Amazon’s Alexa is up there with Google Assistant and Siri in terms of usefulness. The virtual assistant is extremely good at getting things done and responding to questions, but it can run into problems from time to time. If Alexa is not working, read this guide to learn how to fix Alexa Not Working issue.
In this article, I am going to go over several troubleshooting steps you can try out if Alexa is not working. I am also going to help you understand why your smart home devices are acting dumb. With that out of the way, let’s get started.
Why does Alexa Stops Working?
Alexa works very well with Echo devices but sometimes, Alexa does not respond to any of your queries. Other times, Alexa won’t be able to comprehend or do any tasks at all. Why does this happen?
These issues are usually because of an issue with the power or wireless connection. If Alexa does not have power or if it cannot access the Internet, it will not work.
In some cases, however, the issue may lie with the sound. If Alexa has been muted, it would not respond to your commands. If there’s a lot of ambient noise around Alexa, then it will not be able to understand what you are saying.
Methods to Fix Alexa Not Working Issue
I have searched and listed out the possible fixes for you so you don’t have to spend a lot of time doing it yourself. These fixes will work on all Alexa-enabled devices.
1. Check Whether the Power Is On
This may be a basic step, but it never hurts to check whether the Alexa-enabled device is powered on. Whenever Alexa is not working, this is the first thing you need to check.
- Inspect the power chord for damages and check whether the device is plugged in properly.
- Check whether the power outlet works fine.
- Make sure that the adapter that came with the device is used.
2. Check the WiFi Connection
If the device does not have access to the internet, then it will not work properly.
- Make sure that the WiFi is not down. You can check it with other devices that are connected to the WiFi. If the WiFi is down, then restart the router and see if that fixes the issue.
- Check whether the Alexa-enabled device is within the range of the WiFi router.
- Make sure that you entered the correct WiFi password. If you gave Alexa the wrong password, then it won’t be able to connect to the WiFi.
- Make sure that Alexa and your smartphone are both on the same WiFi network if you cannot make calls.
3. Unmute Alexa
Alexa-enabled devices have a status light on top. This light is really helpful to determine whether something is wrong with the device. The red light means that Alexa has muted all sounds and it will not listen to a thing you say. Simply press the button on top of the device and Alexa will start responding to your queries again.
This button and LED were placed to let you know whenever Alexa is listening in. If you are not comfortable with Alexa listening to your conversations at all times, you can simply mute it again.
4. Restart the Alexa Enabled Device
Sometimes, a software bug can make its way into your device and the only way to get it out is by a restart. Restarting the device is easy. Simply unplug it and plug it in again.
5. Reduce the Ambient Sound
Alexa may a virtual assistant, but just like us, it won’t be able to understand anything you say if there’s a lot of sound surrounding it. If you have a speaker or something that plays music next to the Alexa-enabled device, then Alexa will not be able to understand you.
6. Re-Train Your Voice
The world is filled with various dialects and accents. While Alexa uses machine learning algorithms to learn different dialects, it is not always successful. Go to Settings > Account Settings > Recognised Voices. Then add your voice profile and talk to Alexa to train it.
7. Reset the Alexa-Enabled Device
If nothing above worked for you, then you should reset the Alexa enabled device. You can do this easily through the Android and iOS apps. Follow these simple instructions:
- Open Amazon Alexa.
- Select the Devices icon in the bottom-right corner.
- Tap Echo & Alexa and select the device that you want to reset.
- Scroll down, tap Factory reset, and confirm.
This will reset your device and restore it to the factory default. You will have to set up your WiFi again.
Final Take
These are all the things you can do if Alexa is not working. Hopefully, the virtual assistant will respond normally after these steps. You will be able to play your favorite songs and make calls through Alexa and if you have any doubts, let me know in the comments section down below.