Amazon Echo Troubleshooting: The Ultimate Guide
There is nothing more frustrating than experiencing tech issues with your smart home devices.
If your Amazon Echo device isn’t working as it should, and you have no idea how to go about fixing it, don’t panic.
This article will take you through some easy-to-follow troubleshooting methods for the most common Echo and Alexa issues.
Whether you are having trouble syncing the audio on multiple Echo devices or can’t get Alexa to pick up the WiFi connection, our helpful Amazon Echo troubleshooting solutions are on hand to help you resolve your issue.
- Alexa Not Turning On
- Alexa App Problems / Alexa App Not Working
- Alexa Internet Connection Problems / Alexa Not Connecting to WiFi
- Alexa Not Responding to Commands / Alexa Not Responding to Voice
- Alexa Not Discovering Devices
- Alexa Not Working (Red Ring)
- Alexa Audio Sync Problems
- Alexa Not Working on Sonos
- Alexa Not Playing Music
- Alexa ‘Drop In’ Not Working
- Alexa Not Working on Fire Stick
- How to Reset Alexa
- In Summary
Alexa Not Turning On
If you have plugged in your Echo device, but it is still not turning on, this could be down to a power supply issue. Check all other electrical devices in your home are working because you may have had a power outage without realizing it.
Once you have established that other electrical devices are working, try the basic troubleshooting methods below:
- Unplug the Echo device and plug it back in again
- Try plugging the Echo into an alternative power outlet
- Replace the Echo’s power adapter
- Contact Amazon Support
Alexa App Problems / Alexa App Not Working
The Alexa app acts as the central control center for all your Alexa-enabled devices.
If you ever experience issues with the Alexa app, it can be frustrating, but you can resolve the problem 99% of the time via a few simple steps.
Check Your Device’s Storage
The Alexa app needs at least 3GB of extra storage space to work effectively, so you need to ensure you have enough free space on your phone or tablet.
Restart the Device
Once you have checked the storage, you will need to restart your phone/tablet once.
Update the App
App developers frequently release software updates to fix bugs and introduce new features. Running an out-of-date version of the Alexa app could be what is causing you to experience issues.
Check Your Internet Connection
The Alexa app requires a certain amount of bandwidth to function, so make sure there aren’t any apps open in the background that may be using up significant amounts of bandwidth.
Re-Install the App
If you have tried all of the options above and the Alexa app is still not operating as it should, you could try deleting the app from your phone or tablet and re-installing it again.
This should clear up any issues the app may be experiencing, and you will be able to use the Alexa app once again.
Alexa Internet Connection Problems / Alexa Not Connecting to WiFi
Without an internet connection, your Alexa device will not be able to operate.
Check Your WiFi Router
Rule out issues with your broadband service provider by checking your router is working.
Reboot Your Wireless Router and Modem
Turn your Echo device off and then manually restart your wireless router and modem. Wait for five minutes before attempting to reconnect Alexa to the WiFi.
Reboot Alexa
Check the WiFi Password Is Correct
When Alexa devices experience WiFi connectivity problems, they don’t give any details about the specific issue.
If you are entering an incorrect WiFi password, Alexa won’t tell you it isn’t correct. To check if you are entering the correct password, find another device (such as a tablet or phone) connected to your WiFi network, disconnect it, and reconnect it using the same password you used to attempt to connect Alexa.
Move Alexa Closer to the Router
If you have a large house and your Wi-Fi router is at one end, and your Alexa device is at the other end, it might mean it can’t establish a connection because it is out of range.
Check for Signal Blockages and Interferences
Sometimes, physical barriers such as brick walls, concrete walls, and reinforced doors can block the WiFi signal.
Perform a Factory Reset
Reset your Alexa device to its factory settings, turn it back on again and follow the setup instructions.
Contact Customer Support
If you have tried steps 1-7 and your Echo device is still having issues connecting to the Wi-Fi network, you should contact Amazon’s support team or speak to your internet service provider.
Alexa Not Responding to Commands / Alexa Not Responding to Voice
Alexa’s voice command feature has revolutionized the smart home technology market, so we can understand your frustrations if your Echo device stopped responding to your voice commands.
Most of the time, Alexa and Echo work perfectly in tandem with one another, but sometimes problems arise.
Make Sure the Microphone Isn’t Turned Off
A solid red ring light on your Echo speaker indicates the microphone has been disabled; therefore, Alexa can’t respond to your commands because she can’t hear you.
Stand Closer to Your Echo Speaker
Another reason why Alexa might not be responding to your voice commands could be that you are too far away from the Echo device.
Ensure the Device Is Plugged In
This may be an obvious solution, but you may want to double-check your Echo device is plugged in, turned on, and connected to the Wi-Fi network.
Check Your Smartphone and Echo Are Connected to the Same WiFi Network
Your Echo device won’t respond to voice commands if the Alexa app device is connected to a different WiFi network.
Restart Your Echo Speaker
Sometimes, a restart or reboot is all that is needed to fix tech-related bugs.
Review Your Command History
Open the Alexa app to see your voice command log. Here you will be able to see precisely how Alexa has interpreted each of your voice commands.
You may discover that she thought you said ‘Alexa, play mushroom’ rather than ‘Alexa, play music’.
You can fix this problem by making sure you speak clearly and slowly each time to make a voice command to ensure she hears you correctly.
Alexa Not Discovering Devices
Alexa can connect to a whole host of smart home devices, all of which are designed to make your daily life easier.
If you are experiencing issues when connecting a new smart home device to Alexa, it could be down to several problems.
Check the Device Compatibility
While many smart home devices on the market are compatible with Alexa, a few out there aren’t.
Perform a Restart on the Devices
Download an Alexa Skill
Connect to the Correct WiFi Network
Both the Echo speaker and smart home device need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your mobile phone device.
Download the Companion App
The smart home device you are trying to connect to Alexa may have an app that you need to install to complete the setup.
Check the smart home device’s manual to find out if this is the case.
Alexa Not Working (Red Ring)
If your Echo device ever displays the solid red ring light shown below, this means that the microphone has been disabled. In most cases, the disabling of the microphone is caused by someone accidentally pressing the microphone button on the top of the Echo device.
To turn the microphone back on again, all you need to do is press the microphone button once, and the red light will disappear.
Alexa should now be able to hear your commands and respond accordingly. If it is still not working, however, try resetting the device.
Alexa Audio Sync Problems
If you own multiple Echo speakers throughout your home, you can create a multi-room audio system that lets you sync the audio across each device.
Even though Amazon has worked hard to make setting up audio sync quick and easy, you may still encounter some issues along the way.
If you have found one or more of your speakers isn’t playing music, or there is a slight delay, read below about some of the possible causes of ways to resolve it.
Connectivity Issues
In most cases, audio sync problems on Echo devices are the result of WiFi connection issues.
To operate audio sync, the Alexa app requires that you connect all Echo devices to the same network, bandwidth, and BSSID as one another.
A common issue is when your WiFi network has multiple access points, with each one broadcasting a specific BSSID, making it impossible for the Echo devices to sync with one another.
You could get around this issue by trying one or more of the following solutions:
- Restart your router
- Disable guest mode on your router
- Turn off the 5 GHz bandwidth
Multi-Room Music Does Not Play With Alexa
Ensure All the Echo Devices Are Connected to the Same WiFi Network
As mentioned previously, all the Echo devices need to be connected to the same WiFi network for Alexa multi-room audio to function.
Check each Echo device is connected to the correct Wi-Fi network to see if this solves the audio sync problem.
Disconnect Any Bluetooth Speakers From Your Echo Devices
Use the Correct Command
To be as specific as possible to help Alexa understand you want to sync the audio to a particular group of Echo devices, you need to make sure you are using the correct command.
Try saying: ‘Alexa, play [name of playlist] on the [name of Echo device group]‘.
When setting up your device group names in the Alexa app, you need to use words that Alexa will understand, otherwise, this could cause problems with the audio sync function.
Use a Different Audio Source or Streaming App
Alexa multi-room sync supports Spotify, Amazon Music, Prime Music, Apple Music, Sirius XM, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio.
Restart the Echo Device
Restart the Router and Modem
Create a New Multi-Room Music Group
You can sync the audio between multiple Echo apps by setting up multi-room groups within the Alexa app.
Contact Amazon Support
If you have tried all of the options above and are still experiencing issues with the audio sync, the problem may lie with Amazon’s servers.
Contact Amazon Support to find out whether they are experiencing any known issues with power outages.
You could also visit the Amazon Alexa help page to see if you can find a solution to your issue there.
Alexa Not Working on Sonos
Not only is Sonos is a popular brand of smart speakers and one of the best available on the market, but it is also compatible with Alexa.
Download the Sonos Skill
To get Alexa and Sonos communicating with one another, you will need to download the Sonos skill onto your Alexa app by following the steps below:
- Open the Alexa app
- Select ‘More’
- Select ‘Skills & Games’
- Tap the magnifying glass icon and search for ‘Sonos’
- Select the Sonos skill from the list and press ‘Enable’
Re-Enable the Sonos Skill
If you have previously downloaded the Sonos skill, a software bug within the app may have caused it to become disabled at some point. To re-link the Sonos skill, follow the steps below:
- Open the Alexa app
- Select ‘More’
- Select ‘Skills & Games’
- Tap on ‘Your Skills’ and scroll down until you find ‘Sonos’
- Select ‘Disable Skill’ from the skill settings menu.
- Close the Alexa app and re-open it again
- Follow the steps from the Download the Sonos Skill solution above to re-enable the Sonos skill again.
Disconnect the Sonos Speaker
If you have tried the first two solutions and are still having trouble connecting Alexa to your Sonos speaker, the issue could lie with the speakers themselves rather than Alexa.
Try unplugging the speaker(s), waiting a couple of minutes, and then plugging them back in again.
Update the Sonos Firmware
Launch the Sonos app on your phone and open the settings.
Check for firmware updates by tapping ‘Systems’ followed by ‘System Updates’ and selecting ‘Check for Updates’.
Check Your Amazon Account
The Sonos system can only link to one Amazon account at a time.
Contact Sonos Support
If you have tried steps 1-5 and Alexa is still not connecting to your Sonos system, we recommend contacting Sonos’ support team directly.
If there is something wrong with your device, they can share some troubleshooting methods that may help resolve the issue.
Alexa Not Playing Music
If you have asked Alexa to play a song and it doesn’t play music through Amazon Music or another streaming service, it could be down to several issues.
Read on to find out how to fix it and get your Alexa to play music.
Firstly, to play music through Alexa, you need to link it to a streaming service like Spotify or Amazon music.
If you have an Amazon Prime account, Alexa will stream music through that service by default as long as you are signed into the correct Amazon account on your Alexa app.
To connect Alexa to your music provider, follow the steps below:
- Open the Alexa app, go to ‘Menu’ followed by ‘Settings’
- Select ‘Music’ and you should see a list of third-party music streaming services that require permission to allow Alexa to access your account.
- Tap on the link to the music provider you wish to use and follow the instructions.
- Once you have completed the linking process, the Alexa app should notify you to let you know how to change your default music provider.
- Select which music service you wish to make your default provider in the app settings and select ‘Done’ when completed.
Restart the Alexa Device
Unplug your Echo speaker, wait 20-30 seconds, and plug it back in again.
Check for Other Devices
Certain music streaming services, such as Amazon Music, only allow streaming on one device at a time.
Check Your Account Details
If you are trying to stream music through Amazon Music, you must be logged in to an Amazon Prime account.
Check Your Amazon Prime Subscription Hasn’t Expired
Your Alexa device may not be playing music via Amazon Music if your Prime subscription is no longer active.
Turn Off the Explicit Filter
Another reason your Echo device isn’t playing certain songs could be that you have the explicit filter turned on.
To turn off this feature, open the Alexa app, head to ‘Settings’ followed by ‘Music’.
Check the WiFi Connection
A bad Wi-Fi service could be causing songs to buffer or not play.
Contact Customer Support
If you have exhausted all of the above solutions, we would recommend contacting Amazon, as well as the customer support of the music streaming service you are trying to play music through, such as Spotify or Pandora.
Alexa ‘Drop In’ Not Working
If Alexa ‘Drop In’ can’t connect, can’t access a specific device, or it disconnects intermittently, try the following troubleshooting solutions:
- Check the WiFi connection
- Make sure you have permission to ‘Drop In’ on your contact
- Check if ‘Drop In’ is enabled on your Alexa device
- Disable ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode on your Alexa device
- Ensure your Alexa app is up-to-date
- Reset your Alexa device
- Contact Amazon Customer Support
Alexa Not Working on Fire Stick
If you are having trouble connecting Alexa to your Fire Stick, try each of the following solutions to resolve the issue:
- Check that your Alexa device and Fire TV Stick are registered to the same Amazon account.
- Make sure both the Alexa device and Fire TV are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
- Update your Alexa app to the latest software version.
- Restart your Alexa device.
- Unplug the Fire Stick, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in again.
- Link the Alexa app and Fire TV by following the steps below:
- Go to ‘Settings’ in the Alexa app
- Select ‘TV & Video’
- Find Fire TV on the list and press the plus icon
- Press ‘Link your Alexa Device’ and follow the setup instructions
- Check the Alexa app and Fire Stick are both running in the same timezones within their settings.
- Contact Amazon Customer Support.
How to Reset Alexa
To perform a factory reset on Alexa via the app, follow the step-by-step instructions below:
- Go to ‘Devices’
- Tap the Echo & Alexa icon at the top
- Choose the speaker you want to factory reset
- Scroll down and tap ‘Factory Reset’
- Confirm you want to reset
To perform a factory reset on the Echo speaker itself, follow the appropriate step below:
- To reset the Echo Dot 2nd Generation, simultaneously press and hold the Microphone Off and Volume down buttons. Wait approximately 20 seconds until the light turns orange.
- To reset the Echo Dot 3rd or 4th Generation, press and hold the action button for 30 seconds. Wait for the ring light to turn off and then on again.
- To reset the Echo Show, press and hold the Mute and Volume down buttons at the same time until you see the Amazon logo.
In Summary
In a nutshell, there are many reasons you may be experiencing issues with your Amazon Echo device.
We hope this article has provided you with some practical support and basic knowledge in how to go about resolving common issues associated with the popular smart home device.
If you enjoyed this article, you’ll probably enjoy the following, too: