Alexa Not Talking Back: (16 Easy Fixes To Try)

Is your Alexa not talking back? Nothing worries more than your Alexa not responding back to you like your house chores and relaxation time depend on it.

But don’t worry, as this is one of the most common problems people encounter with Alexa.

Alexa takes the command and does not respond back, or maybe it is not listening to you at all.

There could be a lot of reasons for this, and in this article, you will get to know them all and also what to do when Alexa stops talking.

Why Is Alexa Not Talking Back To Me?

Here I have listed 16 reasons why Alexa is not responding back to you.

I have also discussed the solutions to these problems.

You can apply them one by one and see which one works for you.

But rest assured that these are the only possibilities that could happen, and by the end of this article, your Alexa would start talking back.

So without further ado, let’s begin the problem search.

Alexa Not Talking Back To You: 16 Easy Fixes

1. Check the Microphone

Alexa listens to your command through the microphone.

But if it is turned off, how will Alexa know what you are saying?

There is a microphone button at the top of the Amazon Echo speaker.

Sometimes users turn it off to prevent Alexa from catching unnecessary conversations.

The red light indicates a turned-off microphone, so this is why Alexa is red and not responding.

So turn the microphone button on. When the microphone is working, it will be indicated by blue light.

2. Increase Alexa’s Volume

Why is Alexa blue and not responding? This happens a lot of times when the microphone of the Amazon Echo device is on, but it is still not responding.

Then it’s time to check if Alexa is muted.

Sometimes to avoid disturbances, especially at night, Alexa users turn the volume low and forget it.

Alexa has a volume range from 0 to 10.

If the volume is low, Alexa will be responding to you, but you won’t be able to listen to it.

So how do I know if Alexa is muted? You can know by asking, “Alexa, what is your current volume?”

There are three ways of increasing or decreasing Alexa’s volume.

• Voice Command

This is the simplest and easiest way to alter Alexa’s volume.

Say “Alexa increase the volume” or “Alexa, volume 8”.

• Through The Alexa App

The Alexa app offers a volume range from 0 to 100. Here is how you can change the volume through the app

• Open Alexa app
• Go to “Settings”
• Tap “Devices”
• Select “Echo & Alexa”
• Adjust the audio slider on the “Alexa device.”

• Speaker Buttons

You can find volume buttons on the Echo speakers. You can adjust the volume using them also.

3. Speak Louder and Clearer

Sometimes Alexa may not exactly understand what you are saying.

This may be because either your words are unclear or you are speaking in a very low voice.

Since Alexa knows many languages, sometimes it may misunderstand your words and respond incorrectly.

Or it may not understand your command at all and will not respond at all.

So to avoid this confusion, make sure your voice is loud and clear.

4. Check the Wake Word

As the name indicates, the Wake word is the word that alerts Alexa.

By default, the wake word for all the Echo devices is set up as “Alexa.”

Do you remember changing the wake word?

Or maybe someone has accidentally or unintentionally or unknowingly changed the wake word.

So follow these steps to change the wake word on the Alexa app.

• Open the Amazon Alexa app
• Select “Devices”
• Go to “Echo & Alexa”
• Choose your device
• Tap on “Wake word”
• Change the wake word back to default

5. Disable the “Do Not Disturb” Mode

Sometimes I enable the “do not disturb” mode at night to prevent Alexa from answering calls, and in the morning, I totally forget to disable it.

Maybe you have never touched this option.

But there is no harm in checking whether it is disabled or not.

• Open Alexa app
• Go to “Devices”
• Choose “Echo & Alexa”
• Select your device
• Tap on “do not disturb.”
• Turn it off

6. Turn Off the Brief Mode

Brief mode (anchor “Alexa brief mode not working“) is a fantastic feature that prevents unnecessary voices from Alexa.

In this mode, when you command Alexa, it will just beep instead of saying yes.

So Alexa’s blue light comes on, but no response does not mean that Alexa is not responding.

It has taken up your command. But some people misunderstand it with an unresponsive Alexa.

So follow these steps to turn the Brief mode off

• Open Alexa app
• Tap on the menu
• Go to “Settings”
• Tap on “Voice responses.”
• Turn the brief mode button off

7. The Follow-up Mode

This is one of the most amazing features launched for Alexa.

By turning the follow-up mode on, you don’t have to say “Alexa” repeatedly.

You just have to say once, and Alexa will keep on taking your voice commands.

But users confuse about the Follow-up mode as Alexa is not talking back and keeps on repeating the command.

This confuses Alexa, and it will stop responding to your command.

So there are two solutions to this problem.

First, if you don’t want to turn the follow-up mode off, then learn to use this feature better.

So you can break the command by saying “thank you” or “stop.”

The second solution is to turn the follow-up mode off.

Follow these steps:

• Open Alexa app
• Go to “Devices”
• Choose “Echo & Alexa”
• Select your device
• Tap on “Follow up” mode
• Turn it off

8. Turn Off The Whisper Mode

Another amazing feature launched by Alexa is the “Whisper” mode.

In whisper mode, you can whisper commands to Alexa, and it will respond to you in a whisper voice.

This feature is a blessing at night time when you just want to relax and avoid loud voices.

This feature becomes a problem when you talk to Alexa from a distance.

So when you are done sleeping or relaxing, remember to turn the whisper mode off by following these steps

• Open Alexa app
• Go to “Devices”
• Choose “Echo & Alexa”
• Select your device
• Tap on “Voice responses”
• Turn the “Whisper” mode off

9. Check Connectivity With External Devices

Your Alexa may get connected to any other Bluetooth device.

So, in this case, it will take your command but respond on that particular device.

To disconnect any unwanted device from Alexa, follow these steps :

• Open Alexa app
• Go to “Devices”
• Choose “Echo & Alexa”
• Select the Alexa speaker device
• Tap on “Bluetooth devices”
• Disconnect any paired device

Maybe there are no paired devices. So then what?

Check if there are any headphones plugged in and remove them.

It might happen that you may have unplugged the headphones, and Alexa still won’t respond.

Then plug the headphones again and unplug them.

10. Disable the Recent Skill

If you have recently installed an Alexa Skill, then it may be the problem.

Sometimes a Skill is incompatible with Alexa and affects its functioning.

So this may be the reason why Alexa is not responding to you.

The solution to this problem is to disable the Skill.

Here are the steps to disable a Skill from the Alexa app:

• Open Alexa app
• Tap on the three-bar icon on the corner
• Select “Skills & Games”
• Select the Skill and disable it

11. Check the Internet Connectivity

Alexa requires a strong internet connection.

So, check if your internet is working properly as Alexa won’t listen or respond back when the internet supply is poor.

Try to add more routers to the house and place the router in an open space for better distribution of signals.

Also, make sure that the router and the Echo speaker are placed close to each other.

12. Keep Echo and Alexa App On the Same Wifi

This is one of the most common mistakes that people make.

Alexa won’t respond to you if your smartphone with the Alexa app and the Echo speaker is on a different wifi.

So make sure that you keep the Alexa app and Echo speaker connected to the same internet supply.

13. Check the Power Connection

Check if the Echo speaker has a stable power supply.

The Echo speaker needs to be continuously switched to the power socket.

Maybe you have turned the switch off, or the cable may not be in good condition.

Sometimes there is a problem with the power socket too.

So deal with this problem also.

14. Restart the Amazon Echo Device

The simplest and the most layman hack that surprisingly works almost 99% of the time is to restart the device.

If there is an error that cannot be identified, mostly restarting the Echo speaker fixes the issue.

15. Reinstall the Alexa App

If none of the above hacks work for you, reinstall the Alexa app.

Maybe you are using an outdated version of the app, or maybe there could be an error.

So delete the Alexa app and reinstall it.

16. Reset the Smart Device

The last hack you can try is to factory reset the smart device through which you use the Alexa app.

Here’s how to reset Alexa?

• Open Alexa app
• Go to “Devices”
• Choose “Echo & Alexa”
• Select Device Settings
• Tap on “Factory Reset”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What to do when Alexa stops talking?

Here are the three quick solutions to fix this issue.

• Disable the “Do Not Disturb” Mode
• Disable the Recent Skill
• Speak Louder and Clearer

Conclusion

I hope by now you know why Alexa is not talking back.

Mostly rebooting the device solves the issue.

But the internet connection and the power supply are also sometimes the culprit.

This article summarizes all the possibilities of what may have happened to Alexa.

Follow the above instructions step by step, and something will definitely solve your problem.

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