How To Connect Youtube To Alexa In Seconds!
If you recently bought an Amazon Alexa, one of the first things you will quickly notice is that YouTube does not directly work through the speaker. This can be quite frustrating for a lot of Alexa users, as YouTube is one of the most popular streaming services available.
Although you cannot connect to YouTube directly through Alexa, there is an easy workaround to continue streaming videos and listening to music through Alexa with Youtube.
Don’t let a poor connection ruin your listening experience! Visit our in-depth article on Spotify won’t connect to Alexa to discover troubleshooting tips and tricks that will help you enjoy uninterrupted music on your Alexa device.
How do you connect Youtube to Alexa?
To connect YouTube to Alexa, you need to use a separate device that has Bluetooth capabilities such as a phone, tablet, or laptop. Pair your preferred device to your Echo speaker through your Bluetooth settings, open the YouTube app or website, and begin streaming.
Since Amazon launched its wireless Alexa AI, it has been a total game-changer for many households.
This convenient virtual assistant enables you to have access to so much web information and various streaming services – providing a lot of the basic functionality of a smart home – in something the size of a compact Bluetooth speaker.
All you need to do is voice activate your Amazon Echo device with a simple ‘Alexa’ and you have an expansive variety of applications and services at your disposal. That said, despite Alexa’s shining qualities, it has its fair share of limitations.
One of the most annoying is that you cannot directly access YouTube through Alexa AI. Given that YouTube is one of the most widely used streaming services for music, videos, and movies, this can seem quite defeating for a lot of Alexa users.
Luckily, there is a way that you can get around this issue so that you can enjoy using YouTube through your Alexa.
After extensively researching Alexa’s functions, I have been able to gather enough information to determine that this virtual assistant is incompatible with YouTube when you try to do it directly through the device.
My research has shown me that you can bypass this with a separate device that has Bluetooth capabilities.
Connect YouTube to Alexa through a Bluetooth Device
When most people first get their Amazon Alexa, they often browse the AI’s features and services only to find that YouTube is not available on Alexa.
This is surprising to a lot of Alexa users considering how standardized YouTube has become across so many different operating systems and devices.
If you find yourself in this situation, you are not alone. Virtually every Alexa user encounters this problem when they buy the Amazon Echo.
Although there is not a direct way to connect to YouTube through your Alexa, you can do it with a device that has Bluetooth capabilities. This is not challenging to do and you will be streaming on YouTube within minutes by following our procedure.
Pair Your Device With Alexa
In order to connect YouTube to Alexa, you need to utilize a device with Bluetooth. These days, there are a lot of options for this and you can choose the one that you prefer most.
Here are some examples of common devices that have Bluetooth connection capabilities:
- Phone
- Tablet
- Laptop
In addition to having a Bluetooth function, the device naturally needs to be able to stream YouTube as well. So long as your device is not dated, this should be a problem.
With your preferred device selected, put Alexa into pairing mode. You can do this by saying out loud, ‘Alexa, pair Bluetooth’. Your Amazon Echo will now scan the surrounding area for Bluetooth devices to connect to.
With Alexa’s pairing mode enabled, take your preferred device and open up its Bluetooth settings. Each device has a slightly different process for enabling this function, but most common phones can be paired by pressing:
- Settings
- Connected Devices (or Bluetooth)
- Pair new device
After you press ‘Pair new device’, a scan will be initiated and you should see your Amazon Alexa pop up under ‘Available Devices’. Although most people refer to their Amazon speaker as ‘Alexa’, the name that you find under the devices that are available will most likely be ‘Echo’.
There is a common glitch that Alexa is notorious for when connecting to a Bluetooth device. If Alexa says ‘No Devices Found’, you can probably ignore this message.
Check your device’s Bluetooth connections to see if they paired successfully. In case there was an issue with the connection process, repeat the pairing steps again.
Connect Your Device to Alexa
Although you have paired your device and your Alexa, you still need to connect them together to have YouTube work. The simplest way to connect the devices is to say the voice command, ‘Alexa, connect Bluetooth’.
Alexa will connect your device to the Echo speaker and it will announce this to you once finalized.
There are situations where Alexa may not properly respond to this voice command such as in a noisy room or due to a faulty/damaged product. In this case, you can always connect your device to your Alexa manually by accessing your Bluetooth settings once again.
This should be a relatively similar process to pairing your device to your Alexa. All you need to do is go to your device’s Bluetooth settings, look for paired and available devices, and press on the ‘Echo’ speaker.
This will start a manual connection between your Alexa and your preferred device.
Open YouTube App or Website
At this stage, your Alexa will essentially operate as a Bluetooth speaker; anything that you do on your phone should be going through the Amazon Echo.
With your device in hand, open up the YouTube app or website to access the streaming platform. You can now browse YouTube videos and stream audio directly through Alexa.
If you are finding that audio is not being transmitted through your Alexa speaker, check to see that the volume of both your devices is turned on and that the video is not on mute.
Once you are finished using Alexa as a Bluetooth speaker, you may want to disconnect your device to have its full functionality back.
To disconnect your device from Alexa, simply say, ‘Alexa, disconnect Bluetooth’. If this voice command does not work, access your device’s Bluetooth settings and disconnect them manually.
Limitations of Using YouTube With Alexa
One of the best things about having an Amazon Alexa at home is that you have so much control and access to various services and applications. However, you may experience playback issues with YouTube when you connect to your Alexa.
To start, the mere fact that YouTube and Alexa are not fully compatible with one another means that you have to always do some manual work to connect them together – taking away from the convenience of Alexa’s voice commands.
You will also find that when you stream YouTube while connected to Alexa, you cannot see the actual video that you are watching. Although this is not such a huge problem for people who are only using their Alexa to stream YouTube music, it is a major issue for anyone that wants to watch a video or movie.
Lastly, once your device is paired and connected with your Alexa speaker, you will not have as many voice commands to control YouTube functions while streaming.
You can expect to be able to increase or decrease the volume and press play or pause, but you will be limited to these voice commands.
Must-Reads: Boost Your Music Streaming Experience on Alexa
Are you ready to take your music streaming on Alexa to the next level? Browse these informative articles on our blog, thegadgetbuyer.com, to discover how to make the most of your Alexa device with various music services:
- Alexa Apple Music Compatibility: Find out how to connect your Apple Music account with your Alexa device for a seamless and enjoyable listening experience.
- Play Apple Music on Alexa: Explore the simple steps required to access and play your Apple Music collection on your Alexa speaker, enriching your music streaming experience.
- Connect YouTube to Alexa in Seconds: Learn how to effortlessly link YouTube to your Alexa device, allowing you to enjoy a diverse selection of music and videos at your fingertips.
Delve into these essential articles and unlock your Alexa’s full music streaming potential!