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How to Fix Alexa Not Turning On

One of the latest and greatest technological innovations across the past couple of decades has been the advent of smart devices. For all the talk sci-fi media had to say about it, this is finally when technology is starting to come even close to what we envisioned. Still a long way to go, but it’s a start, right? One of the earliest and arguably best in this area has been Amazon’s line of Alexa-enabled Echo devices. But despite how good they tend to be, users have reported certain problems, including trying to learn how to fix Alexa not turning on.

One of the most common reasons why your Alexa device is not turning on is because there is an issue delivering power to the device. Whether some part of the equation is faulty or the cord is not properly plugged in is a different matter entirely. If that doesn’t work, consider a factory reset.

How do you even get a factory reset working though? And what do you do if you need to get a replacement?

How do I fix Alexa not turning on?

If your Alexa device is not functioning properly, the first thing you should do is make sure that the device has access to power. Alexa devices generally do not have on/off switches, instead being powered on or off only by plugging in or unplugging the cord.

Check to see that the power cord is connected at both ends (the electrical outlet and the Alexa device itself). If both are properly connected, this may mean that there is an issue with the power source. For instance, if you are plugging into a surge protector, check to see that it is switched on. Some surge protectors will have a light to show they’re powered on, while in others, you can only tell if they are on by plugging in something and testing it.

If even that does not work, the two options would be to check to see if there is not an issue with your house’s power or the possibility of an issue with your Alexa device. In the former option, be sure to have someone qualified to handle electrical issues handle it, as doing it yourself could be dangerous depending on what is causing the issue.

If the issue is with your Alexa device , it could be a physical issue or an issue with the firmware. If it is the latter, your best bet would be to initiate a factory reset for your device. Resetting your Alexa device to factory settings will vary from one device to another, so if you intend to do this, be sure to look up the instructions for your specific device. For instance, if you intend to reset an Echo Dot, you would hold the volume down and microphone off buttons until the ring light turns orange, then blue, then off, and to orange again, causing it to be restored to factory settings.

If it is damage to your device, however, that is a different story entirely.

What do I do if my Alexa device is defective?

If you have tried all the reasonable measures listed above and your Alexa device is still not working, your best option may be to simply get a hold of Amazon.com customer service. If you have a warranty and the Echo Dot is experiencing some form of defect, then getting it replaced (before it’s too late) will do you a world of good in the long run.

Depending on what happened to your Alexa device, getting it covered under the initial warranty may more or less difficult. In most cases, the only way to get a damaged electronic covered by warranty would be if the Alexa device’s damages were not significantly affected by user negligence. This means no dropping the device, no getting water on it. In these cases, the only reasonable way you should expect to see coverage under the warranty is if you specifically covered potential damages by you. Not the most common type of warranty, mind.

Why is my Alexa device having trouble connecting?

One issue people have reported is that, despite being able to power the Alexa device, Alexa herself is not able to respond to any commands or questions you may ask it. If this is happening, it means that the connection between your Alexa device and the Internet is experiencing interference. Such interference can manifest in many ways, including an issue with the device itself, an outage, being too far from the signal, and more.

One thing that may be causing you to be unable to connect is because the password for the Internet has changed. The only way to continue connecting to that Wi-Fi network in particular would be to find the new password (and username if that also changed) and update it in your Wi-Fi settings.

What are the different Alexa-enabled devices available?

While the Amazon Echo was the first kind of Alexa-enabled device to be released, it was far from the last. This even goes for its own line, which has seen numerous revisions since then. The first generation was a tall cylinder with a rotating volume control on top. Meanwhile, the second generation replaced the hard plastic with fabric, shortening it, and improving audio quality.

The third generation further softened the design and improved the audio quality, but the fourth generation gave the device a radically new design. Instead of the more cylindrical design you may be used to, the fourth-gen Amazon Echo is shaped like a ball with a flat bottom, moving the indicator light to the bottom instead of the top.

With the Echo Show, the screen adds another wrinkle to your problem. While this is not the most common thing to occur, it is entirely possible that your Echo Show could have power, but the screen is broken. This kind of problem is a lot more common if you transport your Echo Show device frequently, as it introduces it to the potential of damage.

Steven Carr

Steven is a certified IT professional and gaming enthusiast. He has been working in the tech industry for over 10 years, and specializes in all things Tech-related. When he's not geeking out over the latest hardware or software release, he can be found testing out the latest video game.

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