Alexa Skill Works One Time but Doesnt Work Again

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The standout feature of Alexa that got me interested in Amazon's Echo range, particularly the Echo Dot was its ability to connect to several other smart home devices to set up a smart home system.

However, a few times, my Alexa device was unresponsive, which was not a good thing at all.

I started researching and identified the possible causes and solutions for the problem.

I perused through several user reports and identified the common causes and solutions for this issue.

To fix your unresponsive Alexa device, check your cable connections, and ensure that the right Wi-Fi password has been entered. Finally try resetting your Alexa device to fix it.

I've also talked about Updating your Alexa device's firmware, and reinstalling the Alexa App.

Why Is Your Alexa Device Unresponsive?

After spending a considerable amount of time researching this problem, I've gathered that there are a few common causes of this.

• Cables are not correctly attached: If one or more cable is not connected correctly, this loose cable connection can cause your Alexa device not to respond.
• Wi-Fi not working: A slow internet connection can slow down your Alexa device. If that is so, your Alexa device won't connect and respond.
• Echo device placed too far from the router: If your Echo device isn't within your router's connectivity range, Alexa won't respond. This is more likely to happen to your Echo Dot, which is small, which means it may have been sidelined.
• Wrong Wi-Fi password: If your Echo device has been connected to your router with an incorrect password, your Echo device won't work either. So, be sure to check if the device has been connected to the Wi-Fi with the correct password.
• Physical interference: There are specific wireless devices like keyboards or headsets that can cause a signal disturbance. Devices like baby monitors, microwave ovens, televisions, and thick walls can also disrupt or block your Wi-Fi signal. If your Wi-Fi signal is blocked, then your Alexa device will naturally not respond.

How Can You Fix Your Unresponsive Alexa Device?

The good news is that most of the time when your Alexa device is unresponsive, you can fix the issue at home, all on your own!

Your Alexa device lights up blue when you've spoken the wake phrase and Alexa is paying attention to you, so if it doesn't light up blue, that probably means it's being unresponsive.

Here's a list of easy fixes to this problem.

Check All Cables

Checking the cables is the first thing you should consider doing if your Alexa device is not responding.

Make sure you check that your Alexa device's cable is connected correctly.

Not just that, ensure that the cable connection for all your Alexa compatible devices like your smart TV, for instance, are also appropriately connected.

A loose cable connection is a significant cause of the unresponsiveness of the Alexa device.

Place The Echo Device Near The Router

This is another important thing you need to check off. This fix makes sure that your Echo device is placed close enough to your router so that the Echo device is within the connectivity range of your Wi-Fi.

If you've got one of the smaller Echo devices, like the Echo dot, you may have placed it outside its permissible range from the router, as it's compact and can get tucked away.

If you see that your Echo device is not within your Wi-Fi's connectivity range, place the Echo device near the router.

Once this is ensured, your Alexa device should start working again!

Check Your Wi-Fi Password

Alexa devices need Wi-Fi to work, so if you've typed in the wrong Wi-Fi password and denied it access to the internet, your Alexa device will be unresponsive.

When you're doing the setting up your Alexa device, be careful about entering the correct Wi-Fi password.

If you accidentally enter the incorrect password, the Echo device will try to connect with your Wi-Fi router.

However, your Echo device will not connect to your router. If you see that Alexa is not responding, check the Wi-Fi password you used to connect your Echo device to the Wi-Fi.

Update the firmware of your Alexa device

If there's a known issue for your Alexa device, it's possible Amazon has already addressed it in a recent firmware update.

You can confirm if you're due for a firmware update by logging in to the official Amazon Alexa website.

You can also do this by launching the Alexa App, heading to Settings, and checking the Device software version field under the About section, and comparing it with the latest version of firmware available for your Alexa device.

Uninstall and Reinstall the Alexa App

If there's something wrong with the Alexa App and that's what is causing the unresponsiveness, you can simply uninstall the Alexa App and reinstall it from the Play Store if you own an Android phone and the App Store if you own an iPhone.

You can uninstall the App from the Apps section in Settings, or by tapping and holding the app on your home screen, depending on your smartphone's operating system.

Reinstalling a fresh version of the app from its package will ensure that nothing that was corrupted in the earlier install remains in the fresh install residually.

Restart The Alexa Device

Now, there is a possibility that you've tried all the methods mentioned above, and your Alexa device is still not responding.

Restarting your Echo device is the next thing you can try doing. This is one of the best ways to get your Echo device functioning again.

To restart your Echo device, follow the steps given below.

• First things first, find the power button on your Echo device.
• After you've located the power on/off button on your Echo device, press and hold the button for a few moments to switch the device off.
• After this, disconnect the power chord of your Echo device from the plug point.
• Now, keep your Echo device switched off for a few seconds.
• After a few moments have passed, plug in your echo device's power chord again.
• Press the power button again, and your echo device will restart!

These quick and easy-to-do steps will reboot your Echo device.

Reset The Alexa Device

If restarting your Echo device hasn't worked, you can try resetting your Echo device.

You can reset your Echo device through the Alexa app. Just follow the step-by-step guide given here, and your Alexa device will start working again in no time.

• Open the Alexa app.
• Click on "Devices" in the app.
• Under devices, click on "Echo & Alexa".
• Tap on the specific Echo device you want to reset, like say, Echo Dot.
• After you've selected the Echo device you want to reset, scroll down, and you'll find the Reset Settings Menu.
• Under the Reset Settings Menu, select the factory reset option and confirm the option chosen.

After you select the factory reset option, your Echo device might take a bit of time to reset and rebooted.

Restart The Router Your Alexa Device is Connected To

Restarting your router is another useful method to solve the problem. If the issue is not with your Echo device, it might be your router causing the issue of unresponsiveness.

• Firstly, find all the cables that are connected to your router and disconnect them.
• Keep your router switched off for a few seconds.
• Then, reinsert the cables into your router to switch on your router again.

After this, check if Alexa is resounding again.

Final Thoughts on an Unresponsive Alexa device

The issue of unresponsiveness in Alexa devices is a more common issue than we imagine. If your Alexa is playing music it might not hear you. Stop Alexa from playing on all devices so that she can hear you when you say the wake word.

Sometimes you may not even get relevant search results for the questions you ask your Alexa device because of the search engine Alexa uses.

Nevertheless, going through the steps above usually do the trick for me and it starts responding again.

In case none of those steps can get your Alexa device to start responding again, I would highly recommend you to contact customer support.

You May Also Enjoy Reading

• How To Access Super Alexa Mode In Seconds
• Echo Dot Green Ring Or Light: What Does It Tell You?
• How To Play SoundCloud On Alexa In Seconds
• How To Use Amazon Echo In Two Houses
• How To Play Music On All Alexa Devices

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you unfreeze Alexa?

Restarting your Echo device can unfreeze Alexa.

Why won't my Alexa talk back?

If your Alexa device is not responding, this might be due to a poor internet connection.

Check the cable connection of all your smart home devices. Other reasons include physical interference, wrong Wi-Fi password, or too much distance between the Echo device and the router.

Where is the reset button on Alexa?

The reset button is on the bottom of the Echo device.

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