In many homes and workplaces, Echo speakers and screens have become indispensable elements in our day to day. Not only domestic, intelligent and very useful elements, but also great companions. And all thanks to Amazon's virtual assistant. But, what happens when alexa doesn't respond?
Sometimes we find that alexa not working with the diligence to which we are accustomed. His answers are absurd and incoherent, or simply non-existent. behind this silence Alexa there is usually a reason. It's not that the wizard deliberately ignores our commands, but that there is a problem that we need to fix.
Sometimes our questions and commands only get silence from Alexa. However, we see the speaker status light come on, as if she's listening to us despite everything. In this post we are going to review all the possible causes that give rise to this situation and what are the solutions.
Alexa doesn't understand us
It is the problem that occurs most frequently. When we transmit the voice command to Alexa by speaking too fast, too low, with our mouth full, or perhaps from another room, she may not understand us. The device lights up, which means that she has heard us, but He does not respond because he has not understood what we are saying.
Solution: you have to try again, this time vocalizing well, speaking closer, or simply not talking to Alexa while you're eating. As simple as that.
There is another Alexa device nearby
In many homes there is more than one Alexa device. The fact that they are all activated can lead to somewhat confusing situations. For example: we go to a specific device, which lights up because it has heard us, but in reality it is someone else who receives the message and gives the answer. Perhaps another one that is in another room or even in the neighbor's house.
Solution: We have to try again, speaking to Alexa closer and louder. We can also try to move the devices away from each other, so that they do not overlap.
The microphone is muted
When, when trying to send a voice command to Alexa, we get no response and we also see that the device is illuminated with a steady red light, the diagnosis is clear: the microphone is deactivated. That is, Alexa can't hear us and, of course, she can't answer us either.
Solution: Very simple. All we have to do is turn the microphone back on.
Alexa has no internet connection
Here is another reason why Alexa does not respond when we talk to her. If, for example, the WiFi connection at home fails, the service is suspended. As in the previous case, we will see the device with a Red light, and our requests are not met. At most, we will receive an error message of this type: "Sorry, I'm having trouble understanding you right now."
Solution: Check home WiFi and try to re-establish the connection.
Alexa needs an update
It is not a very frequent situation, but sometimes it can happen. Normally, Alexa updates automatically without us having to do anything. If for whatever reason you don't run this update, our voice commands won't get any response from the device.
Solution: Force an update from Alexa. The easiest way to do this is to simply tell it: “Alexa, check for a software update” and, in case it finds one available, order it to proceed to execute it.
Need to reboot the device
Alexa is no different from most electronic devices that, for a thousand and one different reasons, sometimes it can fail without us knowing the reason. There is no need to think about it anymore: when that happens, it is time to restart.
Solution: Unplug the device and wait about a minute before plugging it in again. In case there was a temporary error, with the reboot it will be eliminated and everything will work normally again.
The last resort: restore the original settings
We have tried all the tricks presented so far and Alexa still does not respond to our voice commands. What can we do? At this point, there is no choice but to conclude that it is about a configuration problem that we will only be able to solve by restoring the factory settings of our device.
Solution: Restore the original settings by following these steps:
- First, we hold down the “Action” button for 20 seconds.
- Then we wait for the light to turn off and turn on again. That is the signal that the device has entered configuration mode.
- Finally, we just have to configure Alexa as we did the first time. In this link you will find a small guide to correctly carry out this configuration.