Appliances can never work perfectly 24/7, sometimes they malfunction too and can fail to work properly. If your Alexa doesn’t recognize your voice or simply ignores your commands, it’s possible that something has gone wrong. This can happen and it’s normal. In any case, there is a way out. And below will be given options on how to get Alexa back to work.
How to draw Alexa’s attention
In general, before you start more complicated actions and resetting the device, make sure that you’re in a quiet environment where nothing interrupts your voice. Remember that Alexa reacts only to clear commands and her main thing is the wake word. Don’t forget it, and Alexa will recognize the following message addressed to her.
Try turning up the volume
Most of the time, such problems are very easy to solve. You should first check to see if your device is simply muted. Try to find special buttons and raise the volume.
Try to press the microphone button
Another feature that Alexa users may often forget about is the on and off button for the microphone. Perhaps you have inadvertently turned off access to the microphone and now Alexa just can’t hear you. If you have a red light on your device, the microphone is turned on. Simply press the microphone button again and the device should now
How to restart the Alexa-Enabled Device
The most common way to fix all sorts of small failures and glitches in various devices is to reboot. This method is universal and works in most cases. If the above methods didn’t help, it’s time to turn on Alexa for a while and turn it back on. If your Alexa is plugged into an outlet – simply remove the wire, wait about 30 seconds, and plug it back in. If you have a battery-operated device – in the same way, remove the batteries, wait half a minute and then put them back in.
There might be issues with your Wi-Fi connection
Make sure that your Internet is working properly, check other devices to see if they’re connected to the network. You may have a problem with the Wi-Fi router itself. In any case, rule these options out before you think about what to do with your Alexa.
Try to change Alexa’s Wake Word
If you used a particular wake word and now Alexa doesn’t respond to it, then maybe someone has changed it to another word. Try using these options, since these are the only words Alexa is programmed to respond to 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:
Via Alexa App
- 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
Via Amazon Alexa Website
- 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
Try to reset Alexa
However, if nothing worked, and all other methods failed, it’s time to reset everything to the factory settings. This method assumes that you resume the device to the moment when it was purchased. This means that all your default settings will be erased. This is a radical method, but it’s the most reliable. Here’s how to do it:
- 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
If none of the above works for you, contact the support center for help. There you will get useful advice and how you can solve the problem.
