complete guide to enjoying ad-free YouTube content seamlessly on your Alexa devices like Echo or Echo Show!
We walked step-by-step how to:
- Pair your phone to Alexa over Bluetooth
- Connect those paired devices
- Stream audio and video from YouTube apps
It only takes a few minutes to link up devices and you‘ll be watching or listening to your favorite YouTube clips in no time!
Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments and please share this guide if it helped get YouTube working on your Alexa. Happy streaming!
