Alexa could be funny at times with its unresponsiveness when you send a command to the Alexa device and it responded Alexa device is unresponsive. This implication is simple. It implies that the Alexa device isn’t taking your command. So, you have to send the command manually using the Alexa remote.
So, you need to know what to do when Alexa is unresponsive or not responding to your command. Although, Alexa says device unresponsive could mean a lot to the Alexa.
But, with this guide, you will learn the steps to take to fix your unresponsive Alexa device.
What is Alexa Device Is Unresponsive?
When your Alexa device app says device is unresponsive or the device is not responsive, it could mean that your internet connection is poor or not stable.
However, to begin using the Alexa device you’d need to clear the unresponsiveness message on the Alexa device.
With that in mind, you will find this article on how to fix Alexa says device is unresponsive and put an end to the poor responses from the Alexa device.
Do check out how to set up multi-room Music on Alexa
How to Fix Alexa Device is Unresponsive
Okay, why is my Alexa device unresponsive is one message you want to learn how to clear from the Alexa app.
We come up with the following fixes to your Alexa device not responding or unresponsive Alexa device when the Alexa device says Alexa is unresponsive.
Ensure to check out all the suggested solutions to fix the Alexa device is unresponsive once and for all. Meanwhile, you may need to attempt all the suggestions before the unresponsive Alexa message will be deleted or fixed.
Check your Network Speed
Your network speed could be the reason why your Alexa device is unresponsive smart life. If the network is poor or the device only connects to the network without internet access. Therefore, you want to check the speed of your internet or home network to confirm that the error message isn’t emanating from your home network.
To check your WiFi or internet speed just go to Fast.com to see how fast your network is.
Power Cycle your Alexa
This is different from force to reboot your Alexa device. Rather, you cold boot or power cycle the device within 5 minutes and the device is turned on once again.
Therefore, to power cycle your Alexa device to fix Alexa says the device is unresponsive, follow the steps below.
- Unplug your Alexa device from the power source or power outlet.
- Wait for about 30 seconds. While waiting keep pressing the Alexa remote buttons and ensure that you press all buttons.
- Plug the Alexa device into the power source and turn on the device.
This can fix the Alexa device which it’s preferable to force the Alexa device to reboot.
Alexa is Unresponsive After Power Outage
Your Alexa device can become unresponsive or not responding if there is a power outage. However, to ensure that your Alexa device becomes responsive for a start, the Alexa light has to be turned on to show that the Alexa device is connected to the power source.
So, if the Alexa device isn’t connected to the power source as it should, you will get an unresponsive Alexa device. This is common in other smart life devices such as the GoSund, Philips Hue and many others.
To fix the device isn’t unresponsive Alexa plug, ensure that the Alexa device is firmly plugged into the power source and turn on the device to see whether the Alexa light device is unresponsive will be cleared.
Alexa Skill is Unresponsive
We believe that when the app says device is unresponsive that the problem is with the Alexa app itself. However, the Alexa not responding could be from the Alexa device itself.
Therefore, we will walk you through how to access the Alexa skills and how to probably end the Alexa not responding to commands or unresponsive commands.
- Launch the Alexa app on your phone or go to the official Alexa website.
- Select the “More” tab.
- Scroll to “Skills & Games” and choose “Your Skills” when it opens.
- Find the name of the unresponsive Alexa and follow the instruction on the screen.
Meanwhile, if you do this via the Alexa website the direction will be different. So, you need to first select Skills >> Your Skills.
However, if your device is in the Alexa skills without you adding it manually, then, you need to dig into the problem more than usual to see possible means that can be taken to fix the problem. Therefore, we will consider turning on and off the Alexa skills.
How to Turn On/Off your Alexa Skills
Following the procedures below you will be turned off your Alexa and turn on your Alexa skills. However, we will recommend that you do this in the official Alexa app instead of doing it via the Alexa website.
- Launch the Alexa App on your smartphone.
- Go to “More >> Skills & Games.”
- Click on the name of your DEVICE and you will be redirected to the device settings.
- Select “Disable Skills” to device your device within Alexa.
- Go to “Device” and find your device. If the device is available then you have to disable it. But if it’s no longer there it means that the device is disabled.
- Power cycle your device by removing the plug from the power source.
- Also, restart your internet provider device [Router or HotSpot] for some minutes as well.
- Wait for a couple of seconds [not less than 30 seconds].
- Plug both the Alexa device and router and connect both to see whether the Alexa device is unresponsive error message has been cleared or fixed.
The steps above will remove your device from the Alexa Skills & Games and fix all the unresponsive errors. However, if the error is cleared, re-add the device and see whether the Alexa app is unresponsive message will appear again.
Update Alexa Firmware
Your Alexa firmware is supported to update automatically once you connect your device to the internet. However, if the device failed to update itself when it’s connected to the internet, the following procedure will help you update the Alexa echo manually.
- Go to the “Settings.”
- Choose “Device Option.”
- Click on “Check for Update.”
If there is any firmware update available, the Alexa device will download and install it on your device. However, to complete the update, endeavour to restart the Alexa device once the update is completed in case the device failed to reboot itself.
Clear the Alexa App Cache
If the Alexa app says device is unresponsive you can push hard to clear the app cache on your device and see whether the error message will take a bow.
However, since it takes different dimensions to clear app cache on Android and iOS [iPhone/iPad], we will walk you through the steps to take to clear the Alexa device app cache on both devices below.
How to Clear Alexa App Cache on Android
Follow the steps below to clear the Alexa app cache on your Android phone.
- Go to your phone settings.
- Scroll down and click on Apps or Apps Manager or something related that will take you to your Android phone settings.
- Click on the Alexa app and you will be taken to the App info.
- Select “Storage usage >>Clear Cache
- Done.
You can also clear the app data. However, doing this will remove or clear your login details such as your password and username on the Alexa app which means that you’d be prompted to sign in once your launch the app.
How to Clear Alexa App Cache on your iPhone
If you are using an iPhone the following steps will guide you through the steps to take to clear the Alexa device app cache on your iPhone and iPad.
- Go to your iPhone Settings.
- Scroll down and click on “General.”
- You want to choose “Storage & iCloud Storage.”
- Click on the “Manage” tab at the top of the storage interface.
- Find the Alexa app from the list of apps and select it.
- If the app gulps much data storage you can just click on “Delete App” to reinstall it later.
Now, once the app has been deleted, proceed to the apps store to reinstall the app and sign in to see whether the Alexa device is unresponsive message would’ve been deleted.