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Facing Alexa not responding issues? We discuss all possible issues and provide troubleshooting tips below.
Alexa is one of the best voice assistants in the market, and it’s widely used thanks to its “smartness” and Amazon’s superb range of smart speakers and devices. The Eco range of Amazon devices, particularly, is well-loved as the assistant works great to provide quick and clear responses with superb sonic performance.
However, this is not always the case. Alexa may sometimes not work due to failure to recognize voice commands, which can be frustrating. If Alexa is not responding to commands, don’t worry. This guide will provide common troubleshooting tips to help you fix the issue quickly.
Main Reason for Alexa Not Responding To Voice Commands
There are many reasons why Alexa may not respond to voice commands, ranging from internet connectivity to software issues. Alexa may not respond due to a poor internet connection, the microphone being turned off, wrong configurations, software bugs, and even comprehension issues, among others.
When the assistant has any of these issues, you may get responses such as, “Sorry, I don’t know that one” or “Sorry, I’m having trouble understanding you right now. Please try a little later.” In other cases, you may not even get any response at all, or you may see a red ring light.
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How to Fix Alexa Not Responding To Voice Commands
Whatever the issue you are having, you can follow the troubleshooting guide below to solve it.
Step 1: Check your cable connection
This may seem a bit obvious, but your Echo power cable may become loose or be unplugged by someone else. Before you move to other issues, confirm that all your device cables are connected properly. Not just that, but ensure that the cable connections for all your Alexa-connected, like your smart TV, for instance, are also appropriately connected.
The microphone button should be your next checking point if Alexa is not working but lighting up. When the microphone is on, Alexa won’t hear your commands. To determine if this is the case, check the color of the ring light on top. When the microphone is off, the color will be red. If you turn it on, the color will switch to blue. You can turn the microphone on by simply pressing its button on top of the device.
Step 3: Check your Amazon Account Country
Alexa is connected to your Amazon account. If you traveled abroad you’d need either to change the Country of your Amazon Account (if you’ll stay abroad definetivelly or for a long time), or use a reliable VPN like CyberGhost connected to a server on the Country registered on your Amazon Account.
Step 4: Check Wi-Fi your password
If Alexa is not working, you may have typed the wrong password when setting it up. Remember that the device needs the internet to process commands and provide responses, so check your password if you have just set up the device.
If you recently updated the password for your Wi-Fi, you may also need to update the password for your Echo or Echo Show. To do either of these, open the Alexa app on your mobile device and go to Devices>Echo & Alexa>your device>Change. Follow the instructions in the app to complete the process.
Step 5: Check your Wi-Fi connection
If your password is not the issue, the connection may be. In such a case, Alexa may respond like, “Sorry, I’m having trouble understanding you right now. Please try a little later.”
To fix this, you can start by checking your modem and see if all the lights are as you’d expect them to be. If your modem indicates that network access is unstable, you may need to wait until the connection normalizes and try again. Alternatively, you can restart the modem.
Apart from the internet connectivity, you can also check whether your Echo smart speaker and smartphone are on the same network. This may be an issue if you use a mesh network to optimize signal or have both your 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks enabled. Connect them to the same network and try giving a command again.
If this is not the case, check the distance between your Echo device and your wireless router. The recommended distance between these two is 30 feet (or 10 meters). On top of that, ensure your Echo device is away from any devices that cause interference (such as microwaves, baby monitors, or other electronic devices).
Step 6: Restart your device
A simple restart often solves a host of mysterious tech problems. If you have tried all the methods outlined above and Alexa is still not working properly, you may need to restart your device.
To do that, press and hold the power button on your device to turn it off. After that, disconnect the device from power and wait for at least 30 seconds. Re-connect your device to power and then press the power button to restart it.
Step 7: Update your Alexa Skill
If the issue is that Alexa is not responding to a particular Skill, such as Spotify or Pandora, after you have restarted your device, the problem may be the Skill itself. In such a case, check whether Skill has an update available and install it. Otherwise, make sure you’re calling the Skill by the right name.
Step 8: Update device firmware
Tech devices sometimes misbehave when there’s an update available. If your smart speaker has not updated automatically, you may need to update the device to the latest firmware version to solve your Echo Dot not responding issues.
To do so, if Alexa is responding to some commands, say, “Check for software updates.” If the assistant is not responding, press the mute button and wait for a few minutes for the update process to start and complete. On Echo Show, go to Settings>Device Options> Check for software updates.
Step 9: Reset to factory defaults
If all else fails, you may need to do a factory rest. This will solve problems at the operating system level, such as update errors and memory corruption. You can do the reset from your Alexa mobile app by going to More > Settings > Device Settings > Select the device that you want to factory reset > Factory Reset and tap it > Confirm you want to reset. Note that the steps may change depending on your Echo version.
Advanced Troubleshooting Guide for Alexa Not Responding Issue
Besides the methods mentioned above, there are some troubleshooting tips that you should also keep in mind.
Alexa Red Ring
If your smart speaker has a red ring right, this indicates that it’s not working well. Either your mic is muted, or there’s no internet connectivity.
The Voice Training Option
If Alexa has issues recognizing your accent, you can train the assistant to understand you better. To do this, open the Alexa mobile app settings, then select Your Profile & Family. You can create a voice ID and then train the assistant.
LED Board or Microphone Not Working
If the LED board or the microphone is not working, this may signal a hardware problem. In such a case, you may need to get technical assistance.
Basic Troubleshooting Tips for Alexa Not Responding Issue
Below are some basic troubleshooting tips you can use to fix various Alexa apps not working issues.
- If your smart speaker misbehaves, this may be due to voltage fluctuations. To troubleshoot this, use a different adapter for the device and check if the issue is fixed.
- Alexa speakers can often make your voice go unheard. Always keep your speakers at least 3 feet from the Echo device to stop or prevent this.
- Alexa’s performance may be impeded by interference. Ensure that there’s no blockage of the voice path and that there are no devices that can cause interference nearby.
- To ensure that Alexa can hear you well, ensure there’s no unwanted background noise.
Conclusion
Alexa not working can be a huge inconvenience, especially if you are not using Echo Show which assists operations with its interface. However, using the above troubleshooting methods, you should be able to solve the Alexa issues you are experiencing. In case the methods provided don’t solve the issue for you, we recommend you reach out to Amazon customer support.
Good luck!
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