Are you having trouble using Alexa? Is Alexa not responding to your commands? There are various reasons why these issues occur. It’s possible the virtual assistant has issues recognizing your commands, there’s an issue with your internet connection, or there’s a minor glitch on your Amazon Alexa-enabled device.
Regardless of the cause, you might want to just fix the assistant and get it working. There are actually several ways to get around Alexa issues, and this guide covers some of those ways for you.
Summon Alexa Clearly
One of the reasons Alexa is not responding to your queries is that you’re not summoning it properly. You need to say the correct wake word to grab Alexa’s attention.
Also, when you’re calling Alexa, there shouldn’t be too much noise around you as this can cause Alexa not to recognize what you just said.
Eliminate any unnecessary sounds, find out the correct wake word, and then try to call Alexa again. It should greet you with a message.
Press the Microphone Button
Any Amazon Echo offers a physical microphone button to turn the mic on and off for Alexa. If this button is pressed, the mic is off and this is probably the reason Alexa is not responding to your commands.
To confirm this is the case, there should be a red light on your Echo indicating the mic is turned off. If this is indeed the case, press the physical mic button on the Echo and that should turn the mic on.
You can now speak to Alexa and it should recognize your commands.
Restart the Alexa-Enabled Device
There are times when a minor glitch with your Alexa-enabled device causes issues. It’s possible your Alexa is not responding because there’s an issue with your device. Luckily, you can fix most minor glitches by rebooting the device.
If you use an Alexa device that plugs into a power socket, unplug the device from the socket and let it be that way for about half a minute. Then plug the device back into the power socket and the device will turn on.
If you have is a battery-enabled Alexa device, remove the batteries from your device to turn the device off. Wait for about half a minute, and then put the batteries back into the device. Turn the device on and it should work.
Fix Your Wi-Fi Connection
In order to properly function, Alexa needs to connect to the internet. This means your Alexa device should be connected to a reliable and active Wi-Fi connection. If your internet connection has issues, that can cause Alexa not to respond to your commands.
Since this issue is not related to Alexa, you’ll have to check your internet connection from your computer or another device. If you can’t fix the issue yourself, you might need to talk to your internet service provider.
Once your Wi-Fi connection is fixed, connect Alexa to it if it isn’t already connected. Then, say the Alexa wake word and it should respond.
Change Alexa’s Wake Word
If you don’t already know, you can use multiple wake words—but one at a time—with Alexa. It’s possible someone has changed the wake word for your Alexa, and so Alexa is not responding to your commands.
These Alexa-supported wake words include: Amazon, Echo, Computer, and Alexa.
To check what wake word your Alexa device uses, or to change the word to your liking, follow these steps:
Change Alexa’s Wake Word in the Amazon Alexa App
If you’ve installed the Amazon Alexa app on your smartphone for iOS or Android, the following steps should help you change the Alexa wake word:
- Launch the Amazon Alexa app on your smartphone.
- Tap Devices at the bottom bar of the app.
- Select All Devices at the top of the following screen.
- Choose your Alexa device from the list on your screen.
- On the device screen, scroll down the General section. Here, tap the Wake Word option.
- Select your preferred wake word from the list, and then close the app.
Change Alexa’s Wake Word on the Amazon Alexa Website
If you’d prefer changing the Alexa wake word from the Amazon website, here are the steps to do so:
- Launch the Amazon Alexa site in a web browser on your computer. Log in to your Amazon account if you haven’t already done so.
- From the sidebar on the left, click the Settings option.
- On the right pane, from under the Devices section, choose your Alexa device.
- Scroll down your device’s page to the General section. Here, click the Wake Word option.
- Select a new wake word from the Alexa Device wake word dropdown menu. Then, click Save.
Use the newly chosen wake word to get Alexa’s attention on your device.
Reset Alexa
If none of the methods outlined above work for you, you should reset your Alexa-enabled device and see if that helps fix the problem. Resetting your device basically removes all your preferences from it, including the linked Amazon account.
Once the reset process has finished, you can re-configure your device with your account.
Here's how to reset Alexa using the Alexa app on your smartphone:
- Open the Amazon Alexa app on your phone.
- Tap the Devices option at the bottom bar of the app.
- Tap All Devices and then choose your Alexa device from the list.
- Your device’s settings menu will open. Scroll down this menu and tap Factory Reset.
- Tap Factory Reset again in the prompt that appears on your screen.
- Your Alexa device should begin to reset.
When the device is reset, re-configure it with your Amazon account. It should then work with your voice commands.
Multiple Ways to Fix Alexa When It’s Not Responding
If your Alexa device ever stops responding to your commands, there might be an issue either with your internet connection or the Alexa device.
Using the methods outlined above, you should be able to fix that issue and get your Alexa device to work as it’s supposed to.
