Modern technology has brought a paradigm shift in a number of areas in our day-to-day life. Unlike before, there is a proliferation of modern tech devices that can help to automate your home. With home automation in place, it is now possible to control these devices either using voice commands or a touch of a button. When it comes to the way in which you can control these devices, there are many platforms that can help you get started.
Amazon Alexa is one of the most popular platforms that can help you control a myriad of smart devices in your home with utmost precision. In fact, Amazon Alexa has the Amazon Echo Dot which is essentially a smart speaker that listens to voice commands and executes a certain task. With all these amazing features in place, Amazon Alexa is one of the most preferred platforms by many homeowners. To make your Alexa device work optimally, you have to connect it to the Wi-Fi network of your home.
You can readily do so with or without the app. In this article, we shall take a closer look at how to connect Alexa without App alongside other related ideas.
Does Alexa Need Wi-Fi
Yes. As we have earlier mentioned, Alexa devices are smart devices that need a good internet connection so that they can function optimally. If you have Wi-Fi internet, you can connect them to your network and start controlling them remotely.
For instance, when you give Alexa a command or ask it a question, the audio recording will be sent to Amazon’s cloud via the Wi-Fi network. Thereafter, it will be processed and sent to the device in question via Wi-Fi so that your request can be fulfilled. This is why you should ensure that your Alexa device is connected to Wi-Fi internet.
How To Setup Wi-Fi On Alexa
Since we have established that your Alexa devices need a Wi-Fi internet connection so that they can function well, the time is ripe for you to know how you can connect them to this network and utilize them as you please. As we speak, you can now connect your Alexa to Wi-Fi through two main methods:
- Download the Alexa app on your mobile device
- Connect to the Wi-Fi network without essentially having to download the app.
1) How to Connect Alexa To Wi-Fi Using a Mobile App
By now you might be eagerly waiting for your Alexa device to either create a shopping list for you or play some music for your kid. However, for this to happen, you must begin the setup process. Here is the procedure for connecting Alexa to Wi-Fi using a mobile app:
- First and foremost, download the Alexa application on your mobile device. The good news is that this app is available on the App Store or Google Play Store.
- Once you have downloaded the app, you can now go ahead and launch the app on your mobile phone.
- Thereafter log in with your Amazon account.
- Once you have entered the login details, the app will be up and running. Here, it will ask for certain permissions such as location access, contact access, and so forth. If it prompts you to grant it access, you can go ahead and permit it. By doing so, you will have an easy time giving it voice commands. However, if you do not want the Alexa device to make calls from your tablet or smartphone, you can deny it the much-needed permission.
- Since you are logged in to the app, you will find 3 horizontal lines at the top of your phone’s screen. Click on them and you will be able to access a drop-down menu. Here, you should choose the ‘Add a device’ option.
- Click on it and then select the right device that you want to set up. For instance, if you have an Echo Dot Speaker, you can choose it and set it up with your Wi-Fi network. In case, you have another Alexa-enabled device, you can choose it from the list you will find on your screen and then proceed to the next step.
- Turn on your Alexa device. If you have the Alexa Echo Dot device, you can press and hold the Action button and then device will be powered on.
- Once the Alexa device has turned on, you will find a blue ring of light on it. After a few seconds, this light will change to orange after a few seconds.
- The moment the orange light starts appearing, you can now carry on with the setup process. Here, the Alexa app will ask you to grant it permission to access your Wi-Fi settings.
- Follow the prompts that you will find on your screen and then choose your preferred Wi-Fi network and then connect it to your Alexa device.
- Once the Alexa device has established a successful Wi-Fi connection, you will see a confirmation message on your app. It will look like ‘Your Device is now online. If you want to determine whether Alexa has successfully established a good Wi-Fi connection, you can go head and ask, ‘Alexa, are you connected to the internet?’
2) How To Connect Alexa To Wi-Fi Without The App
Although you can connect Alexa to Wifi using an app, sometimes, you may not have the app and you need to establish a connection between your Alexa device and the Wi-Fi internet network of your home. Some of the reasons why you may opt to connect your Alexa to Wifi without an app include:
- Your tablet, smartphone or iPod is not compatible with the Alexa device
- Your device has an outdated operating system
- Your device’s storage is not enough
- There are some restrictions that have been set on your hardware.
To connect your Alexa to Wi-Fi without the app, you should not hesitate to follow these steps:
- First and foremost, access your Amazon account by visiting and logging in with your Amazon details.
- Once you are logged in, scroll to the ‘Settings section on the left pane and then choose ‘the Set up a new device option.
- Choose the device that you would like to connect with. In this case, if you have the Alexa Echo Dot, choose it. Other devices that you can choose from include Echo, Echo Plus, Echo Sub, Amazon Tap, Echo Studio, and many more. Depending on the device you have at home, choose one of them and then proceed to the next step.
- Once you have chosen the hardware of your home, the next step is to set it up with your home’s Wi-Fi network. Here, you will be redirected to a different page where the actual set-up process takes place. Tap on the ‘Continue’ option and move to the next step.
- Turn your Alexa device on by plugging it into a power source.
- Once the device is turned on, you will see a blue light on the device’s surface. After seconds, it will turn orange. The orange light indicates that the Alexa device is ready to be connected or paired to the Wi-Fi network.
- Connect your PC or smartphone to your Alexa Device. To do this, you should first go to your computer’s Wi-Fi settings and then choose the network of your dedicated Alexa device. In most cases, it will be formatted as Amazon-XXXX. Therefore, you should not have issues looking out for it. Click it and follow the prompts that you will find on your screen. By doing so, your Alexa device will connect to the Wi-Fi network of your home successfully.
Final Words
Gone and never to come are those days when we used to control smart home devices manually. With the advent of AI-powered platforms such as Amazon Alexa, it is now easy to control all the smart devices you have at home with a click of a button or a voice command. As long as you instruct your Alexa-enabled device correctly, it will execute your desired task with utmost precision. Whether it is lighting up your room or creating a shopping list, it will do all these activities seamlessly. Connect your Alexa devices to Wi-Fi using the procedure mentioned above and you will be able to control all your home’s smart devices on the go.