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How To Play Apple Music On Alexa Without Speaking (2023)

How To Play Apple Music On Alexa Without Speaking

Voice commands are great.

But at some point, they can also get tiring. 

So how about the next step to automation?

Luckily though, it’s easy to play Apple Music on Alexa without verbal commands. 

Continue reading to discover:

  • 3 easy fixes to try if this setup doesn’t work.  
  • 11 quick steps to play Apple Music on Alexa without speaking. 
  • How to set up an Alexa routine to play Apple Music without verbal commands. 
  • And this is just the beginning… 

How to play Apple Music on Alexa without speaking


To play Apple Music on Alexa without speaking, you can use the AI’s built-in virtual keyboard. 

Note: This is only for iOS users. 

So if you have an Android device, unfortunately, you won’t be able to use this feature.

What you can do instead, though, is use your Echo as a Bluetooth speaker. And this way, you’ll project all the audio from your mobile device through your Echo device. 

“How do I do that?”

It’s easy. Just follow these steps to…

Play Apple Music on your Alexa Echo through Bluetooth

  1. Toggle ON the Bluetooth of your mobile device. 
  2. Turn ON your Echo and say, “Alexa, pair.”
  3. Open your phone’s Bluetooth page.
  4. Find the list of pairable devices.
  5. From the list, select your Echo speaker. 

Now, you can simply play from the Apple Music app on your mobile device. 

And the audio will automatically be projected through your Echo speaker. 

But as mentioned earlier, if you have an iOS device, you can use the keyboard feature. Because with this method, you can command Alexa through text, not voice. 

So if you’re interested in doing this setup, follow these…

11 quick steps to play Apple Music on Alexa without voice 

#1: Launch the Amazon Alexa app on your iOS device

Tap the tile of the app from your home screen.

And wait for it to load.

Now, if you don’t have this app on your phone yet, follow these steps to…

Download the Amazon Alexa app on your iPhone:
  1. Open your device and launch the App Store.
  2. Tap the Search icon (magnifying glass) at the bottom-right corner. 
  3. Click the search bar at the top of the screen.
  4. Search “Amazon Alexa.”
  5. Select the official app from the results. 
  6. Tap the blue GET button. 
  7. Input your passcode/word if needed. 

Note: You may also click here to directly access the app’s download page. 

#2: Open the More tab on the app

Sign in to the Amazon Alexa app if you haven’t already.

And click the More option at the bottom-right corner of the app’s home screen. 

After that, you’ll see the different categories on your Amazon Alexa. And from this list… 

#3: Select Settings

This is the very last option on the page. 

So simply click Settings near the bottom of your screen and…

#4: Tap Music & Podcasts

Scroll down to the ALEXA PREFERENCES section. 

And select Music & Podcasts from the list. After doing so… 

#5: Click Link New Service (+)

You’ll see the services already linked to your Amazon Alexa on this new page.

That said, briefly scroll down through your screen to see if you’ve previously added Apple Music to the app. 

Now, if you see Apple Music on this page, proceed to step 9. 

But if you don’t see it, click the Link New Service option near the top of the page. And then… 

#6: Select Apple Music

You’ll see the list of all the services related to music and podcasts you can add to your Alexa.

That said, from this list, select Apple Music which is usually at the top-left corner of the screen. 

Read next: Is Alexa Compatible With Apple Music? 5 Features

#7: Read the app description

Using the Apple Music app will be much easier if you know:

  • What it does.
  • How it functions.
  • How you can use it with the help of Alexa.

That’s why I highly recommend thoroughly reading the page you’re on before you proceed to… 

#8: Select ENABLE TO USE

Scroll back up. 

And select the ENABLE TO USE option you see on the screen. 

After doing so, you’ll see the sign-in page of Apple Music. So go ahead and… 

#9: Sign in to your Apple Music account

Input your Apple ID. And proceed to type in your password as well.

Now, ensure that your Apple account still has an active Apple Music subscription.

Because if it doesn’t, this setup won’t work. 

That said, if you’re currently not subscribed to the music service, follow these steps to…

Subscribe to Apple Music:
  1. Head to music.apple.com.
  2. Proceed to the Listen Now or For You section. 
  3. Select the trial offer you wish to try. 
  4. Choose the subscription type you want (individual, family, or student).
  5. Sign in using your Apple ID. 
  6. Confirm your payment method. 
  7. Click the Join option. 

And now that you’ve linked your Apple Music account to Alexa, you need to…

#10: Set Apple Music as your default music service

Head to the home screen of your Amazon Alexa app again.

And follow these steps:

  1. Tap More at the bottom-right corner of your screen.
  2. Click Settings.
  3. Scroll down and select Music & Podcasts.
  4. Tap the Default Services option. 
  5. Under the Music section, choose Apple Music. 

Now, all the music you ask Alexa to play will be from Apple Music unless you specify another app. So it’s time to… 

#11: Use the keyboard function to command Alexa

  1. Launch Amazon Alexa.
  2. Select the keyboard icon at the top-left corner of your screen. 
  3. Type in your music command.
  4. Enjoy listening to your Apple Music without speaking. 

And just like that, you can play Apple Music on Alexa without using your voice.

Easy right? 

But wait. I still have a little something for you.

Bonus: Play Apple Music on Alexa without voice using routines

Want to wake up to the sweet sound of your Apple Music playlists?

Or maybe you want your favorite album to play during coffee time.

Either way, you can easily experience that with the help of the Alexa routine.

See, with this function…

You can hear songs from Apple Music at a specific time without needing to say anything. 

And the best thing about this is it’s effortless to set up.

So without further delay, just follow these steps to…

Create an Alexa routine to play Apple Music:

Step 1: Launch the Amazon Alexa app.

Step 2: Tap the More icon at the bottom-right corner. 

Step 3: Select Routines.

Step 4: Tap the plus (+) icon at the top-right corner of your screen. 

Step 5: Create a name for your routine. 

Step 6: Choose the time and dates you want this to activate. 

Step 7: Click the Add action option. 

Step 8: Scroll down and select Music. 

Step 9: Type the song, playlist, or album that you want to play. 

Step 10: Click the Select Provider option and choose Apple Music. 

Step 11: Tap Choose Device.

Step 12: Select the Echo device you want to use for this routine. 

Step 13: Click Save at the top-right corner of your screen. 

From now on, your Apple Music will play during the time you specified. 

And you won’t need to say anything to activate it.  

Interested in knowing more about Alexa routines? Watch this video:

You might also be interested: Ways To Connect Apple Music To Alexa (How-To Guide)


Why won’t Alexa play Apple Music without speaking?


Your Alexa won’t play Apple Music without speaking because…

#1: Apple Music isn’t your default music service

See, if you ask Alexa to play music using the virtual keyboard on the app… 

It’ll automatically use its default music service provider to play songs. 

So if you hear a song from other apps like:

  • Spotify.
  • Pandora. 
  • Amazon Music.

Then your Alexa is most likely using other apps as its default music service.

That said, you have to…

Set Apple Music as your default music provider:

  1. Launch the app.
  2. Tap the More option at the bottom.
  3. Select Settings > Music & Podcasts. 
  4. Click Default Services > Apple Music. 

Note: Bear in mind that you can only use the virtual keyboard on the app if you have an iOS device. So if you’re an Android user, you need to connect the Echo speaker to your phone through Bluetooth. 

Now, if you still can’t play Apple Music on Alexa without speaking, it’s possible that… 

#2: Apple Music is down

Like all online services, Apple Music can also crash. 

That’s why if you still can’t use this streaming platform on your Alexa without using your voice… 

You should check if Apple Music is down:

  1. Head to Apple’s system status website
  2. Tap the plus (+) button under the System Status. 
  3. Find Apple Music on the list, and check the status indication beside it.
  4. If it states “Available,” nothing’s wrong with the service.
  5. But if you see anything else, then the service is down. 

Now, if Apple Music is currently down, then all you can do is wait until it’s fixed again. 

But if its servers are up and running, proceed to check if… 

#3: Your Internet is too slow

Your Internet Is Too Slow

Alexa and Apple Music are both online services.

So if your Internet isn’t fast and reliable…

You’ll also have trouble ensuring a stable connection between Alexa and Apple Music.

That said, the next fix you should try is to… 

Power cycle your router:

  1. Unplug your router from the wall outlet.
  2. Wait for 1 minute. 
  3. Plug it back into its power source. 

Now, if this doesn’t help improve your Internet speed…

Contact your Internet service provider and ask for ways to improve your connection.

But if your Internet isn’t the problem yet, you still can’t play Apple Music on Alexa without speaking…

Contact Amazon support by calling 1-888-280-4331.