iPhone 16 Pro randomly connects to Echo Dot devices via Bluetooth

I am experiencing an ongoing issue with my iPhone 16 Pro related to Bluetooth connectivity while using my AirPods. As I walk through my neighborhood, the audio often becomes garbled, slows down, or briefly stops for several seconds.

Today, I observed in my Bluetooth settings that my phone is automatically connecting to random Echo Dot devices in the area. These devices appear in the Connected list, but unlike normal paired devices, they do not display the information (“i”) icon. Once I move out of range, the connection drops.

For context:

I do not own an Amazon Echo Dot.

I do not have any Amazon-related apps installed on my phone.

The issue has been persistent since I began using my iPhone 16 Pro.

This unwanted auto-connection seems to be interfering with my AirPods’ performance. Could you please investigate and provide guidance on how to prevent my device from connecting to nearby Echo Dot devices?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: BLUETOOTH RANDOMLY CONNECTS TO ECHO DOT-BTN

iPhone 16 Pro, iOS 18

Posted on Aug 16, 2025 08:00 AM

20 replies

BoostJet3 Author

Level 1

6 points

Aug 18, 2025 09:43 AM in response to ChrisJ4203

Update: I shared this information with Apple Support, and they confirmed that Bluetooth devices should not be able to connect to my iPhone without my explicit permission. After reviewing my phone logs, the technician verified the unexpected connections and has escalated the issue to Apple engineers. They are now investigating the cause and working toward a resolution. I’ll provide another update once Apple shares their findings.

BoostJet3 Author

Level 1

6 points

Sep 3, 2025 04:55 AM in response to BoostJet3

Apple is continuing to investigate the recurring issue of Echo Dots attempting to connect. We have re-verified that no Amazon Sidewalk–enabled applications (such as the Alexa app or Amazon Music) are active on my iPhone. In addition, we reviewed all installed applications to determine whether any third-party apps might be facilitating the connection.

Apple engineers are actively analyzing device logs corresponding to the timestamps when these unexpected Bluetooth connection attempts occur. I will provide further updates as Apple Support shares additional findings.

RedOtter

Level 1

12 points

Sep 5, 2025 07:01 AM in response to BoostJet3

Hi BoostJet3,

Thanks for pursuing this issue!

I live in a rural area and not in Bluetooth range of a nearest neighbor. HOWEVER, I have quite a few Echo devices along with numerous non-Echo Bluetooth speakers and headphones including two pairs of AirPods. The Echo devices have been in use for years and up until a few months ago, I was able to use my other non-Echo Bluetooth speakers and headphones without fault.

Over the past few months I experienced the same issue you accurately described and discovered the issue when my AirPod connection dropped and didn’t automatically reconnect. When the disconnect occurred I went into the iPhone Bluetooth settings and noticed a number of the Echo devices showing “Connected” but no “i” to force disconnect/forget device. The Echo devices connect and disconnect randomly. Sometimes they disconnect for a long period of time and other times they seem to constantly connect/disconnect.

It seems this issue started with either IOS 18.5 or 18.6 and I’m hoping IOS26 addresses the issue.

Please let us know if Apple Support provides a resolution.

A few other notes:
I tried most of the troubleshooting steps in this post and others I found online to no avail.
There have been occasions when I contact Apple Support about an issue and they don’t have a record of the issue in their knowledge base, but apparently Apple software engineering/development seem to know about the issue because the issue appears to be get resolved in a subsequent software release. I’ve noticed this with iPhone/iPad/Mac/Watch OS issues I’ve encountered and reported to Apple Support.
I have the Alexa app installed on my iPhone, but the “Sidewalk” option is disabled and my Echo devices are not in discovery mode. The Echo devices seem to be transmitting a Bluetooth signal in spite of not being in discovery mode and “Sidewalk” sharing disabled. Therefore the Echo devices seem be part of the problem. On the other hand, with Apple being very committed to user privacy, it seems they would want to make sure to not allow “rogue” devices to randomly connect to Apple devices without explicit permission from users.

Aug 16, 2025 09:49 AM in response to BoostJet3

And, as I mentioned, they are not causing interference, something else in that neighborhood is causing the problem.

BoostJet3 Author

Level 1

6 points

Aug 18, 2025 08:13 AM in response to ChrisJ4203

Thank you Chris!

iPhone 16 Pro randomly connects to Echo Dot devices via Bluetooth