To connect Alexa to Wi-Fi, open the Alexa app on your phone, tap Devices, choose your Echo, tap Device Settings, and select Change or remove a Wi-Fi network. Pick your network, or choose Join another Wi-Fi Network, and follow the prompts. Echo devices with a screen, like an Echo Show, change Wi-Fi on the device itself.
This guide covers changing Wi-Fi on an Echo speaker you’ve already set up, Echo devices with a screen, connecting a brand-new Echo, and Amazon’s own troubleshooting steps when an Echo won’t connect.
Before you start
- Have your Wi-Fi network name and password ready. Passwords are case-sensitive.
- Keep your Echo plugged in, and have your phone with the Alexa app nearby. Amazon’s setup guide suggests turning on Bluetooth on your phone for an easier setup.
- Amazon says Echo devices work with the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks used in most homes, but they can’t join ad-hoc (peer-to-peer) networks.
If you were looking for a Windows download to complete setup, our guide to using Alexa on a Windows PC explains why the old desktop app is unavailable and how Alexa.com differs from the phone app. Use the mobile or on-device instructions below for your Echo’s Wi-Fi connection.
How to connect an Echo speaker to Wi-Fi
- Open the Alexa app on your phone or tablet.
- Tap Devices and select your Echo device.
- Tap Device Settings.
- Select Change or remove a Wi-Fi network. Result: a list of networks your Echo has used before appears.
- Choose a network you’ve used before, or select Join another Wi-Fi Network.
- Follow the instructions in the app, entering the password if asked. Result: the Echo reconnects and its light ring stops showing orange.
These steps come from Amazon’s help page on updating Wi-Fi settings for your Echo device. Amazon adds that on an Echo Spot (2024 release), you can tap the Wi-Fi Off icon on the screen and scan the QR code to start the process in the app.
Echo devices with a screen
- Say “Go to Settings,” or open settings on the screen. With Alexa+, tap the Menu icon, then Settings. With the original Alexa, swipe down from the top and tap Settings.
- Select Device Options, then Network.
- Make sure the Wi-Fi toggle is on, then choose your network and follow the prompts. Result: the Echo Show connects and returns to the home screen.
If your network isn’t listed, tap refresh or scroll down to Preferences for advanced options. Amazon notes menus on the Echo Hub and Echo Show 5 may differ. See Amazon’s steps for Echo devices with a screen.
Connecting a brand-new Echo
A new Echo joins Wi-Fi during setup. Plug it in; Amazon says Alexa greets you in about a minute and asks you to finish in the Alexa app. Open the app and follow the prompts, or tap the More icon to add the device manually if you aren’t prompted. The light ring turns blue when Alexa is ready. See the Alexa setup guide.
If your Echo won’t connect to Wi-Fi
Amazon’s Wi-Fi troubleshooting page recommends these checks, in this order:
- Restart the Echo. Unplug the power adapter, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in. Use the adapter that came with the Echo.
- Move it closer. Keep the Echo within about 30 feet (10 meters) of your router, away from microwaves, baby monitors, and other electronics.
- Test the network. Check whether another device can get online. If not, restart your router and modem, or wait and contact your internet provider if there’s an outage.
- Update the Wi-Fi details. If you changed your password, router, or provider, use the Alexa app steps above to reconnect.
Other things to check:
- Re-enter the Wi-Fi password carefully, since it’s case-sensitive.
- If your router combines bands under one name and setup fails, see how to change Wi-Fi to 2.4 GHz on your router.
- Networks that make you sign in through a web page, such as hotel or dorm Wi-Fi, may need extra details from the network owner. Some ask you to register the Echo’s MAC address, which the Alexa app shows during Wi-Fi setup.
- Keeping your router’s software current can help; see how to update router firmware.
Frequently asked questions
Can Alexa connect to Wi-Fi without the app?
Echo speakers without a screen need the Alexa app to change Wi-Fi. Echo devices with a screen can change Wi-Fi in their own settings.
Why does my Echo show an orange light?
An orange light ring means the Echo is in setup mode, which is also what you’ll see while it waits to connect. Use the steps above to reconnect it.
Do I need to reconnect Alexa after changing my Wi-Fi password?
Yes. Amazon says to update the Wi-Fi settings whenever you change your network password, router, or internet provider.
What else can I change in the Alexa app?
From the same Device Settings screen you can rename your Echo. See how to rename an Alexa device and how to view your Alexa voice history. If your Echo announces a Ring doorbell, see how to change the Ring doorbell sound.
Once your Echos are connected to the same network, you can play the same music on multiple Echo speakers with a Multi-Room Music group.
Once your Echo is online, you may want to turn off the notification sound on an Echo Dot so only the alerts you care about come through.
Once your Echo Show is online, you can use a photo from your iPhone as your Echo Show background.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.