How to Connect Echo Auto to Car Bluetooth

As you may already know, Echo Auto requires Bluetooth connection to pair with your car. To be exact, it pairs to the vehicle’s speakers and stereo via Bluetooth. But how do you establish this connection?

Truth be told, there’s not much to it and you make the connection while setting up the device. Nevertheless, you might encounter some hiccups and you should know what to do in such cases.

The following sections guide you through the connection method every step of the way. Plus, we’ve included a quick look at alternatives if your car doesn’t have Bluetooth.

Things to Consider

First, you need to make sure that your car has Bluetooth and check if it’s discoverable by other devices. Turn on the car and the stereo, then grab your smartphone and go to Bluetooth (the option is usually found in the Settings app).

The car’s Bluetooth should pop-up and you’ll be able to see the stereo or the car’s name, but it’s not the time to connect just yet. Now, check the silent modes on your phone and turn all of them off. Otherwise, you’ll find it hard to pair Echo Auto with your smartphone.

Important note: If there’s no Bluetooth in your car you can connect the Auto via the AUX port on your car’s stereo, but more on that later.

Connecting Echo Auto to Bluetooth

The Bluetooth connection is established during the initial set-up process. Your car and Echo Auto should remain connected and there’s no need to allow Bluetooth connection each time you take a drive.

Step 1

Before you position Echo Auto in your car, connect the gadget to the proprietary stand. This allows you to easily attach the device to the AC vent. Then, proceed and power the Auto using the cable/adapter provided in the package.

Step 2

When you power up Echo Auto, grab your smartphone and launch the Alexa app to set-up the device. Before you proceed it’s important to set the stereo to Bluetooth input.

Step 3

Once inside the app, tap the Devices icon at the bottom left of the screen and hit the Plus icon. It’s located in the upper left corner and the option allows you to set up or pair your Auto.

Tap Add Device in the pop-up window, choose Amazon Echo, and select Echo Auto from the list.

Note: You’ll see a warning message and some mounting instructions. Select Continue to proceed until you can see your Auto under Available Devices.

Step 4

If everything goes well, the Alexa app will automatically select your Auto and ask you to proceed. Hit Continue again and tap on Echo Auto in the “Select An Accessory” window. Be patient, as it might take a few seconds for the Auto to appear in the window.

Step 5

Once you complete the previous step, Alexa will ask you if you can connect to the Bluetooth in your car. Select Yes and proceed with the on-screen wizard.

Hit Continue in the next window and you’ll get to the set-up step where you get to test your car stereo. Check if the stereo input is set to Bluetooth and turn up the volume on your smartphone and the stereo. Then tap play to test the sound.

This step is optional and you can hit Continue right away. But it may save you the trouble of running the set-up again if there’s an audio glitch.

Step 6

Next, Alexa will inform you that the Auto is ready to use and you’ll hear the sound through the car’s speakers. Feel free to issue Alexa some commands to make sure everything works as it’s supposed to.

Alternative Methods

If your car doesn’t have Bluetooth, the best way to connect Echo Auto to your car is via the AUX input and cable. In that case, you need to set the stereo to AUX and plug in the cable to the Auto’s output, then into the stereo’s input.

When asked if you can connect to Bluetooth, choose No and follow the on-screen wizard to complete the set-up process. It’s pretty much the same as with Bluetooth, but of course, this is not a wireless connection. On the other hand, some users may be able to establish a connection with a third-party Bluetooth add-on or dongle.

Your car stereo needs to have a USB input and the dongle/add-on needs to be Echo or Alexa compatible. The Bluetooth profiles supported by Echo are Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) and Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP).

Therefore, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem to find a compatible dongle or add-on. However, this method hasn’t been thoroughly tested and the success also depends on the stereo model you have in your car.

The Blue Tooth Never Hurts

As most cars and stereos feature an AUX input, you shouldn’t experience any problems even if there is no Bluetooth. Either way, Amazon has made the set-up super simple and the wizard is intuitive.

What car stereo do you have? Is it Bluetooth ready/compatible? Share your experience with the rest of the TechJunkie community in the comments section below.